Let's Celebrate National Library Week!

By Jennifer van Pelt

An image of a library. Hundreds of books on bookshelves appear in the image. Photo credit: square(tea) on flickr

An image of a library. Hundreds of books on bookshelves appear in the image. Photo credit: square(tea) on flickr

What is National Library Week?

April 8th kicks off the 60th anniversary of National Library Week. This week is focused on the importance of books and libraries as well as their contribution to society. Libraries and their patrons across the country are encouraged to participate via social media, contests, events, and fundraisers. The American Library Association (ALA) has partnered with several notable advocates and authors over the years with the goal of promoting reading and the usage of libraries.

Why The Focus on Libraries?

April is also designated by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) to be School Library Month. These two celebrations remind us of the importance of libraries beyond the obvious destination for books. Libraries are a free resource where members of the community can learn to read at any age, get the support needed to find a job, or bring their children to participate in read-alouds.

It is important that children have this exposure to books, and libraries provide the perfect opportunity with their knowledgeable workers and friendly volunteers. Librarians understand that not everyone is literate, so they provide tutors to help teach reading skills, a safe environment to learn about books, and the means to show children the value of reading. At Words Alive, we serve low-income, and sometimes homeless students. School and public libraries are the ideal place for them to go to learn and participate in a variety of activities that can also further their literacy skills, including homework help and art workshops.

What Can I Do To Support Libraries?

Thursday, April 12, is particularly focused on advocating for libraries and taking action on what matters. This year, Take Action for Libraries Day, will be centered around safeguarding funding that libraries depend on. This involves reaching out to local politicians to show your support for libraries, as legislation and tax reforms can affect them. Check your local library’s social media page to see if they mention something about this is in the works and see how you can help!

Alternatively, show your support by becoming a member at your local library! There are so many other benefits libraries provide aside from borrowing books. Most libraries partner with various volunteer groups to help out with topics such as teaching English as a second language, tax preparation, job searching, family literacy, and even bike repair workshops! If you see a need in your community that your library doesn’t already offer a program for, reach out and see how you can help. Libraries are always looking for regular volunteers to expand their reach into the community. You can also visit your local library’s website to see what upcoming events you can attend.

The ALA also has an ongoing initiative called Libraries Transform, an awareness campaign about the ways in which libraries transform lives. Sign up to be a part of the movement!

No matter what you do this week, take a moment to reflect on the ways in which libraries have impacted your life - and be grateful that libraries exist at all!

Sources:

http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek

http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/03/take-action-libraries-day-launch-during-national-library-week

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/03/01/national-library-week-60th-anniversary-libraries-lead/

 

Positivity, Hope, and Optimism: The Butterfly Project Presents at Monarch School

By Jeffrey Goldman, Words Alive Board Chair & ABG volunteer at Monarch

A group picture of The Butterfly Project presenters with Stephen Keiley's 8th grade class at Monarch School and Words Alive ABG volunteers.

A group picture of The Butterfly Project presenters with Stephen Keiley's 8th grade class at Monarch School and Words Alive ABG volunteers.

Stephen Keiley’s 8th grade class at the Monarch School was recently visited by members of the Butterfly Project – an organization devoted to keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. Three representatives of the Butterfly Project – each of them children of Holocaust survivors – shared both their parents’ memories as well as their own remembrances of what it was like to grow up as a child of a survivor.

The key message the survivors communicated was that in spite of the horrific experiences their parents were subjected to during World War II, they remained “positive, hopeful, and optimistic” for the remainder of their lives. The volunteers made it clear to the children — all of whom have been impacted by homelessness and other significant challenges — that “even though you can go through the most difficult time in your life, it is possible to still have hope and attain a highly successful and rewarding life.”

At the outset of the session, the volunteers handed out cards to the children with quotes from survivors about life before the war, during the war, and after the war. The 8th graders were then called upon throughout the one-hour presentation to read the often poignant quote contained on their card.

Picture of a student holding a case containing one of the yellow stars.

Picture of a student holding a case containing one of the yellow stars.

During the presentation, photos of stores with anti-Jewish graffiti and photos of people wearing yellow stars to identify them as Jews were displayed. One volunteer shared a real Jewish yellow star as well as her father’s concentration camp uniform. She showed the children where her father had cut a hole in his shirt to hide a spoon, and explained that the spoon gave him dignity because he was then able to eat soup with it instead of drinking it from a bowl. She also had a student try on her father’s cap — which was too small for the young boy — in order to show the children how malnutrition had actually shrunk her father’s body.

