There’s a lot going on in September: the end of summer, the start of fall, National Library Card Sign-Up Month, Banned Books Week, the start of football season…but did you know that Sept. 8 is International Literacy Day?
Youth literacy is a much talked about subject these days. You may have heard that by the fourth-grade, students are no longer learning to read, but are reading to learn. You may have also heard that many students nationwide, and here in Alachua County, are performing below grade-level. Outcomes for students underachieving in reading are dire. Below grade-level performance in reading can lead to a student dropping out of school, increases the risk of incarceration, and is a reliable predictor for poverty. Low reading ability amongst youth is not a new problem. It’s one whose persistence we can see clearly when we look at the state of literacy amongst the adult population today. According to the PIAAC (Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies), 19% of adults in Alachua County are functionally illiterate or close to it. Statewide the rate is 24% while nationwide the rate is 20%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
What can we do? Well, for starters, sign up for a library card and encourage others to do so as well (students enrolled at Alachua County Public Schools are automatically signed up!) Library resources are free, abundant, and diverse. There is truly something available for everyone.
Encourage reluctant readers to read something they are interested in. You can find materials at the library on every topic imaginable, and maybe even on a few topics you never would have imagined yourself! From The Love Lives of Birds to The Pokémon Cookbook. Graphic novels and photo-filled magazines count, too.
According to linguist Stephen Krashen, individuals who read self-chosen materials that they enjoy are able to increase their language skills at a rate equal to or greater than individuals who specifically study to increase their language skills for the same amount of time. So, hours of vocabulary cards and grammar books or hours of Zauner or Martin?
The library not only provides materials, but offers services. For adults struggling to read, the library offers one-to-one tutoring at libraries throughout the county. If you or someone you know is in need of help with literacy skills, please contact the Literacy office: 352-334-3929, 352-334-3920, or literacy@aclib.us.
You can also become a literacy volunteer. What better way to support your community than by helping those you share it with to improve their circumstances by helping them acquire the tools to educate themselves? After all, Koffi Anon’s statement on International Literacy Day 25 years ago remains true today:
“Literacy is … the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential. These aspirations merit our strongest possible support.”