Category Literacy Facts

11/17/10

Alright folks, today I want to talk about the state of education in the United States. They say the state of U.S. education compared to the rest of the world has regressed while other countries have progressed. Why is this? We were the world’s superpower. Some people blame the current state of affairs on the public school system and its teachers. But, I think to do so is wrong.
It’s time to look in the mirror. If we want our kids to perform better in school, it is our responsibility to prepare them. It doesn’t even take that much. It doesn’t take much time and it doesn’t take much money. The capacity to learn is inside every child. Each one of them is filled with intelligence, and creativity. This intelligence and creativity must be nurtured to reach its full potential.
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When the mind is cluttered, it is easy to lose focus. On a daily basis we lose our perspective and we forget about what is truly important. I’m as guilty of doing this as anyone else.
Unforeseen problems arise from minute to minute. I think it is the uncertain outcome which stirs fear and feeds it’s flames. We like to know what is going to happen. It makes us comfortable. Without this comfort our minds wander. We ask questions “What if?”
I look around and witness friends bothered by petty unimportant events. If we run around trying to control everything surrounding us, we end up controlling nothing. Or worse yet, we end up being controlled by our surroundings. The key is to master ourselves. We should learn to control our thoughts, our actions, and our emotions...

Some Statistics about Literacy

Why learn to read early?
Two-thirds of students who can not read proficiently by the end of the fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare. Fourth grade is the watershed year!!!!

Literacy worldwide
According to UNICEF, “Nearly a billion people will enter the twenty-first century unable to read a book or sign their names. Two-thirds of them are women.

Literacy stats & juvenile court
85% of al juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate.
More than 60% of all prision inmates are functionally illiterate.
Penal institution records show, inmates have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help as opposed to 70% who receive no help.

The Dept. of Justice states
“The link between academic failure, del...