Functionally Illiterate Adults

Rochelle Ford did not learn to read in

school:

“I didn‟t know I couldn‟t read, I was just waiting to learn how to read.”

(NPR, 2007)

Functionally Illiterate Adults

Nelson Lauver feared being humiliated

every time he had to read in school:

“The other kids were reading well, but I couldn‟t get through a sentence. A few kids snickered, and soon most of the class was laughing.”

(Lauver, 2011)

John Corcoran always wanted to read:

“There wasn‟t a day that went by that I didn‟t want to read. . . . When I was about eight years old I can remember praying, „Please God when it‟s my turn to read tomorrow let the words come out of my mouth, let me read.‟”

(Corcoran, 2008)

Functionally Illiterate Adults

Capstone Presentation

Literacy Programs in Libraries for

Functionally Illiterate Adults

Mary Helen Copeland

November 29, 2011

% of Functionally Illiterate Adults

30 million American adults perform at below-

basic literacy level(http://nces.ed.gov/naal/kf_demographics.asp#3)

40 million Americans are functionally

illiterate (http://www.wallacefoundation.org/Pages/default.aspx)

88 million Americans lack the proper

education or have English-as-a-second-

language barrier (http://www.nationalcommissiononadultliteracy.org/)

Literacy Definitions

Functionally Illiterate -

Functioning with basic or below-basic

literacy skills

Basic Literacy -

Having some high school education,

reading occasionally, locating pertinent

information on a form

Below Basic Literacy -

No more than the most simple and

concrete skills such as signing a form or

adding two numbers

• Lacking in third-grade reading skills

• Undiagnosed learning disability

• Lack of support in the home

• Poverty - 30 million word gap

(Hart & Risley, 2003)

How Does This Happen?

Rochelle Ford found help in the library -

“I went to a library, and I walked up to this young lady and I said, „Do you have any information about any reading classes for adults?”

(NPR, 2007)

Libraries Creating Bridges

Libraries Creating Bridges

John Corcoran found help in the library –

“I remember well that summer day when I drove up to the Carlsbad City, California Library Adult Learning Center.”

(John Corcoran, 2008)

Public Libraries

A natural place to offer

adult literacy classes –

• Safe and neutral ground

• Already in the community

• Not the same as school

• Understanding the problems associated

with illiteracy

• Learning how to work with adult learners

vs. working with children

• Understanding the importance of positive feedback

• Understanding the importance of learner-centered,

social-humanistic lessons

• Understanding the importance of creating a trusting

relationship with the student

• Understanding the importance of setting goals

with the student

Tutor Training

Learner Assessment

• Assess level at which the student is reading

• Assess student‟s personality for tutor

placement

• Assess commitment level and goals of the

student

• Assess days and times available

Variety of Programs

• Below Basic Skills Group Tutoring

• Basic Skills I Group Tutoring

• Basic Skills II Group Tutoring

• One-on-One Tutoring

• Family Literacy Training

• Job Skills Tutoring

• Resume Writing

• Interview Tutoring

Tutor/Learner Expectations

Contract created for both tutor and student –

• Days of the week

• Times

• At-home practice

• Stay in program for six months

• Post-assessment after six months

Leaders Trained in Treating

Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities

• Trained in either Lindamood Bell or

Orton Gillingham

• Trained in treating auditory problems

• Trained in treating sensory problems

• Trained in treating Asperger‟s syndrome

• Number of years completed in school

• Age of dropping-out (if applicable)

• Reason for dropping-out (if applicable)

• Current age

• Sex/race

• Reason for seeking help

• Ultimate outcome of literacy tutoring

Standardized Data Collection

How does this issue affect Americans?

27% of Medicare recipients and

30% of Medicaid recipients

have a Below Basic level of Health Literacy

(Miller, McCardle, Hernandez, 2010)

$225 billion is the cost to Americans each year

because of non-productivity in the workforce,

crime, and loss of tax revenue due to

unemployment(http://proliteracy.org/)

Can the Cycle be Broken?

$57.2 billion spent on public education

with

< 1% spent on adult literacy programs

This translates to

$10,000 spent per student in elementary

and secondary education

with

$225 per student to educate 2.5 million

adults

(Zachry, 2010)

“Education in its purest form is for the good of the individual and for the good of the world.”

(Elliot Galloway)

“A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never-failing spring in the desert.”

(Andrew Carnegie)

The Cycle CAN Be Broken

References

Corcoran, J. (2009). The bridge to literacy: No child – or adult – left behind. New York, NY: Kaplan Publishing.

Greenberg, D. and Perin, D. (2007). Researched-based reading instruction in an adult basic education program. Adult Basic Education and Literacy Journal, 1(3), 123-132.

Hart, B. and Risley, T. (2003, Spring). The early catastrophe: The 30 million word gap by age 3. American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/spring2003/

Hernandez, R., McCardle, P., & Miller, B. (2010). Advances and remaining challenges in adult literacy research. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 43(2), 101-107. doi10.1177/0022219409359341

References

Lauver, N. (2011). Most unlikely to succeed: The trials, travels, and ultimate triumphs of a ‘throwaway kid’. New York, NY: Five City Media. [Kindle].

News and Notes. (National Public Radio). (2007, August, 16). Grappling with realities of illiteracy. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12840593

Zachry, E. M. (2010). Who needs a second chance? The challenge of documenting k-12 dropout and why adult educators should be concerned. Adult Basic Education & Literacy Journal, 4(2), 75-85.