Literacy: don’t take it for granted

By Molly Rodgers

Congratulations! You are reading. You see printed symbols, your brain is processing those symbols into letters, letters into words, and words into meaning. You’ve demonstrated a degree of literacy. Did you know that 13 percent of Pennsylvanians lack those basic literacy skills? They cannot read this newspaper.

But wait. Before you get too content in the knowledge that you have demonstrated core literacy, what kind of a grade would you give yourself on economic and financial literacy? How about civic literacy, health and wellness literacy, and online literacy?

As the Information Age explodes, so too do the definitions of literacy. Even those who read well can fail at other forms of literacy. Less than half of all Americans can name all three branches of government. Forty-one percent of U.S. adults give themselves a C, D, or F on their knowledge of personal finance. More Pennsylvanians look online for health information than see a doctor, but 70 percent of health information on the Internet is inaccurate or misleading, according to studies done by Johns Hopkins and Ohio State.

So many things are influenced by a person’s ability to read and be literate on different levels—getting a job, voting, understanding financial statements and prescription labels. If we could raise the levels of literacy, we would improve so many aspects of life. To realize that vision will involve the efforts of many different groups. But there is one effort I’d like to suggest is the most important for our future.

Help every child be ready to read by the time he or she enters kindergarten.

It’s scary to realize that for many kids, we’ve already lost the literacy battle before they’ve entered a classroom, before they’ve even entered preschool. Ask any Kindergarten or first-grade teacher. The children entering school with developmental delays often never catch up.

Recent research on infant brain development has confirmed what teachers already knew. What happens to children between birth and age three is critical to their future and to the community’s future as well. Early environment and stimulation (or lack thereof) affect not only the number of brain cells and the number of connections among them, but also the way these connections are “wired.” We cannot begin too early if we want to have healthy, well-adjusted children who are capable of growing up to be successful, productive adults.

What can you do? If you have or expect to have very young children, talk to babies and toddlers a lot. Sing. Rhyme. Look at and talk about pictures, colors, things they see. Have books at home, a lot of books. You don’t have to spend money; libraries are filled with books for children that you can take home every week, including board books for babies. Don’t stick them in front of a television set. Yes, it’s tempting, especially when it’s been a long, fussy day. But the choices parents, family members, even babysitters make early on can have a lasting impact.

If you don’t have young children, be an advocate for them. Family doctors can prescribe books for healthy brains just like vaccinations for healthy bodies. Friends and neighbors can reach out to new parents to help them understand the importance of early language activities. Volunteers can bring books to families who don’t have transportation or funds. Everyone can share this column with someone who needs to know or who can have an impact. Everyone can support local libraries so they can provide early literacy programs and books. We’ll all have a healthier, smarter community if we do.

(Molly Rodgers is the library director of the Wayne County Public Library and administrator of the Wayne Library Authority.)