One particularly powerful story was about one presenter’s mother, who was “adopted” by a slightly older woman in the concentration camp after her own parents were killed by the Nazis. Her adopted mother came from a prominent catering family, and was chosen by the Nazi officers to cook them food on both a daily basis and for the large parties they would host for visiting officers. When she was caught sneaking food to her “daughters” (she also adopted another parent-less girl at the camp) and threatened with death, she stood up to the Nazis and told them they’d never kill her since they loved her food so much. They backed off their threat, looked the other way as she fed her “daughters” leftover food from her kitchen, and as a result, there are 22 lives in the world — children and grandchildren of the two girls whose lives she saved.

Picture of the students examining an actual concentration camp uniform worn by one of The Butterfly Project's relatives.

Picture of the students examining an actual concentration camp uniform worn by one of The Butterfly Project's relatives.

At the end of the session, the volunteers handed out ceramic butterflies for the children to paint. These will be returned to the volunteers who will fire them in a kiln and then bring them back to the class so that they can be installed on a wall at the Monarch School. Ultimately, the goal of the Butterfly Project (www.thebutterflyprojectnow.org) is to have 1.5 million butterflies on the walls of temples, churches, schools, and other public facilities all over the world, representing every one of the children who were killed during the Holocaust.

At the close of the session, during a question-and-answer discussion, one particularly astute student asked the children of the survivors, “Do you personally forgive the Nazis?” One volunteer answered, “Maybe not forgive, but I have moved on. Because if you don’t, you’re letting them win, letting them get what they want.”

Teacher Stephen Keiley ended the day by thanking the volunteers and telling them, “By telling your stories you are putting life, putting a face, on these stories that we read about.”

National Volunteer Appreciation Month: What Are the Benefits of Volunteering?

By Jennifer Van Pelt

Two of our Adolescent Book Group volunteers facilitating a book discussion at La Mesa Blended Community School. Photo credit: goldfacephoto.com

Two of our Adolescent Book Group volunteers facilitating a book discussion at La Mesa Blended Community School. Photo credit: goldfacephoto.com

As we enter National Volunteering Month, take a moment to think to yourself: when is the last time you set aside a few hours to give back to your community? If it’s been longer than you would like to admit, you are similar to nearly 75% of Americans, according to 2015 data from the Corporation for National and Community Service. For those of you that perhaps don’t volunteer as often as you would like, take a look below at the amazing benefits that volunteering can give you!

Networking Opportunities

Volunteering brings people from many backgrounds together with the goal of working for one common cause. There is no better place to step outside your comfort zone and meet others. In the day and age of social media, you can easily stay in contact with those you meet at volunteering events to plan attending future events, expand your friend circle, or further your professional network.

Expand Your Skill Set

The basis of volunteering your time or services to a cause is that you are not being monetarily compensated -- you are donating it! This gives you the perfect opportunity to give your time or services in exchange for experience, something that you cannot put a price on and is invaluable for your degree, career, family, or personal development. Even if gaining experience isn’t a focus for you, you can discover a new hobby through your newfound skills.

Explore a New Career

Perhaps you have spent your entire career in one field, but have always wondered about a different career. Many volunteering organizations work just like companies: the position you are contemplating is very likely available in some sort of volunteering organization. Keep your day job, but test out your skills with a volunteering group on the side who have any number of positions available: Event planner, Outbound Marketing, Tutor, Social Media Specialist -- the opportunities are endless!

Your Own Well-Being

It would be difficult to find someone who finished a volunteering event not feeling great about themselves. Volunteering is ultimately for the benefit of others (though we know there’s a lot in it for you), so when you see how thankful others are for your services, you can’t help to be proud of your hard work! As discussed in an essay titled “Helper’s High” by James Baraz and Shoshana Alexander, people who give their time or money are 42% more likely to be happy. This aforementioned “Helper’s High” refers to the state of euphoria that is experienced when you give to others.

Picture of long-time Words Alive volunteer Karen Malin holding a flower pot craft containing pictures of the students she reads to! The flower pot says, "Ms. Karen, thank you for helping us grow." 

Picture of long-time Words Alive volunteer Karen Malin holding a flower pot craft containing pictures of the students she reads to! The flower pot says, "Ms. Karen, thank you for helping us grow." 

