World Read Aloud Day: Promoting Literacy throughout the World

Do you think there's a literacy problem in the United States? I didn't think so, until I got involved with LitWorld and their event World Read Aloud Day (WRAD). The statistics are surprising:

Illiteracy Statistics

• 42 million American adults can't read at all; 50 million are unable to read at a higher level that is expected of a fourth or fifth grader.
• The number of adults that are classified as functionally illiterate increases by about 2.25 million each year.
• 20 percent of high school seniors can be classified as being functionally illiterate at the time they graduate.

Source: National Right to Read Foundation

Where Illiteracy Leads

• 70 percent of prisoners in state and federal systems can be classified as illiterate.
• 85 percent of all juvenile offenders rate as functionally or marginally illiterate.
• 43 percent of those whose literacy skills are lowest live in poverty.

Source: National Institute for Literacy

There are so many ways you can get involved, donate, help. You can find programs through LitWorld or find information on starting your own program. You can also participate in a nearby WRAD event. In Chicago there are 3 events happening on Wednesday, March 9th.

Nili Yelin is coordinating three WRAD events in Chicago:

10:30am at Psychobaby
1630 N Damen Ave
psychobaby.net
Family Read Aloud Event

4:00pm at Little Beans Cafe
1809 W Webster Ave
littlebeanscafe.com 
Family Read Aloud Event

7:30pm at Book Cellar
4736 N Lincoln Ave
bookcellarinc.com
Mom and Dad's Favorite Picture Books Event

You can also get involved locally at Open Books, a nonprofit social venture that operates an extraordinary bookstore, provides community programs, and mobilizes passionate volunteers to promote literacy in Chicago and beyond.

Alexandra Gnoske is the Author/Illustrator of "Loui Saves the Earth" and an Environmental Expert.