Implementing new literacy programs is great. The government in England has dne just that. Infact they have revised the programs several times. The only problem is they are ow getting the teachers the help they need. I just read this article on the situation here. It sounds all too familiar.
In Jamaice they have the right idea about childrens literacy. They dont want to allow children who dont have basic reading skills to even take the test that will send them to the next level of education. Simply put, if you can’t read then we are not going to let you pass the test overall and move on. This is a great policy.
The United Way for Southeastern Michigan is doing another great deed. They are going to train over two thousand people to help first and second grade students read better. They have a big a big task ahead of them over 15% of children in the Detroit area are not up to their third grade reading level. The ultimate goal is to get them there.
Literacy Day in Canada is coming soon. Family literacy day in Canada is on January 27th. There are all kinds of events like the one Robert Munsch is heading up at a childrns school. Thousands of events are planned. The big names sponsors like ABC Canada and Honda Canada have already contributed.
Is there a National Literacy Day? Not yet! We should push for a National Literacy Day because it can only raise more literacy awareness. I urge you to contact the National Institute for Literacy to get help on changing this. Their website is here http://www.nifl.gov. You also may want to write to your local congressman. Find your representatives here http://directory.usayfoundation.org/.
I just wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday. I hope you bought someone a few good books! Even better, I hope you recieved a few good books! I just got ‘I Ching’. This is a good read!
Would you like to take a break from reading to watch literacy related movies? If you live in the Durham, NC area you can! You view all the infomation on where to go here: http://durhamliteracy.org/home/node/443. These programs really aid adult literacy. Stop by if you can.
Sometimes listening is just as important as reading. If you would like to download free public domain ausio books visit http://librivox.org/. You can even donate your time and voice by reading a book and submitting the audio book for others to enjoy. One of my favorites on the site is the The Theory of Social Revolutions.
The need for literacy programs can be summed up in one statistic, the US ranks 10th out of 17 nations in literacy (judged by our literacy score). We fail in all areas of literacy except one. We are 5th when it comes to adults that have 4 of college under them. If you did not graduate college, have a GED, or are forign born your score is rock bottom. We need to raise these scores!
Can your dog read? Well the answer is probably no. Your dog can help children read through a program based in the Chicago, IL area called Sit, Stay & Read! They use therapy dogs to help gain the trust and interest of children when it comes to reading. Stay up to date on this program at their website: http://www.sitstayread.org/Welcome.aspx