Improve Your Community

Communities thrive off the participation and engagement of those within them, and the drive to improve it from within. Volunteering opportunities focus on just that: teaching, improving the health, or providing much-needed services for the members of your community. If the members of a community are not their own biggest advocates for improvement, others may struggle to hear their voices.

The benefits of volunteering are endless, as are the opportunities. A quick Google search for volunteering opportunities in your area will yield millions of results. VolunteerMatch is the largest online volunteer network, or you can search directly for the cause you care about to see what opportunities are available! At Words Alive, we appreciate all of our hard-working volunteers, and we are always ready to welcome more! If you enjoy teaching, working with children, or just want to explore our available opportunities, head to our main site and Get Involved!

Sources:

https://www.nationalservice.gov/vcla/national

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_helpers_high

 

What is Kindergarten Readiness and Why Does it Matter?

By Jennifer van Pelt

In the years leading up to a child’s first formalized schooling experience, parents play an important role in laying the foundation for future schooling success. With kindergarten being required in 30% of all states and 52% of all states requiring a Kindergarten Entrance Exam, making sure children have the cognitive skills to prepare them for kindergarten is an important step in ensuring early literacy success and continued development.

A picture of some children in our Family Literacy Program! They are posing with puppets they made during the FLP session.

A picture of some children in our Family Literacy Program! They are posing with puppets they made during the FLP session.

What is Kindergarten Readiness and Why Does it Matter?

“Kindergarten readiness” is a term that outlines what many education experts tend to agree will help a child succeed in kindergarten. With kindergarten being the first schooling experience for many children, it is important that they are comfortable, confident, and eager to learn in the classroom in order to set the tone for what the next several years of their life will revolve around: school.

Recently, Common Core Standards have been introduced into classrooms nationwide. These standards establish clear guidelines of what a student needs to know at the end of each grade. These standards have been fully implemented in 41 states and help to establish expectations for what your child should be prepared to learn in kindergarten. A few notable literacy-related Common Core Standards for kindergarten are:

  • Identify major characters, setting, and basic plotline of a story.

  • Recognize different types of text, including poems and storybooks.

  • Recognize what an author's and illustrator’s roles are in a book and how to identify them.

  • Identify the parts of a book including the front, spine, and back.

  • Understand the way in which we read and write: From left to right, in strings of sentences, and spaces between words.

  • Identify the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make.

By understanding what your child needs to know by the end of their year in kindergarten, you can work backwards, determine where the biggest gaps are, and ensure that your child is prepared for school.

How Can You Help Your Child Become Kindergarten Ready?

As summarized in the  “Early School Readiness” report by Child Trends, the following four skills are indicators of early literacy and cognitive development: ability to recognize letters, count to 20, write their first name, and read words in a book. While these are not an official or universally agreed upon measure for determining if a child is “kindergarten ready”, these competencies appear to be referred to most frequently in literature surrounding the topic and they are also supported by the Common Core Standards.

Children in our Family Literacy Program practice skills like counting, rhyming, and color recognition by participating in fun activities!

Children in our Family Literacy Program practice skills like counting, rhyming, and color recognition by participating in fun activities!

You can  prepare your child for kindergarten by integrating the following into your family time:

  • Practice reading/writing the letters used in their name. This helps develop both the motor skills used to hold a pencil and their familiarity with the alphabet.

  • Start counting with them. This can include animals in a book or carrots on their plate. Focus on incorporating numbers and counting into their daily life.

  • Point out numbers that surround them. This can be page numbers, office numbers, road signs etc.

  • Expand their vocabulary by using diverse language during conversations. Marianne Hillemeier, PhD, completed a study on 8,700 two year olds and the amount of vocabulary they knew. Those who used more words at age two had better math and reading skills and fewer behavioral problems when starting kindergarten.

  • Teach them about books -- the front, back, spine, and how we read from left to right. This initiates a knowledge of books and prepares them to read books themselves.

At Words Alive, we understand that parents are their child’s first teacher because they have the best opportunity to prepare them with the tools needed for success in school. Our programs at Words Alive not only aim to instill reading and literacy habits in young children, but we also hope that parents leave our programs with the foundation and motivation to build these habits at home!

Learn more about our Family Literacy Program, in which we teach parents how to prepare their children for school and introduce literacy education into their homes, by checking out this page. If you are interesting in supporting these efforts, please consider donating here.

