Category Archives: Research

State and County Estimates of Adult Literacy

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the U.S. Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Skills Map: State and County Indicators of Adult Literacy and Numeracy.

The U.S. PIAAC Skills Map is an interactive mapping tool that allows users to access estimates of adult literacy and numeracy proficiency in all U.S. states and counties. These estimates are based on data collected in the three rounds of U.S. PIAAC data collection (in 2012, 2014 and 2017) as well as data from the American Community Survey (2013-2017). A statistical technique called small area estimation is used to produce estimates of the proportion of U.S. adults, ages 16–74, with the lowest levels of proficiency (at or below Level 1), with middle proficiency (at Level 2), and with the highest levels of proficiency (at or above Level 3). Also available in this mapping tool are state and county estimates of average literacy and numeracy scores (on the PIAAC scale of 0-500). In addition, the mapping tool provides estimates of the precision of its indicators and facilitates statistical comparisons among states and counties.

PIAAC is a large-scale international study of the skills of working-age adults (ages 16–65) in three domains: literacy, numeracy, and digital problem solving.  It also collects extensive information on adults’ education and training, work experience, and other background characteristics.

To access the Skills Map, please visit https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/skillsmap.

Research on School Librarians’ Impact on Literacy

Margaret Merga has three articles published on the impact of school librarians on students’ literacy:

Merga, M. K. (2019). School libraries fostering children’s literacy and literature learning: mitigating the barriers. Literacy. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331950946_School_libraries_fostering_children%27s_literacy_and_literature_learning_mitigating_the_barriers

Merga, M. K. (2019). How do librarians in schools support struggling readers?. English in Education, 53(2), 145-160. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/04250494.2018.1558030

Merga, M. K. (2019). Collaborating With Teacher Librarians to Support Adolescents’ Literacy and Literature Learning. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.

Learning Environment and Resources Report

The following report is a research-based position paper about the importance of a supportive learning environment with high quality resources. The report states:”All educators .. have a responsible to ensure responsiveness within instruction, books, assessments, and digital spaces for all students.”

International Literacy Association. (2019). Right to Supportive Learning Environments and High-Quality Resources. Newark, NJ: Author.

https://literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/ila-right-to-supportive-learning-environments-high-quality-resources.pdf

Parent-child reading format

Technology has replaced books at bedtime, with more than a quarter of parents trying to use home assistants, apps and voice notes to tell their child a story in the evening, research suggests.

A study commissioned by children’s reading charity BookTrust indicates a growing reliance on digital storytelling.

The survey of 1,000 parents with children aged 10 or under found that, while almost half (49%) said they aim to share a story with their youngsters every night, only 28% manage to do so.

It is just not a substitute for parents reading to their kids

Author Francesca Simon

Three in 10 (31%) say work or commuting stops them getting home in time, while one in five simply feel “too busy”.

One in four (26%) UK parents said they had tried to use tech such as virtual assistants for bedtime stories.

However 83% of parents said they generally use print books.

Conducted by Fly Research, the poll suggests technology is picking up the slack.

Sixty-five percent of parents admit giving their children time on a smartphone, tablet, YouTube or in front of the TV, instead of sharing a bedtime story.

For parents who do read stories with their child at night, tech is now a part of that routine.

More than half (53%) say they would choose to use a smartphone, tablet, app or YouTube for the task.

Get the details at https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2019/05/22/technology-used-for-bedtime-stories-research-suggests/

Dutch Reading Association

The Dutch Reading Foundation (via website Reading Monitor (Leesmonitor in Dutch)) publishes the most important results of scientific research on reading promotion. Since 2018, they have provided an English version of the website. You can visit the website via the following address: https://www.leesmonitor.nu/en/promoting-reading. The website contains information on seven different topics that are relevant for reading promotors:

 

The effects of reading aloud, https://www.leesmonitor.nu/en/reading-aloud

The effects of free-time reading, https://www.leesmonitor.nu/en/free-time-reading

Reading education by teachers, https://www.leesmonitor.nu/en/reading-education

Differences between boys and girls, https://www.leesmonitor.nu/en/boys-and-girls

 

Best regards,

Gerlien van Dalen, President Dutch Reading Foundation