Improve your future by improving your literacy

September is National Literacy Month, a time to reflect on the impact of literacy in our day-to-day lives. This is also a good time to learn about the different reading levels. About 130 million adults in the U.S. have low literacy skills. This means that slightly more than half of all Americans between the ages of 16-74 cannot read above a sixth-grade level according to AMP Research Lab.  

No matter your reading level, there are steps you can take to improve your skills. Here is how you can help become better at reading, writing, analyzing, and understanding.  

Read regularly 

This tip works for all readers. Those who have lower literacy skills can check out high-interest, low-reading-level books that can grab their attention without being too advanced. For readers at a higher level, be sure to choose something challenging to help hone your skills. 

Write down your thoughts 

Another way to help you improve your reading is by writing. The best way to do that is to journal. Writing down your thoughts from the day can help you process, think critically, and advance your reading and writing skills. 

Learn new words 

There are roughly one million words in the English language, many of which you likely don’t use daily. Taking the time to learn a new word each day can increase your ability to learn and understand new complex ideas. You can do this easily by looking up new words in a dictionary and trying to incorporate the word into your day.  

If you or someone you know needs more help learning to read or write, the Flint Literacy Network is here. The Network has Adult Learning Centers and family literacy programs designed to help improve literacy in Genesee County. For more information, visit FlintLiteracyNetwork.org.