Sources:

https://www.education.com/magazine/article/kindergarten-readiness-secrets/

http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/t2k_schoolreadiness.pdf

https://www.ecs.org/kindergarten-policies/

http://www.corestandards.org/wp-content/uploads/ELA_Standards1.pdf

https://www.childtrends.org/videos/big-vocabulary-equals-kindergarten-readiness/

https://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/07_School_Readiness.pdf

The Intersection of Art and Literacy Education

By Jennifer van Pelt

All of our programs aim to help students not only understand the importance of literacy but also fall in love with reading themselves. Our Words Alive Adolescent Book Group takes many different approaches to this, from hosting book club style discussion sessions to working on projects to writing workshops. Each year, we also hold an Arts Component that focuses on connecting a book, theme, and art medium into one exhibit created by the students. As an organization that focuses on increasing literacy in our community, part of our mission is to inspire a commitment to reading. Art brings that opportunity to inspire by allowing the conversation to be more accessible to those who may lack the confidence or interest in reading.

Case Study: Learning Through the Arts

A study was done on students who participated in the “Learning Through the Arts” (LTA) Program at the Guggenheim Museum. Over 200 students and teachers participated in the program and were later tested and interviewed to monitor their progress. For the study, an equal number of individuals did not participate in the program and were also tested at the end of the year, serving as the control group. A few notable outcomes came about from this program, as noted by ArtsEdSearch:

  • There were increases in critical thinking and literacy skills among students who participated in the LTA Program.

  • LTA students provided interview responses using language associated with higher grade levels and with more words than those who did not go through the program.

  • Teaching artists felt that their participation in LTA led them to change their teaching practice by trying new things with students, especially finding strategies to reach below average students.

This study, which included over 400 students in the state of New York, echoes the studies of others that indicate that art education teaches more than just art: it helps to expand critical thinking and language development. Additionally, with classroom sizes steadily increasing, it is important to note that bringing in supplemental forms of learning, such as art education, can appeal to those who are visual or kinesthetic learners and may be overlooked if they learn in different ways compared to their classmates.

How Can You Help Bring Art Education Into The Home?

Parents don’t need to be artistic to encourage art education in the home. As noted by Art Therapist Anna Reyner, there are a few simple ways to bring the arts into your home that will help to encourage and develop the same skills that are important for reading and writing.

  • Make art a family activity.

  • Have a corner dedicated to art activities (This can be the same as your reading corner!).

  • Create homemade art journals.

  • Relate drawings/art projects to books you’ve recently read.

These tips, though more so applicable to young children, develop habits and interests that can prove helpful throughout the child’s future schooling experience.

The Words Alive Annual Arts Component

Looking at the last tip in the list above (“relate drawings/art projects to books you’ve recently read”), this is exactly what we aim to do in our annual Arts Component. As mentioned previously, each year we have our students focus on a different book, theme, and art medium. This year, our students are going to be creating murals based on the novel The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and using the theme “duality” as inspiration. Through this process, students learn how to connect the text to themselves and the world through art and, in the end, have the chance to see their art professionally displayed in a local gallery.

In many American schools, standardized testing is emphasized to the extent that art education can fall to the side as an extracurricular activity. By understanding the benefits art has on the reading, writing, and overall literacy skills of an individual, we can bring that same awareness back in to the classroom and home. Partnering art and literacy education serves as a multi-faceted teaching tool that can create a bigger, more meaningful impact.

For more information on our upcoming Arts Component, or any of our other programs, visit the main section of our website.

Sources:

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED466413.pdf

http://nasaa-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/critical-evidence.pdf

http://www.artsedsearch.org/summaries/teaching-literacy-through-art

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=509

Giving Spotlight: Sandra Korwek, Danny Cung, and Chirstopher Weil & Company, Inc.

Picture of our Board Members Sandra Korwek (left) and Danny Cung (right). Source.

Picture of our Board Members Sandra Korwek (left) and Danny Cung (right). Source.

In 1970, at the age of 33, Christopher Weil formed a broker-dealer firm and named it Christopher Weil & Company, Inc. (CWC). In 1990, he redesigned the company as a Registered Investment Advisor to act primarily as a financial advisory and investment management firm, as well as a sponsor of (mostly) real estate-based alternative assets. With ‘eating our own cooking’ (and only our own cooking) being a cornerstone of CWC’s Best Practices, Chris and his family are among the firm’s biggest clients (all three of his adult children work for the firm and his son-in-law is the President and CEO). Now, almost 50 years after the founding of his company, we are proud and grateful to have the support of the Weil Family in more ways than one.

