Literacy:

  • 44 Million adults in the US can not read well enough to read a simple story to a child! 

  • Children who have not developed some basic literacy skills by the time they enter school are 3 - 4 times more likely to drop out in later years. 
  • The average student learns about 3,000 words per year in the early school years (8 words per day).
  • Disadvantaged students in the first grade have a vocabulary that is approximately half that of an advantaged student (2,900 and 5,800 respectively).
  • 14% of all individuals have a learning disability. 
  • It is estimated that more than $2 billion is spent each year on students who repeat a grade because they have reading problems. 
  • Over one million children drop out of school each year, costing the nation over $240 billion in lost earnings, forgone tax revenues, and expenditures for social services. 
  • Low literacy is strongly related to crime.  70% of prisoners fall into the lowest two levels of reading proficiency.
  • 46% of American adults cannot understand the label on their prescription medicine. 
  • 50% of American adults are unable to read an 8th grade level book.

and....

30% of our children in United States will not finish high school!

The power of your service club and USA Dictionary project can make a real PROVEN difference in your LOCAL community!

 

Information provided by Dr. Barbara R. Swaby, Professor Curriculum and Instruction, University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS)

The greatest LOCAL hands-on community service project ever....just not the only one.