September 20 – 26 is Adult and Family Literacy Week. AEFL week is recognized by the U.S. Congress. You can view the Senate Resolution now.

Why Should We Raise Awareness of Adult and Family Literacy?

Consider the following statistics:

• According to ProLiteracy research, only 29% of adults over the age of 16 read at the eighth grade level¹ and 36 million American adults cannot read well enough to fill out a job application. Low literacy rates are linked to poverty, unemployment, crime, and higher health care costs.

• The lastest NCHEMS Information Center Educational Attainment Survey shows that Florida has one of the highest dropout rates in the nation, with 87% percent of adults between the ages of 25 to 34 obtaining a high school diploma.
• A 2010 Study by the NIH showed that “a mother’s reading skill is the greatest determinant of her children’s future academic success, outweighing other factors, such as neighborhood and family income.

Statistics like these mean that issues of adult and family literacy should remain a part of our national conversation. Special events like International Literacy Day and AEFL Week help to keep adult literacy issues at the forefront.

How Can I Promote AEFL Week?

• The National Coalition for Literacy has a list of social media activities and messages that help promote AEFL week.
• Proliteracy also has an AEFL toolkit which you can use.
• Check out the Florida Literacy Pinterest page for lots of literacy infographics and more.
• Volunteer, Volunteer, Volunteer! If you are interested in volunteering, please call us at our Literacy Hotline 1 (800) 237 – 5113 or use our Volunteer Opportunities Database

Sources

NCL. (n.d.). National Coalition for Literacy – family Literacy facts. Retrieved 9 23, 2015, from National Coalition for Literacy: http://national-coalition-literacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/FamilyLiteracyFactSheetfromNCFL.pdf

ProLiteracy. (n.d.). ProLiteracy – The Crisis – Adult Literacy Facts. Retrieved 9 23, 2015, from http://www.proliteracy.org/the-crisis/adult-literacy-facts