The Patricia & Christopher Weil Family Foundation (WFF) has been financially
supporting Words Alive, and particularly our Family Literacy Program, for years. WFF creates educational opportunities by providing resources, time, and support to children and families in San Diego’s underserved communities.

In addition to financial support, we are thankful to have two employees from Christopher Weil & Company, Inc. donate their time and talent to Words Alive as members of our Board.

Danny Cung has been serving on our Board since 2014 and is our current Board Treasurer. Danny joined CWC full-time in 2006. Currently, Danny serves on CWC’s portfolio management team working to continuously balance clients' evolving needs with the opportunities and obstacles of the markets. He originally came to Words Alive by way of Rolling Readers; when the two organizations merged, it was a natural fit for him to join our team. Since 2014, Danny has been instrumental on our Finance Committee and Board, and we are so grateful for his time and support.

Sandra Korwek is one of our newest Board Members, but she has been a staple of the Words Alive volunteer family for years. Sandra has been serving on the Words Alive Finance Committee for three years, she currently serves on our Event Committee, and she was our Words Alive Volunteer of the Year in 2017. Sandra has over 35 years of accounting and business experience in various fields, including 17 years of operating her own accounting business specializing in nonprofit organizations. After moving to San Diego, she worked as the Business Manager for Mainly Mozart for six years before
eventually being recruited in 2006 to join the expanding accounting department at CWC. Sandra is now in charge of Contracts and Insurance for all of the many entities CWC manages.

A picture of Sandra Korweck holding her Volunteer of the Year Award at our 2017 Volunteer Appreciation Event.

A picture of Sandra Korweck holding her Volunteer of the Year Award at our 2017 Volunteer Appreciation Event.

Both Sandra and Danny have helped Words Alive thrive and grow, and we are excited to continue working with them, with Christopher Weil & Company, and with The Patricia & Christopher Weil Family Foundation.

If you or your company is interested in supporting or learning more about Words Alive, please email [email protected]

The Importance of Family Literacy

By Jennifer van Pelt

What is Family Literacy?

Family Literacy is a type of literacy education that emphasizes bringing reading and writing into the home and making it a family activity. According to a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, children with a “richer home literacy environment displayed higher levels of reading knowledge and skills than did their counterparts with less rich home literacy environments.” Family literacy is imperative in creating a foundation for children’s learning experiences, and it all starts with the parents.

Illiteracy in today’s children can be traced back to their parent's literacy experiences in their early lives. When parents do not feel comfortable around books, they don’t read to their children and they likely don’t have many books in the house for their children to look at or read themselves. This is why family literacy programs emphasize teaching families together and ensuring that the parents understand the importance of reading outside of a school environment. It’s not just about reading though -- in the same study by the NCES, singing songs and telling stories to children can also lead to early reading success.

What is Family Literacy?

Family Literacy is a type of literacy education that emphasizes bringing reading and writing into the home and making it a family activity. According to a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, children with a “richer home literacy environment displayed higher levels of reading knowledge and skills than did their counterparts with less rich home literacy environments.” Family literacy is imperative in creating a foundation for children’s learning experiences, and it all starts with the parents.

Illiteracy in today’s children can be traced back to their parent's literacy experiences in their early lives. When parents do not feel comfortable around books, they don’t read to their children and they likely don’t have many books in the house for their children to look at or read themselves. This is why family literacy programs emphasize teaching families together and ensuring that the parents understand the importance of reading outside of a school environment. It’s not just about reading though -- in the same study by the NCES, singing songs and telling stories to children can also lead to early reading success.

A picture of a parent and child working together on an exercise in our Family Literacy Program. The child is sitting on top of the table while working, showing how we emphasize play and comfort in literacy education!

A picture of a parent and child working together on an exercise in our Family Literacy Program. The child is sitting on top of the table while working, showing how we emphasize play and comfort in literacy education!

Parents: A Child’s First Teacher

As mentioned by the Urban Child Institute, a child’s brain develops at a rapid rate during their early life. By age 3, the brain has reached 80% of its adult size. Developmental experiences in these years determine the organizational and functional status of the mature brain. This is an important time in a child’s life to talk to them, look at pictures, and read books with them so they get as much exposure as they can before they begin formalized school. Parents teach their child how to navigate the world, and when parents take time to do these things, they are teaching them healthy reading habits for life.

