September is Literacy Awareness Month. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) founded International Literacy Day. The first International Literacy day was celebrated on September 8, 1967 and it continues to be observed on September 8 every year. This day focuses attention on the need to promote worldwide literacy, said Margaret Henderson, program coordinator, Oswego County Opportunities Literacy Volunteers. UNESCO estimates that at least 773 million youth and adults worldwide still cannot read and write, and 250 million children are not acquiring basic literacy skills.
The National Coalition for Literacy requests that Congress recognize one week every year as National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. This year, that week is September 19-25, 2021. The goal of this week is to work in collaboration with every state, territory and district to enhance public awareness, reinforce alliances, leverage resources, and increase the number of people who understand the critical role adult education and family literacy plays in our nation’s well-being.
“More than 43 million adults in the United States cannot read, write, or do basic math above a 3rd grade level,” Henderson said. “What is the cost of low literacy? It is estimated that $106-$238 billion in health care costs each year are linked to adult low literacy skills. Workers with less than a high school diploma have the lowest median weekly earnings, three times less than the highest level of education. Seventy five percent of state incarcerated individuals did not graduate from high school or can be categorized as low literate.
“Bringing all adults to a 6th grade reading level would generate an additional $2.2 trillion in annual income for the United States. Incarcerated individuals who participate in correctional educational programs are 43% less likely to recidivate than inmates who do not. 
“A mother’s reading skills is the greatest determining factor of children’s future academic success. Reading to your children provides a wonderful opportunity for bonding. Hearing a story read aloud involves comprehension and listening skills. Experts at Scholastic explain that listening is a skill children must attain before they can read themselves. A 2013 study conducted by Aisling Murray and Suzanne Egan revealed that babies who are read to and talked to score higher in language skills, cognitive development and problem-solving. Experts from the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and learning explained that reading books to children expands their vocabulary. A 2019 study conducted by Logan, Justice, Yumus, and Chapaanno-Morano estimated that children who are regularly read to in the five years leading up to kindergarten are exposed to 1.4 million more words than children who aren’t read to during those years. Reading to children starting as babies also increases their attention spans, increases their creativity, improves their social and emotional development, and teaches them life lessons.
“For those of us reading this story, reading is automatic because we developed strong literacy skills at a young age. We take for granted the opportunities we have because we can read. Three point four million New Yorkers lack high school diplomas and/or have limited English language skills. Twenty five percent of adults in New York State are considered low literate. Twenty two percent risk unemployment, poverty, health issues and incarceration due to low literacy. Imagine not being able to read. What would your world be like? It would be much different and a struggle to get through every day.
“ Literacy New York is a non-profit organization that has been undertaking the adult literacy issue for nearly 50 years, helping improve the lives of thousands of New Yorkers in the process. Evidence has shown that 100 hours of basic literacy instruction converts into a $10,000 increase in annual income. This greatly improves the quality of life for individuals.
“Locally, 12% of Oswego County residents read at or below a 5th grade level. Oswego County Opportunities Literacy Volunteers Program provides one-on-one tutoring of adults in English communication, reading and math skills. Volunteers are certified through Literacy New York’s tutor training and matched with a learner for two hours per week. For more information about OCO’s Literacy Volunteers Program contact Meg Henderson at 315-342-8839, ext. 201 or [email protected].
To encourage New Yorkers to help fix this state-wide issue of adult low literacy rates, Literacy New York created the ‘Stop Reading Challenge’. This is an eye-opening experience that will show the significance of literacy, and initiate people to get involved in a small way. On September 8, International Literacy Day, Literacy New York will launch their Stop Reading Challenge. They are challenging New Yorkers to stop reading for just 5 minutes. It sounds easy not to read, but it’s not. Everywhere you look there is something with words on it. We read them automatically because we can, but for so many it is a challenge. To really make a difference we need as many people as possible to take and share the challenge. Share your success or failure on social media. Donate $5 to support adult literacy when you fail. #StopReadingChallenge”
The Literacy Coalition of Oswego County is a coalition of local organizations and individuals dedicated to improving literacy in our county. The LCOC works to address the literacy needs of people of all ages, the areas they cover include basic literacy, workforce literacy, computer literacy, health literacy, and financial literacy. “The Literacy Coalition of Oswego County is dedicated to supporting and expanding literacy services so that people can work, our economy can grow, families can thrive, and our community can prosper.
For more information about The Literacy Coalition of Oswego County, visit www.oswegocounty.com and click on the “Government” and then ”Administration” tabs for their website, or find them on Facebook.
Discover more from Oswego County Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
