Classes teach adults how to read

About six thousand Iowa adults are now enrolled in classes at their local community college, learning to read. Sally Schroeder is the “Adult Education Consultant” in the Iowa Department of Education. She says they’re talking about adult basic education below the G-E-D level.Schroeder says there are a number of reasons folks wind up in adulthood without the ability to read.The Iowa State Adult Literacy survey found a quarter of Iowa adults are at the second lowest literacy level. The national statistic is worse. About half of adults in the U-S are on the low end of the literacy scale. Schroeder says studies indicate up to 40 percent of the U-S workforce lack the kind of reading skills that let them effectively function in society.Schroeder, an educator and a nurse, says her work to promote literacy programs is rewarding.September has been declared “Literacy month in Iowa.