In the earliest stages of a child’s life, the parents don’t need high literacy to teach their kids a love of books. Just asking the child to use their imagination and create a storyline for the book themselves, teaching them various sounds, and asking them questions can help develop important habits surrounding literacy. When the families make this a routine and enjoy these activities together, the building blocks of early reading success are being set up.

Another example of teaching with play! Two students learn terms like "through" by crawling through a tunnel at one of our Family Literacy sites.

Another example of teaching with play! Two students learn terms like "through" by crawling through a tunnel at one of our Family Literacy sites.

Healthy Reading Habits At Home

Now that we understand the importance of family literacy, here are some ideas to help build reading and literacy components into your family’s daily life. These are based off some of the key indicators of our own Family Literacy Program:

  1. Let your child see you reading.

  2. Read more than books together -- read road signs, nutritional labels, etc.

  3. Let your child pick out the books you read together.

  4. Visit the library together.

  5. Ask your child questions about the books or pictures.

  6. Relate the book to your child’s life.

  7. Sing songs and rhymes together with your child.

The Family Literacy program that Words Alive runs has demonstrated an 87% increase in the percentage of families who look at books together at home by the end of the 7 week program. This incorporation of books into the home is important when looking at future reading and literacy success. If you are curious to learn more about our Family Literacy Program and what it has to offer, the program is running right now! Head to our main website to find out more about volunteering with us or joining our Family Literacy workshops.

Sources:

http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/articles/research-to-policy/practice/parents-are-a-childs-first-teacher

https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/2003067_6.pdf

 

Special Feature: Words Alive on the Impact of Literacy on Life Outcomes

By Gabriella van Rij

This piece was originally published on Gabriella van Rij's blog. Check it out here.

A picture of two elementary school students in our Read Aloud Program exploring a book together!

A picture of two elementary school students in our Read Aloud Program exploring a book together!

I’m curled up with a book, turning the pages as fast as I can…

I can’t wait to read more… The stories in the book transport me to another world.

For one moment, all else is forgotten until I turn the last page and with a big sigh I put the book down.

I think about all the characters who have come alive. I feel like I know them. I feel their pain and laughter through the pages of the book.

I cannot imagine a childhood without books, or even my present life as an adult without the comfort books can bring.

So this blog post is in honor of two special days that occur during the first week of March: “Read Across America Day” on March 2 and “World Book Day” on March 5.  

Can you imagine a world without books? Who would want to? If you can instill a love for books in kids and teens, you are giving them a companion that will always be with them. Because books can be a person’s best friend. I know that sounds bold, but this has been true for me.

Today, we are so lucky we have such easy access to books, we just need to know where to look.

My friends at Words Alive are creating a tremendous positive impact on helping reduce illiteracy in the US. I asked them for their thoughts on the impact of literacy in life outcomes. They said:

Literacy development starts early, and students who struggle with reading are at a significantly higher risk for illiteracy and low-literacy later in life. Research has shown a strong connection between low-literacy and poor life outcomes such as poverty, reliance on public assistance programs, underemployment, and high risks of incarceration. Thankfully, this is entirely preventable!

We read to learn, to experience our world, and to advocate for ourselves — quite simply, to live full lives. In this way, literacy is a fundamental skill needed for life success, yet millions of young people and adults across America lack basic reading proficiency. At Words Alive, our goal is to change the lives of children and families in our community by fostering a love of reading, ensuring they won’t be counted among that number. Very often, this starts early, at home, and with quality books in hand to read!

Literacy is important not only because it allows you to read books for pleasure, it is also essential for navigating day-to-day life. For those of us who had access to quality literacy education from a young age, it can be easy to forget how often we utilize literacy skills for activities other than book-reading. For those who struggle with literacy, it is impossible to forget. Reading is necessary when navigating street signs, applying for jobs, understanding medical instructions, voting, and much, much more. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, not everyone has equal access to the quality literacy education that is needed to thrive.

Numerous studies have shown that low-income families own disproportionately fewer books than their middle and upper-income peers. Recent research shows that among children in low-income communities, the average book-to-child ownership ratio is a staggering 300 children to one book (highlighting that in most cases, these homes simply do NOT own quality, age-appropriate reading material) compared to 12 books per child in middle and upper-income communities. With this dynamic in consideration, much attention needs to be paid to children from low-income backgrounds and their access to literary resources.

