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Literacy Facts
1 out of every 5 New Mexican adults
reads below the 5th grade level. Simple everyday tasks
present real problems. Following street signs, reading
bus schedules, filling out job applications or reading
prescription labels, can be difficult and frustrating.
In today’s
workplace, even the simplest jobs require reading at a
6th grade level or better.
Recently, a student
reported she was turned down for a dishwashing job
because she didn’t have a GED.
There is a direct
correlation between low literacy, low education
attainment and low income.
The lack of ability to speak and
understand spoken English can be very frustrating and
even frightening to an adult.
What is a ‘permission slip’ for a ‘field trip’?
What do I say when the policeman pulls me over?
No one understands me because of my accent and
my poor English.
Job Applications for work are often
filled out on a computer.
Some applications are found only online. As
society becomes more reliant on technology, so does
our need to become literate in
its use.
Children suffer from their
parent’s low literacy.
As the education level of
an adult improves, so does her child’s success in
school. Helping low-literate adults improve their
basic skills has a direct and measurable impact on
both the education and quality of life of their
children.
ReadWest is
here to help adults read, write and speak English.
Our volunteer tutors and
your donations help us to improve the literacy of
members of our community, thus allowing them to live
more productive and enriched lives. We are changing
lives one adult at a time.
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New Mexico Coalition for Literacy |
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