So strong is the link between literacy and being a useful member of society that some states use grade-level reading statistics as a factor in projecting future prison construction. – Bob Chase, President, National Education Association (http://www.usborneonline.com/images/Acrobat%20Writer/LiteracyStats.pdf)
Stating statistics like these is designed to shock us into action. But the sad truth of it is that the stats are not inflated; they do in fact reflect reality.
If we don’t work towards rescuing our struggling young people from illiteracy, then we are standing back and allowing them to go down a path that has a high chance of ending in disappointment or disillusionment.
And this, far from being their personal failure of their own, is a failure that we, society, must bear on our shoulders.
We must keep pushing forward to find ways to unlock literacy for disadvantaged and learning disabled children everywhere.
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Sarah Forrest is a Program Coach for Oxford Learning Solutions’ the Easyread System. Easyread is an online phonics course specifically developed to help children with dyslexia, auditory processing disorder and highly visual learning style reach their full potential in reading and spelling. Find out more at www.easyreadsystem.com