This first day of September marks the beginning of Iowa Literacy Month as state educators try to reach the roughly four-out-of-ten adults who have trouble reading. One official says if future generations of Iowans are to succeed in the 21st century, literacy must become a higher priority.Sally Schroeder is an adult education consultant for the Iowa Department of Education. She says Iowa adults, on average, outperform other adults nationwide on tasks that measure literacy — but the literacy problem is still serious in the Hawkeye State. Schroeder says more than 40-percent of the U-S workforce lacks basic literacy skills, resulting in the loss of 60-billion dollars in productivity every year. She says the ability to read can improve a person’s job path, wages and relationships with co-workers, friends and family members.The Iowa Literacy Resource Center is on-line at “www.readiowa.org”.