Children in lower income communities are able to overcome these disadvantages, however, when families are encouraged to engage in reading and writing at home – and are provided the materials and resources to do so. Children who engaged in this play performed on equal level to their higher income peers in recognizing and naming letters, showing elevated levels of pre-literacy skills, handling books, and writing – making the case that literacy is the great equalizer in educational success!

When parents read with their children, they show that they value reading and that reading is a pleasurable activity. Children who can read become agents of their own education. Adults who can read become architects of their own success. At Words Alive, our mission is to open opportunities for life success by inspiring a commitment to reading. We are proud to join Gabriella in celebrating Read Across America Day and World Book Day! Join us in the movement! 

Every parent, no matter how busy you are, please to read to your children. These are the moments your children will treasure and remember for the rest of their lives. I know it will require effort on your part, especially if you have more than one child. Through your effort, you will be instilling in them the joy of being read to, which will translate into creating a desire in them to read by themselves.

If you don’t have children of your own, you might still have nephews and nieces to whom you can recommend books or give books to on special occasions. If you don’t have children in your extended family, organizations like Words Alive make it possible to share the power of literacy with kids across the US.

This week, in whatever way you find most meaningful, take a moment to celebrate and appreciate what books and literacy have meant to you by doing something to give the joy of reading to someone else.

Help us to continue inspiring a love of reading in over 5,000 students and families each month by making a donation today! www.wordsalive.org/donate 

Karen Archer - Words Alive Volunteer of the Month - February 2018

 
karen archer.jpg
 

Please join us in congratulating Karen Archer - Words Alive Volunteer of the Month for February 2018!

Karen is a newer member of the Words Alive volunteer team, and in her first program year with us has helped pilot our Read Aloud Afterschool Program in Oceanside! 

Karen has been a real superstar in this important expansion to Oceanside.  She has always remained positive and committed as we have found our way with a new initiative, delivering in an after-school site, and delivering a new curriculum for 4th and 5th graders.  I could not have wished for a more flexible and passionate volunteer, who clearly shares in our mission to bring a real love of reading to our young readers.

Karen is also an avid participant in the organization’s volunteer events.  She makes an effort to attend each monthly Cookies and Conversation hour, contributing to great discussion.  We are very appreciative of the huge commitment in the classroom she honors each week, and we enjoy working with Karen.  Thank, Karen!

Check out the Volunteer of the Month Interview with Karen Archer below:

Tell us a little about yourself.
I’ve been married for almost 38 years.  My husband, Bob, and I have two boys and six grandchildren.  Unfortunately, half are in Connecticut and the other half are in Italy.  We moved from Connecticut to Carlsbad in 2003. It only took one winter to fall in love with Southern California.    I retired from my Family Law Paralegal position in June of 2016.  Then waited for Bob to retire from Pfizer in April 2017. When I’m not reading to the “wigglers,” as we refer to the children in the Read Aloud Program, I read on my own, do counted cross stitch and “clean” cook.  (I stay away from any processed foods, so I make my own vegetable broth, mayo, ketchup, BBQ sauce, ice cream, etc.)  Bob is a member of the Carlsbad Senior Volunteer Police.  We started our own business, Archer Woodcraft, so on weekends we sell household items such as hardwood cutting boards, wine caddies, tissue boxes, and custom furniture at the College of the Desert Street Fair.   We are busier than ever doing all the things we love.

How did you get involved with Words Alive?
I never managed to make the time to volunteer while I was working.  One of my "after retirement" goals was to find a way to help my community by doing something I’m passionate about. I found the Words Alive posting on Volunteer Match and couldn’t wait to start.  To be able to help young children find the joys of reading is perfect.    

What is the most rewarding part of your volunteer role(s)?
I absolutely love to watch the emotions roll across these young children's faces as a story unfolds.  They can’t wait to find out what book I’m going to read.  When I begin, they sit back, relax and come along for the adventure.  

What have you been reading lately?
I recently finished reading Daughters of the Night Sky by Aimie K. Runyan and am currently reading The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd.  Both are wonderful reads.

What is the Connection Between Literacy and Economic Development?

