25 Jul Muskogee Public Library Asks for Support of Efforts to Advance Adult Literacy in the Community

One out of every four adults in the Muskogee area is not functionally literate.

Look around you— one or more of the people you see may be functionally illiterate. Do not make quick assumptions about who it might be. Perhaps the person is your friend sitting beside you, the owner of the company you work for, or the store salesperson. Often, adults become adept at hiding their lack of these necessary skills. Throughout the years, I’ve met a few people who succeeded in keeping this information from their spouses, which seems impossible. If I had not been told this by our adult learners, it would be hard for me to believe.

What does it mean when an adult is functionally illiterate? This means the adult may have basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills but struggle with more difficult literacy tasks required for everyday life and work. Although functionally illiterate individuals can often read and understand simple texts, they may find it difficult to understand and use information above the basic level.

Something needs to be done, but what?

In 1978, members of our community asked the same question. They took it upon themselves to make a difference. They organized the Muskogee Literacy Council and began the adult literacy program. They recognized that functional illiteracy was more prominent than it should be The members began helping adult learners by tutoring and encouraging them. This wasn’t just a handful of people doing the work. Many adults volunteered their time and worked together to organize the Muskogee Literacy Council.  Their efforts paid off. The program became a success, and the work continues today with the Adult Literacy Program at Muskogee Public Library.

So, why, after 40 years, has no progress been made? Why is one out of every four adults still functionally illiterate?

That’s a great question. The answer is, that there has been progress, yet recurring circumstances show the numbers staying the same.

A better explanation is the causes of functional illiteracy are repetitive. They can be complex, but most of the time, the reasons begin in early childhood. There may be a cycle of family illiteracy. Sometimes childhood illnesses, frequent moves, changing schools, or types of disabilities hinder learning. In recent years, having limited technology skills has become a factor. The list goes on.

Although there are many negatives that stand in the way of growth, it is amazing to think about all the wonderful and positive outcomes our program has seen over the years. In every one of those outcomes, we witnessed progress as our adult learners successfully met their goals and began the next chapter of their lives.

The improvements may not show in local, state, or even national numbers, but they show when you see the success of the adult learners who have worked hard to accomplish the things they set forth for themselves.

Do the numbers matter to the adult learners? They may for a few, but for most adult learners, reaching the goal they set when beginning our program is more important to them than how they may have changed statistics.

One out of every four adults who are functionally illiterate is not a good statistic. You, as a member of our community and a person who cares about the success of others, can help us make a difference. When you are in the thick of it, you get to see the wonderful changes that the adult learner makes.

The stats are important to keep in mind, but helping adult learners reach goals is meaningful, appreciated, most valued and, yes, fun.

One person can make a tremendous difference. Be that one person.

If you are 21 years or older, have a high school diploma or equivalent, speak, read, and write English proficiently, and want to help other adults improve their skills and reach goals, you can be a tutor and work with adults in our program.

We offer the following classes for adults 18 and over: Adult Basic Education, GED test preparation, English as a Second Language, U.S. Citizenship test preparation, and computer/media literacy.

For information about volunteering with Muskogee Public Library’s Adult Literacy Program, contact Penny Chastain, at 918-682-6657 X 101 or pchastain@eols.org.

Penny Chastain is the adult literacy coordinator at Muskogee Public Library, a branch of the Eastern Oklahoma Library System.