Why Literacy Matters

In San Diego County alone, there are over 450,000 adults who cannot read and write well enough to take care of the everyday tasks that we take for granted. That means they can't read medicine labels, recipes or even the guide on the television. Many cannot read to their small children, which puts the children at a disadvantage when they begin school.

READ/San Diego is working every day to make a difference in people's lives by empowering them to read. Our professional staff of literacy experts coordinates the efforts of volunteer reading tutors. They also cooperate with local adult schools, community colleges and other literacy education providers in making and receiving student referrals.

READ/San Diego Fact Sheet

Families for Literacy Program

In addition to providing individual one-on-one tutoring for adults, READ also conducts Families for Literacy. This program is designed to break the cycle of intergenerational low-literacy. They do this by teaching low-literate parents and caregivers with preschool children the skills they need to be their children's first and most important teacher. Families for Literacy also provides age-appropriate books to help families build home libraries - a critical component for improving literacy for the whole family.

See real life stories about how families' lives have been changed:

• Maria Federico
  Maria Federico brings her youngest children to the library twice a month to attend the Families for Literacy programs - an activity that is making a big difference for her son, Oscar Acevedo. Read more about Maria's story (PDF).
• Erika Sayas
  "Thanks to this wonderful program, my kids have become early readers, all of them!" Read more about Erika's story (PDF).