I. ATTENTION
AMERICANS
BELIEVE IT IS OUR RIGHT TO READ! AND IT IS!
CAN
YOU IMAGINE NOT BEING ABLE TO READ?
BELIEVE
IT OR NOT, THERE ARE 25 MILLION AMERICANS WHO
CANNOT
35 MILLION CANNOT READ AT BASIC
SURVIVAL
LEVELS...WHICH
MEANS
THEY
CAN’T READ:
1.
WANT ADS
2.
JOB APPLICATIONS
3.
STREET SIGNS
4.
MEDICINE BOTTLES
5.
THE NEWSPAPER/MAIL
6.
STORIES TO THEIR CHILDREN
(According to
Illiteracy in America...An Epidemic!)
AS
YOU CAN SEE....THESE 35 MILLION PEOPLE CANNOT SOLVE BASIC LIFE PROBLEMS.
WE ARE A NATION AT RISK. WE
MUST STOP ILLITERACY
II.
NEED
A.
ILLITERACY HAS RESULTED IN LOSSES IN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE
AVERAGE CITIZEN (NEWSWEEK, MAY 17, 2000)
B.
ACCORDING TO AN INTERVIEW WITH SEN. ORIN HATCH, WE PAY
OVER $25 MILLION IN WELFARE SIMPLY
BECAUSE ADULTS CAN’T READ
C.
US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATES THAT 35 MILLION
PEOPLE
D.
WE ARE ALL AFFECTED BY HAVING TO PAY FOR THESE
PEOPLE WHO
CAN’T READ...HIGHER
TAXES...WELFARE, LOW
JOB
REVENUES.
III.
SATISFACTION
a.
AS LITERATE AMERICANS, WE CAN HELP TEACH PEOPLE TO READ
b.
THERE ARE FEDERAL AND PRIVATE PROGRAMS
1.
VOLUNTEER
2.
TUTOR
3.
ADULT EDUCATION
c.
LEVEL OF LITERACY RISES AS MORE PEOPLE LEARN TO
READ. ANYONE
CAN LEARN...THEY
JUST NEED PEOPLE
LIKE YOU TO HELP THEM.
d.
CITIBANK PROVIDES LITERACY PROGRAMS FOR THEIR
EMPLOYEES.8 % OF PROFITS GO TO LITERACY PROGRAMS.
(NEWSWEEK, 9-17-01)
e.
EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A GREAT READER, YOU CAN HELP
BEGINNERS.
I
V.
IMAGINE
THAT IF EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM HELPED ONE PERSON LEARN TO READ:
1.
BETTER JOB
2.
WELFARE LOWERED
3.
GAIN SELF-ESTEEM.
4.
THEY COULD THEN HELP OTHERS LEARN
V. ACTION
PLEASE BECOME A
VOLUNTEER IN A LITERACY PROGRAM!
MAKE
A CHOICE TO HELP SOMEONE LEARN TO READ.
DO
IT NOW....THE LONGER YOU WAIT, THE GREATER THE PROBLEM
WILL BE!!!
