A
strong economy depends upon an educated,
skilled and competent citizenry.
- Washington
Literacy 1999
There is a strong link
between poverty and literacy.
Forty-three percent of people with the
lowest literacy skills live in poverty,
17 percent receive food stamps, and 70
percent have no job or a part-time job.
Low levels of literacy are linked with
lower wages, lower levels of employment,
and more frequent spells of
unemployment, thus contributing to
poverty. Workers who lack a high school
diploma earn a mean monthly income of
$452, compared to $1,829 for those with
a bachelor's degree. A high percentage
of people on public assistance have
lower than average basic skills.
At the same time
educational levels for success in the
workplace continue to increase.
Currently, only 15% of the
workforce is composed of unskilled
labor. In response to a survey,
employers representing 20,000 Boise
workers stated that 50% of their
employees need to improve their writing
and reading skills, 40% need employees
with better basic math skills and 30%
need employees to improve their English
as a Second Language skills (The Idaho
Coalition for Adult Literacy Workplace
Task Force, February 1994). As Learning
Lab helps more students reach their
educational goals, it will have a
positive impact on the quality of life
and employment opportunities in Treasure
Valley.
Poverty
is generational and the cycle must be
broken.
Darby,
Michael (1966) Reducing Poverty in
America
Over 30 years of
research shows that greater family and
adult involvement in children's learning
is a critical link to achieving a better
education. The education level of
parents is one important indicator of
the literacy levels of their children.
The education level of parents is also
one important indicator of the poverty
level of their family.
Family literacy
education significantly contributes to
the resolution of problems such as
poverty and school failure that often
persist through generations. Researchers
now confirm that the way parents
interact with and the experiences they
provide their children in the early
years have a big impact on a child’s
emotional development, learning
abilities and how he or she functions in
life (I Am Your Child Foundation).
In explaining the
rationale for a preliteracy and family
literacy program called "Catch ‘em
in the Cradle," it was noted that
one in three American children are
unprepared for kindergarten and nearly
one half of infants and toddlers start
life at a disadvantage and lack the
supports necessary to grow and thrive
(Eighth Annual Reading Education
Conference, Literacy’s Role in the
Network of Society, Boise State
University, July 1997). The risk factors
these children face include inadequate
prenatal care, isolated parents,
substandard childcare, poverty and
insufficient stimulation. Family
literacy classes help strengthen
families by providing opportunities to
learn together and by helping to ensure
critical early stimulation for the
children. National Institute of Literacy
research has indicated that helping
low-literate adults improve their basic
skills has a direct impact on both their
children’s success in school as well
as overall quality of life. We have
noted an over 20% increase in retention
rates for adults enrolled in family
literacy versus adult-only classes.
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