In a sunny classroom, first graders at the Chicago Waldorf School are not picking up books. Instead, in every student’s hands are two wooden knitting needles. Waldorf teaches kids the mechanics of reading years later than most U.S. schools.
Coya Paz lives in Chicago with her partner and Ida, their three year-old daughter. Reading is central to their family life. But one of the things that gets Ida most excited about reading isn't on those shelves.
By some estimates, as many as one in eight American adults has extreme difficulty reading and writing. Here, WBEZ profiles a man who spent the last three years trying to escape illiteracy.
The International Reading Association supports literacy professionals around the world. Front and Center attended their annual conference and talked to teachers about literacy in their organizations and classrooms.
Gemma's Open Door Series publishes books specifically targeted to adults who are learning to read. The books are small enough to fit into a big coat pocket and touch on themes from addiction to family life and more.
WBEZ’s Front and Center project will launch a series about literacy in late May. We are curating news coverage of literacy issues in the Great Lakes region as we lead up to the series.
