ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO READ; NEW FAMILY LITERACY EFFORT By SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE H. RYAN

Secretary of State and State Librarian George H. Ryan reads to a group of Illinois schoolchildren. During Children's Book Week in November, Ryan called on parents to make sure their children have library cards and the opportunity to use them. The new "Explore" newsletter, which encourages kids to read and visit their local libraries, is now available at public libraries throughout the state.

As Secretary of State and State Librarian, I am pleased to promote reading programs for children and adult literacy programs. Giving children opportunities to appreciate books is a great way to launch them into a lifetime of reading success. Teaching people to read gives them dignity and pride and the ability to pass those qualities on to their children. A new "Explore" newsletter aimed at encouraging youngsters to read and visit their local libraries is now available at public libraries throughout the state. The newsletter is the latest offering of my "Read All About It" reading program. The program was introduced last summer with the "Explore Summer" reading calendar.

Our goal with the newsletter is to produce something bright, informative and fun to read. The first issue features a profile of an 11-year-old juggler from Rochester, advice on keeping a mouse as a pet, thoughts about a career as a rock star, and an "Illinois Leader" profile of Hull House founder Jane Addams. At the end of each story, a sidebar called "Check it out" suggests titles of books and videos that provide further information about the subject.

The newsletter also tells kids about a new statewide reading club called "Know Kidding," to help them explore their interests through books, reading and libraries. Kids who join Know Kidding receive a T-shirt transfer of the Know Kidding logo, a membership card and other benefits. To find out more about the club, visit a local public library today.

"Explore" debuted during Children's Book Week, Nov. 11-17. Children's Book Week, established in 1918, is a nationwide event sponsored by the Children's Book Week Council in New York.

We hope the "Explore" newsletter will be a valuable tool to promote reading and the use of libraries among children. We intend to publish another newsletter in the spring.

December 1991 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 5

For additional information, write to Carol Fox, Editor, "Explore: Check it out," Illinois State Library, 300 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701.

Family Literacy

One of the most meaningful moments I've had as Secretary of State came when I met a man named Victor Aragon, who literally changed his life, and the lives of his wife and children, because he enrolled in one of our workplace literacy programs.

His new skills gave him the confidence to speak up on the job and communicate his ideas on ways of doing things better. His supervisors were so impressed that they moved him from a routine assembly line job to a highly skilled job where he is in charge of a complete production phase.

But the story doesn't end there. While Victor was studying at home, his wife was studying along with him. Her language skills improved so much that she got a promotion at HER job! It even rubbed off on his kids.

After one daughter came home with a D on her report card, Aragon told her, "Look, if I can improve myself at my age, you can do better at your age." A few months later, she came home with a surprise. She had made the honor roll for the first time.

Literacy is not just a means to improve the economic climate of our state. The ability to read, to take in new information, is an essential part of basic human dignity.

As the new chairman of the Illinois Literacy Council, one of my key objectives is to do our best to address family literacy needs. I am pleased that Marva Collins, director of Garfield Park's Westside Preparatory School in Chicago, will serve as facilitator of a subcommittee on family literacy.

We need to help families break out of the cycle in which the children of illiterate parents are twice as likely as their classmates to be illiterate. Our libraries and librarians can be key partners in this effort. We can use these resources to come up with policies that will give Illinois more success stories like Victor Aragon's.

Local public libraries are used by Illinois citizens in a variety of ways. By providing children with special reading programs and offering literacy programs to adults, we can go a long way toward expanding our children's horizons and making Illinois a more literate state. •

Page 6 / Illinois Municipal Review / December 1991