A literacy advocate supports or speaks out for someone else’s educational needs or rights in reading, writing, and language. When you advocate, you may focus on one child’s needs, issues for many children, or ways to teach and learn.
A reading advocate reads with children. They read aloud to children, listen to children read aloud and discuss reading materials to children in thoughtful ways.
I am both.
According to the U.S. Department of Education the purpose of Title 1 funding, “is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach, at minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.”
According to UNICEF, “Nearly a billion people will enter the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names and two thirds of them are women.”
One child in four grows up not knowing how to read.
Pandemic life meant no elementary school volunteering for me. It was so very difficult for teachers and students and me to not be together reading. I did however get to be with my alternative school kids, who are older, outside in the summers and cook for them during the school year and pop in occasionally. All good things.
As of September, I am back at my beloved elementary: masked, vaccinated and at school with my young kinder teacher and class, my first grade teacher and class and my second grade teacher and class. One on one time reading and learning. Love. Laughter. Zen.
Our local bookstore is a hub of community activity and I am currently helping with reading and writing one day a week and two late afternoons twice a month to the little learners. This is a homeschool type group that is all about learning and welcoming to all. It has been a lot of fun. It feels wonderful to be back reading with kids.
I encourage you to find a way to support your local school and teachers. It is essential.
