50 Million Americans are Functionally Illiterate

Hattiesburg, Miss -

Richard L. Scott dodged a life of poverty, poor health and a life behind bars when he overcame illiteracy. Unfortunately, 42 million Americans remain unable to read or write. And 50 million can’t read past fourth or fifth grade levels, according to Strasburg, Va-based National Right to Read Foundation (NRRF).

“For multiple decades the teaching of reading skills in America has not been based on solid research but rather fads and unsound philosophies of how to teach reading,” explained Sweet.  “The key solution to not only cutting the illiteracy rate in half, but to actually eliminating it in those who are of normal sight, hearing and intelligence, is to begin at once training teachers in every college of education in the findings of scientific research in reading.”

Sweet added, “Unfortunately, this kind of instruction has not even been available in many colleges.  Teachers want to really teach successfully, but they graduate woefully unprepared in the basics of the actual process of teaching another to read.”

Sweet believes the Reading First program, a component of President Bush’s 2002 No Child Left Behind Act, is a solution to this problem.  The program relies on proven methods of early reading instruction and assessment tools.  It also implements explicit, systematic teachings in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency and comprehension to ensure that children are proficient readers by the end of the third grade. 

For a progress report on the effectiveness of the Reading First initiative, please visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/index.html . To learn more about the NRRF, visit www.nrrf.org.

Sylvan Learning Center 

Parents + Teachers/Programs = Literacy

America’s illiteracy rate continues to multiply because of costly secondary educational services, misdirected focus, and parents who are afraid of the stigma attached to a child seeking help outside of class, according to Elizabeth Logan, executive director of the Hattiesburg, Miss-based Sylvan Learning Center.

Logan said sports and other extra curricular activities also have a tendency to add to the nation’s academic woes as they often take priority over students’ scholastic achievements.

The National Right to Read Foundation estimates the number of illiterate adults is increasing by 2.25 million people each year.

To combat illiteracy, she urges parents to become more active in their children’s educational life by building relationships with the faculty and staff of their schools.  She says another way to ensure your child’s excels academically is to remain up to date and review the children’s homework assignments.

Situated in over 1,100 locations throughout the United States and Canada, Sylvan Learning strives to help students as early as four-and-a-half years old keep up, catch up, or get ahead in school.

While the center does not diagnosis a child with a learning disability, Logan highlighted a few tell-tale signs that a student may be lagging behind their grade level.

“In math, if he or she counts on their fingers or doesn’t know the basic facts of addition, subtraction, multiplication or division within five seconds, the student could be behind.  In reading, a student may read word by word, point while they are reading or make up words as they read,” said Logan.  However, many students with a learning disability are skilled in finding ways to compensate for their weaknesses she said.

Sylvan Learning Center offers subject-based tutoring for K-12 students in need of academic support. Through the guidance of trained and qualified tutors, children receive help in areas including math, reading, writing, test-taking, SAT or ACT prep, and homework. Students receive individual attention, and each is monitored closely to determine their progress and growth. For more information on the services provided by the center and hours of operation, please visit www.educate.com. 

This interview obtained by chinika.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Chinika, LLC.

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