Mary SheltonWiese, Executive Director

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• Mary Shelton-Wiese, Executive Director
• 810-664-2737 ican_at_readlapeer.org

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Family Literacy Center Mission Statement

• Building Skills and enriching lives through
  literacy in the Lapeer County area

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What is Literacy?

• The ability to read, to write, to perform math
  computations, to understand the written word, to
  speak in ones native language or in the language
  of ones adopted homeland.
• David C. Harvey, President and CEO of ProLiteracy
  Worldwide

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Why are literacy skills important?

• Directly impacts an individuals ability to
  support him or herself and family (employment,
  training)
• Directly impacts the ability to maintain good
  health (access to health care)
• Directly impacts the ability to raise
  well-educated children who will succeed in school
  and in the workplace

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• Experts recommend that documents for the general
  public be written at the 7th grade level.
  Documents about health, medical or safety should
  be written at the 5th grade level.
• Businesses and government web sites regularly
  present information written at the 12th grade
  level and up reaching less than 15 of their
  intended audience.
• Reference is William H. DuBay, Plain Language
  Services

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Literacy Facts

• Having a High School Diploma does not necessarily
  mean you have good reading skills.
• In 2007, 53 of the students at the Family
  Literacy Center had a 12th grade education or
  higher. All read at or below an 8th grade level.

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• We are all
• gifted,
• average
• or challenged depending on the task at hand.

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Low-level literacy WHY?

• Learning Disabilities
• Parents dont read (no reading materials)
• Family stress or instability, poor nutrition
• Vision or hearing problems
• Childhood illness
• Changing schools frequently
• Reading not a priority (TV, Video games)
• Getting discouraged, told you cant do it

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Student Education Level at Intake
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2008 Student Accomplishments

• 12 students have passed the GED test
• 25 students were able to qualify for training
• 30 raised their reading level and 21 raised their
  math level (according to follow up TABE testing)
  Many student avoid follow up testing due to
  extreme test anxiety
• 14 found employment
• 12 had other accomplishments (passed college
  entrance tests, completed CNA, etc.)
• Many students are still in our program working
  toward their goals and building their skills