OASIS CONNECTION MINISTRIES
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Founders
    • Mission Statement
    • Board of Directors
  • Resources
    • Conferences
    • Scholarships
    • Trainings
    • We Care Outreach
  • Media
    • Archives
    • Podcast
    • YouTube
  • Gallery
  • Empower
  • Equip
  • Contact

Eduflections (Volume 2. Issue 1)

10/20/2011

 
I had the great privilege to meet all the immigrant families for my literacy research this past Sunday afternoon. It is an exciting journey with these precious families who want to learn how to build and maintain a lifestyle of literacy not just in their homes but everywhere they go. Each family is distinct from the other yet the same in many ways.  

One key importance of the study is been able to “transfer” the lifestyle of literacy to these wonderful families in their home environment.  The family unit is the unit which builds up a person’s personality or who they become in life. Many studies have shown the correlation of children with strong family backgrounds as happier children who tend to do well in school. Schools in our country strive to have a good home-school connection to ensure the education of a well rounded child.

Family literacy is about ways families use literacy and language in their daily lives. It involves how families learn together, how they help children develop reading, writing and oral skills in their formative years. Furthermore, family literacy involves using literacy to maintain relationships with each family member and with the community at large. For many of us, family literacy comes natural and we don’t think twice about it. However, for many families right here in the United States, family literacy does not come natural. For many of these families, family literacy comes at a high price as many have to learn how to read and write as adults. Imagine a parent learning how to read and write for the first time and faced with raising children in our American culture. It is a difficult mix for these parents. Any adult knows how difficult it is to learn another language.

This research has opened my eyes to the crisis of illiteracy in our country. I discovered many things that demand action now and not later. The statistics are astounding. In a study that was conducted among the 20 most powerful countries in the world, U.S. ranked 12th on literacy tests. The last reported data from 2009 shows that:

  • 44 million adults are unable to read a simple story to their child right here in America.
  • 7 million Americans are illiterate
  • 50 percent  of adults cannot read a book written at an eighth grade level
  • 30 million Americans cannot read a simple sentence
Illiteracy affects our society in many ways and cost taxpayers an estimated $20 billion each year. Illiteracy is one factor for students dropping out of school; and the dropout problem cost taxpayers close to $240 billion in social service expenditure and lost tax revenues. What alarmed me most about what I discovered was the fact that some states determine how many prison beds will be needed in future years by actually basing part of their projection on how well current elementary students are performing on reading tests!

Many thanks to the numerous literacy organizations acting daily, working to strengthen education among young people as well as adults. How can you help prevent illiteracy? Begin first by encouraging a young person in your life to read daily. Then consider volunteering your time with a local literacy organization. It will take everyone doing their part to eradicate illiteracy right here in our country-America.

 “The home is the child’s first school, the parent is the child’s first teacher, and reading is the child’s first subject.” – Mrs. Barbara Bush

All the Best,

Feyi 

    Dr. Feyi Obamehinti

    A Blog for Equipping and Empowering people to thrive with the Word of God. Daughter of the King, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend, Mentor, & Educator enjoying the Blessed Life in Christ Jesus. Oasis Focus Inc. is a ministry of restoration & equipping. 

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    May 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    August 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    August 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    July 2010

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2009-2023.  Oasis Connection Ministries. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All Rights Reserved.