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By Jennifer Van Pelt

“Literacy is not a luxury, it is a right and a responsibility. If our world is to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century we must harness the energy and creativity of all our citizens.” (Bill Clinton, 1994)

Nearly 25 years ago, the President of the United States recognized the importance of literacy and the opportunity literacy provides not only individuals, but whole communities. In 2017, according to The Nation’s Report Card, only 36% of 4th graders in the United States were at a proficient reading level or above. These children are not the start of the cycle of illiteracy, but a continuation of the environment they were brought up in that didn’t prioritize reading -- often times because their parents were illiterate. This means these children weren’t read aloud to at home, they likely didn’t have any books in their house, and homework was a lone task. Studies have shown that 1 in 7 adults in America are considered functionally illiterate, which has the potential to trickle down to our youth.

What Does Illiteracy Really Mean?

Source: Words Alive; A graphic that says: "Literacy is the foundation of community and economic development. When everyone can read, whole communities thrive."

Source: Words Alive; A graphic that says: "Literacy is the foundation of community and economic development. When everyone can read, whole communities thrive."

Being able to read is more than being able to escape into a book and be transported to a different decade or world. Illiteracy means that one can lack the skills necessary to read the dosage/warnings on medicine bottles, follow cooking instructions, properly manage finances, or apply for jobs that allow one to live above the poverty line. The cost of Illiteracy in the United States is estimated to be over 300 billion dollars, according to a report written by the World Literacy Foundation. In the same report, it is said to cost the global economy 1.2 trillion dollars.

How Do Other People’s Reading Abilities Affect the Economic Development of Your Community?

Perhaps one of the clearest ways to explain how literacy affects the economics of whole communities is illustrated by the correlation between literacy rates and prisons: 3 out of 5 inmates in United States prisons cannot read. Not only does this have an impact on the communities and families of these individuals, but taxpayers are paying for these prisons and all of the maintenance and costs they come with.

Health has also been shown to be affected by literacy rates. There have been multiple studies showing a correlation between communities with high literacy rates and lower infant mortality rates. The idea being that literate adults have increased ability and knowledge to seek out medical treatment for themselves and their families, as well as a difference in their reproductive behavior -- including increased contraceptive use. This results in more proactive visits to the doctor, generally at a lower cost, as opposed to high cost emergency visits.

For those with low literacy, it is often a struggle to obtain jobs that pay above a living wage. Furthermore, once they are in these jobs, it is difficult to be promoted or get a pay raise, vastly limiting their job mobility. This means that these employees will have more difficulties supporting their families and are more likely to depend on supplemental means of doing so such as welfare or food stamps.

According to a study conducted by Betty Hart and Todd Risley, there is a 30 million word gap between children in low-income families and children from higher income families. The report outlines their findings that an average child in a higher income family will experience nearly 45 millions words by the time they are 4 years old, compared to the 13 million words that an average child who lives in a low-income family will hear. Not only does this demonstrate the economic impact that illiteracy has on families, but also the continuous cycle of low literacy it creates.

The Connection Between Literacy and Politics

How can one be expected the equal opportunity to make a decision in upcoming elections when they aren’t provided with this information in a format that benefits them? In other words, how can you vote and advocate for yourself if you are unable to read voting information and instructions? Thirty-second commercials provide limited information, while the multitude of pamphlets and voting materials give the option to make a more educated choice. When the people of our communities are given the opportunity to obtain this info through multiple venues, they are more able to advocate for themselves and participate in causes they believe in.

When Everyone Can Read, Whole Communities Thrive

Communities built on a foundation of literacy will allow the creativity and energy of more voices to be heard and change our communities for the better through civic engagement, lessened costs (such as to our prison and healthcare systems), and a healthier society. The first step to beating illiteracy is right at your fingertips: get involved with local outreach groups, volunteer for literacy organizations (like Words Alive!),  and donate books to schools, libraries, and other organizations that need them -- because illiteracy is 100% preventable.

You can help Words Alive connect students and families to the power of reading, so our communities can thrive, by making a  $25 donation today. Click here!

Sources:

http://www.unesco.org/education/GMR2006/full/chapt5_eng.pdf

https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/WLF-FINAL-ECONOMIC-REPORT.pdf

https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/ToRead.pdf

http://media.wix.com/ugd/43406c_4ff5b27838a75af1e0ccd1cf55632342.pdf

https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ 

https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/TheEarlyCatastrophe.pdf