All articles tagged with #literacy
The Imagination Library, Dolly Parton’s free monthly book program for children, is doubling its coverage in London from five to 10 boroughs. This expansion, funded by the Postcode Lottery, will make 157,000 children eligible for the service. The move coincides with the launch of 'Give Like Dolly Day' on September 25, a national initiative to honor Parton’s legacy of philanthropy following her death in August.
The OECD's PISA study shows a global dip in 15-year-olds' maths and reading skills. The article invites readers to try a sample of PISA questions across maths, science and reading, and notes AI and digital-media use as contributing factors, while also highlighting adult reading habits for context.
BuzzFeed’s Community post pits readers against a 25-question spelling quiz to test their accuracy without autocorrect, featuring common misspellings and multiple-choice prompts. The goal is to score 15/25 or higher; scoring below that is playfully framed as a cue to reassess how much you rely on spellcheck. The piece includes the questions and reader comments, making it a lighthearted literacy challenge rather than hard news.
Garth Brooks will designate September 25 as 'Dolly Day' at his Nashville honky-tonk, with the day’s earnings donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to support children's literacy; the event, a nod to Parton’s hit '9 to 5', is planned to become an annual tradition following Parton’s death.
Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation has transformed millions of lives through the Imagination Library, which has sent over 332 million free books to children worldwide, inspired by her own upbringing; she also funded Covid-19 vaccine research (including early-stage support for Moderna) and donated to hospitals, disaster relief, and adult education for Dollywood staff, with philanthropic efforts spanning concerts, scholarships, and a children's hospital named in her honor, cementing a global legacy of giving.
Pizza Hut is reviving its BOOK IT! reading program for a nostalgia-driven summer: a June 10 one-day giveaway for customers who bring a BOOK IT! button, plus a Summer of Stories from June–August where kids pre-K through sixth grade earn free Personal Pan Pizzas by hitting reading goals via the BOOK IT! app, alongside Hut Originals, a new Crispy Parm Pan Pizza, throwback prices, merch partnerships, and classic-location experiences.
Axios reports a large literacy gap in the U.S. workforce: roughly 130 million adults read below sixth grade and 43 million struggle with basic math, yet AI tools help workers complete tasks—potentially masking gaps and encouraging cognitive surrender, which may boost apparent productivity while slowing real understanding and decision-making.
New evidence shows learning to read reshapes how the brain processes spoken language: literate adults recruit the right inferior frontal gyrus to perform phonological analysis in unfamiliar speech, a pattern not seen in functionally illiterate peers, indicating literacy training alters auditory processing and relies on neural reorganization.
Across the country, reading test scores are falling, but some schools report gains after adopting phonics-based instruction and stronger early-literacy supports.
Hiring managers warn that graduates seen as AI-native often lack real-world critical-thinking and literacy skills, with some firms preferring humanities students who can think beyond AI tools. While AI literacy is promoted, AI hasn’t yet boosted productivity, and universities risk producing graduates ill-equipped for actual job demands as students rely on AI to complete coursework.
Lee Child advocates for including thrillers in the UK school curriculum to boost children's interest in reading, emphasizing the importance of engaging literature to foster literacy and reduce reoffending through prison literacy programs. He is involved in literacy sessions at prisons, aiming to create a regional model to improve literacy and community safety.
A group of prominent authors, including Sir Philip Pullman and Kate Mosse, are advocating for automatic library cards for all newborns in the UK, aiming to promote literacy and early engagement with libraries by linking membership to birth registration, with support from the CPU and potential funding from government departments.
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a record $256 million in Education Innovation and Research grants to improve literacy, with a focus on evidence-based instruction, expanding education choice, and empowering states, especially in rural areas, marking a significant increase in state-led initiatives and innovative approaches.
California has passed Assembly Bill 1454, a comprehensive literacy law focusing on evidence-based reading instruction, including phonics, with teacher training and new textbooks, aiming to improve literacy rates among students, especially in early grades, supported by significant funding and ongoing implementation efforts.
'Reading Rainbow' is returning with a new host, Mychal Threets, and celebrity guests for a short-form series on KidZuko, aiming to promote literacy among children, after being a beloved PBS show since 1983 and winning multiple awards.