November Is Family Literacy Month

Being able to read and write is one of my core beliefs. Afterall, if you can’t read most likely you cannot write. The month of November is National Family Literacy Month, organized by the National Center for Families Learning. The month is dedicated to parents and children learning together. It emphasizes the importance of parents prioritizing their own education, so they can be more involved in their children’s learning and literacy development.

Why is family literacy so crucial? The single greatest indicator of children’s learning success is the literacy level of their parents.

The statics that bare this out are stark: By the age of 3, children born into low-income families hear 30,000 million words less than their affluent peers. Think about the huge impact this has on vocabulary development. Children from low-income homes typically hear 616 words per hours compared to children from professional families who absorb 2,153 words per hour.

This translates into children of parents with low-literacy skills having a 72% chance of being at the lowest level of reading skills, having poor grades, repeating school grades, or dropping out altogether. It’s estimated that 90% of welfare recipients are high school dropouts, continuing the cycle of poverty. Families improving their literacy skills together help to break this vicious cycle.

Ways You Can Help

• Through the ProLiteracy, the largest literacy program in the United States, find a literacy program in your area and volunteer.
• Donate to ProLiteracy or other local literacy program.

Download the latest ProLiteracy Research which collaborates the link between obtaining literary skills and the return investment of improving people’s lives and their futures.