Literacy in Minnesota

Ambre Crim, MN Literacy Council 2005

What is Literacy?

An individual's ability to:• read, write, and speak in English• compute/solve problems needed to function

– on the job– in the family – in society

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998

Measuring Literacy

– Level 1: read a little fill out an application read a food label read a simple story to a child

Old Definition: Reading by Grade Level

– Level 2: compare/contrast problem solvingintegrate pieces of info higher level reading

– Levels 3-5: can work with longer/denser texts and documents

ABILITIES CHALLENGES

New Focus on Skills: 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS)

Trends in the United States

Tested Literacy Levels• Level 1 NALS

– 44 million people (23%)

• Level 2 NALS–50 million people (28%)

*LEVEL 1 =

25% immigrants learning English

60% no high school diploma

30% over 65

25% physical/mental disabilities

20% vision affects ability to read

Trends in Minnesota

Statewide Levels• NALS Level 1 = 13%• NALS Level 1 and 2 = 35%

Numbers Tell The Story

488,765 Minnesotans over 25

(17.6%)

Lack a high school diplomaor equivalent

Numbers Tell The Story

256,300 Minnesotans over 16

(12%)

Read a little but can’t fill in a form / do basic math

Numbers Tell The Story

268,147 of all Minnesotans

(5.3%)

Are foreign-born(about 200,000 need English classes)

Numbers Tell The Story

36%of all job applicants

Lacked the reading/math needed for the job they wanted

(statistic from 1998, up from 23% in 1997 and 19% in 1996)

Numbers Tell The Story

$7,000+ more/year

What a high school dropout could earn after their G.E.D.

Numbers Tell The Story

47% of all 81,000 adults

in Adult Basic Education programs

Are taking ESL classes

Numbers Tell The Story

450 sites in MN

Offer ABE literacy classes(most are free)

Local Adult Basic Ed

• Sumner Library in North Minneapolis Offers:FREE– One-on-one tutoring in Math/Reading– Citizenship Classes– ESL Classes

Partnering with UM-Extension in 2005: RentWiseRentWise

Taking It Into Account

Top 10 Tips: Writing Low Literacy Materials1. Write in a Conversational Style

2. Use Active Voice (“We take action” vs “Action is taken”)

3. List Main Points in Sequence

4. Keep Sentences Short

5. No Double Negatives 6. Limit Synonyms

7. Font Type 12+

8. Emphasize Headings/Subheadings

9. Separate Sections with White Space

10. Place Images Near Related Text

In Closing...

"We must open the doors of opportunity. But we must also equip our people

to walk through those doors."

Lyndon B. Johnson

Sources

• MN Literacy Councilwww.themlc.org

• Minnesota LINCSwww.mnlincs.org

• National Institute for Literacy

www.nifl.gov

• Star Tribune Article April 11, 2005

• Journal of ExtensionHow to Write Low Literacy Materials

www.joe.org