I was the recipient of a hand made apron as a door prize at the White County Creative Writers Conference. I’ve decided to call it my literacy apron. This adorable design is a great gift for a writer, and it would also be a perfect gift for a teacher or a librarian. The big lower pocket has ample room for a note pad, pen, and voice recorder to keep any ideas from slipping away. Or maybe I’ll fill mine up with paperbacks so I’ll have one handy all the time.
Apron or no apron, writers, teachers, and librarians are all about promoting literacy. In spite of our best intentions, 14% of the U.S. population can’t read.
It’s no secret that people who read have an advantage. According to DoSomething.org, reading can be a life-changer. The site lists many facts about illiteracy, such as:
1. 2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare. Over 70% of America’s inmates cannot read above a 4th grade level.
2. Students who don’t read proficiently by the 3rd grade are 4 times more likely to drop out of school.
3. Nearly 85% of the juveniles who face trial in the court system are functionally illiterate, proving there is a close relationship between illiteracy and crime.
4. More than 60% of all inmates are functionally illiterate.
5. Teenage girls between the ages of 16 to 19 who live in poverty and have below average literacy skills are 6 times more likely to have children out of wedlock than girls their age who read proficiently.
There are holidays in every month of the year to remind us of the importance of literacy. August 9 was National Book Lovers’ Day. September 6 was National Read a Book Day. Today is International Literacy Day.
Any day would be a good day to put on your literacy apron and help someone learn to read.
©Anita Stafford 2021
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