Return-Path: <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h3H3KVU09572; Wed, 16 Apr 2003 23:20:31 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 23:20:31 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3E9E1C0B.1070404@theworld.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "David J. Rosen" <DJRosen@theworld.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:1503] Re: Literacy impact on community X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 2814 Lines: 78 Cheryl Harlan wrote: > Does anyone know where I can obtain information that clearly states how > literacy tutoring and/or a literacy program (for adults) directly > benefits a local community? I found numerous statistics on the NIFL > website, but am looking for a more definitive statement instead of > numbers. I know a community "benefits as a whole" through a more > literate society, I'm just searching for some general reasons why. Cheryl, here are three general reasons (among others) why a community benefits from adult literacy education and I have included citations of studies and articles to back them up.: 1. Family literacy Community adults -- and their children -- benefit from adult literacy. Several studies show that children's literacy is positively related to the education level and reading practices of their parents: Go to the NALD database and search for Thomas Sticht's work on family literacy -- the "double duty dollars" argument that an investment in the parent's (usually mother's) level of education has the extra added value of improving children's literacy) For example, http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/roi/front.htm Also see "International Comparisons in Fourth-Grade Reading Literacy: Findings from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) of 2001" Three key results from the international study include: Better readers engaged in early literacy activities before starting school. Fourth-graders from homes with many children's books had higher achievement than those from homes with few books. Students with the highest reading achievement had parents who read for at least six hours per week. http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003073 2. Workplace literacy Community members -- in their role as workers -- may need and benefit from increased basic skills. Community employers also benefit from a more highly skilled workforce. A Conference Board study called "Turning Skills into Profits: Economic Benefits of Workplace Education Programs," supported by the OVAE/USDOE, found that employers saw many positive outcomes for their employees from their investments in workplace literacy. (Strangely, I couldn't find this on the C-Pal Website. Since there doesn't appear to be a search engine on the C-pal site, it could be there, but I couldn't find it. Fortunately NIFL LINCS' search engine gave me the reference.) http://www.conferenceboard.ca/education/pdf/Skills_Profits.pdf 3. Health literacy In their roles as family members, workers, and community members, adults who can read medicine labels and prescriptions, and literature to help them manage an illness, will be healthier. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/news.html Hope this helps. All the best, David J. Rosen
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