The Ins and Outs of American Literacy

The Ins and Outs of American Literacy Jasmine Silas UNST 140: African American Experience

WHAT IS LITERACY? • “commonly defined (in the U.S.) as the ability to read, write, and speak in English, compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve one’s goals, and develop one’s knowledge and potential” –The National Literacy Act

THE ISSUE AT HAND • Lacking literacy among Americans (esp. members of the African American race) • Learning/Being taught in time

LACKING LITERACY • Illiteracy is increasing at a great rate among today’s Americans • African Americans are the most illiterate of the American races • “In 2003, as many as 5% of adults over the age of 16 were non-literate in English, 14% were below basic in literacy, and another 29% possessed only basic literacy skills” • In “2006 more than 8 million U.S. students in grades 4-12 struggle to read, write and comprehend adequately” –Educational Cyberplayground

IMPACT OF ILLITERACY • Frustration b/c lacking ability to communicate • Drop out of school • Prison sentences • Inability to find & keep employment • Lower income • Declining Health • Increasing mortality rates • Illiteracy Cycle (generation-to-generation)

LITERACY LEARNING LIMITS • Limited time to provide children with adequate literacy skills for life • “A child who is not reading by the end of first grade has a one in eight chance of ever becoming a proficient reader.”–Johns Hopkins Univ. Center for Social Organization of Schools

“IF YOU HAVE FAILED TO GIVE CHILDREN CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CAN LEARN TO READ BY THE TIME THEY ARE 8 OR 9 YEARS OLD YOU WILL HAVE LOST THEM FOR LIFE. THEY CANNOT RECOVER.”-Educational Cyberplayground

EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY • ALL children are eager to learn • Children cannot teach themselves • Providing children with confidence and literacy skills at early ages puts them on the right path towards success in life

CAUSES OF ILLITERACY • Poverty/living and attending school in urban areas • Parental involvement • Teaching methods • slavery

LESS FORTUNATE LITERACY • Impoverished children lack opportunities to build their literacy skills in the same ways as those who are more fortunate • Children attending urban schools lack materials necessary for them to learn

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT • Teachers cannot do all of the work, parents have to become the teachers when school is not is session • “Paternal literacy & participation is fundamental to a child’s success in learning to read.” –Bridgewater State College • “A parent’s literacy level is one of the most significant predictors of a child’s future literacy ability. Poor school achievement and dropping out before completing school are a commomplace among children of illiterate parents.” –REACH Educational Foundation, 2003

TEACHING METHODS • Because of young age, children MUST be taught in ways that will entertain them and keep their attention • Have changed causing this growing rate of illiteracy • Old approach to teaching, “look and say” method, intensive-systematic phonics

SLAVERY • Illegal to teach a slave to read and write for fear of an uprising and to maintain hierarchy of races • Other races had a head start on literacy, now we have to play catch-up

SOLUTIONS • No Child Left Behind • Parental Literacy and Academic Involvement • Hands-on Learning Activities • Adopting the Old approach to teaching reading

ETHICS: helps…does not harm • FEASIBILITY: project is practical and solution does indeed fit problem • KNOWLEDGE & ORGANIZATION: yes! • EFFECTIVENESS: Adjusted to circumstances to complete activism • BENEFITS: children benefitted, parents benefitted, teachers benefitted, & I benefitted from this activism

SOURCES • http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/literacy/stats.asp • http://www.literacysanantonio.com/index.php/literacyfacts • http://www.sesameworkshop.org/inside/pressroom/tec/literacy • http://www.icsd.k12.ny.us/boynton/library/bhmread.html • http://www.dclearns.org/clearinghouse/stats.html • http://www.nrrf.org/essay_Illiteracy.html

The Ins and Outs of American Literacy