According to the National Institute For Literacy, literacy is defined as an individual’s ability to read, write, and speak in English, compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency needed to function on the job and in society, to achieve one’s goals, and develop one’s knowledge and potential.
In the US, 20% of adults read at or below the fifth grade level. After years in the classroom, I felt that I would like to teach people who really wanted to learn something. I finally reached a point where I wanted to make the commitment to teach adults to read, and responded to a phone number on a sign in the library.
I reached the Adult Literacy League in Orlando, Florida, and signed up for their training program. Shortly thereafter, I was matched with a 50 year old woman who had completed 9th grade, but had been passed through the system because she was a quiet and cooperative student. Her learning difficulties had pretty much been ignored. I spent 3 delightful years working with her, and we both took great satisfaction in watching her progress.
My next (and current) student reflects another literacy issue … those whose native language isn’t English. I am enjoying the ups and downs of explaining the vagaries of the complexities of our language to a woman born and raised in Korea. Although she has been in the U.S. for almost 20 years, she just recently made the connection between the fact that without good language skills, her ability to obtain promotions at work had just about ended.
The rewards of having someone tell you that they read a magazine article that warned of the dangers of eating rare hamburger, or that they finally got the Monday – Friday work schedule they’ve always wanted cannot be measured. I urge everyone who has an hour a week to find a literacy group in your community and give something back. Laubach Literacy Action and Literacy Volunteers of America have recently merged into ProLiteracy Worldwide. Get in touch with someone today.
And if you don't think you have what it
takes
to work with a student, your local literacy organization needs
volunteers
for so many other tasks. Can you help with mailings? Will
you
answer phones? Can you manage a photocopy machine? 
The
Adult Literacy League of Orlando was host to the national biennial
conference
of Laubach Literacy Action. We used every volunteer we could
find,
and the word is that we hosted the best conference ever. As local
chair of the conference, I was recognized for my efforts, but I have to
give credit to the fantastic team of volunteers who made everything
happen.
And, if you feel you still don't have the time or skills, these
organizations
will never say 'no' to your checks!