National Family Literacy Month®

The Enduring Legacy of the Written Word

There are two kinds of people: those who read for pleasure and those who do not. While there are certainly more nuanced ways of seeing the world and the people in it, reading books is a habit that people use to define themselves. We carry books around like trophies and stack them on shelves around our homes. The book people I know own that label with pride.

Stephen King once said, "books are a uniquely portable magic." By my estimation, that makes us all magicians. Books have the power to transport us to other realms, help us imagine ourselves in other people's shoes, and give us a better understanding of the people and places beyond where many of us will ever travel. Besides being one of our most basic forms of entertainment, books are tools that allow us to pass our histories, life lessons, and culture from generation to generation. The written word forms governments and religious bodies and has captured all modern medical research and computer design just for starters. Books make progress possible so that each generation doesn't have to start from scratch but can pick up where their forbears left off. There is no better gift we can give our children and grandchildren than the ability to read, understand, and hopefully enjoy it.

November is National Family Literacy Month®, which reminds us of the importance of making literacy a family project. Literacy is power, and people who wield the power of reading and writing will have much more opportunities as they move through the world.

Before we go any further, let's get on the same page (pun intended) about the definition of the term. Literacy is defined in two ways: the ability to read and write and competency or knowledge in a specified area. In many cases, the former makes the latter possible. There are few fields where you can achieve competency without literacy. That said, some individuals master trades or art forms without ever picking up a book on the subject. For example, the best way to learn fine woodworking or French cooking may be through hands-on experience working with a master. However, for the field of fine woodworking or French cooking to have persisted over time, someone had to write it all down.

Literacy is more profound than seeing groups of letters and knowing what words they represent. We teach our children to sing the ABCs and eventually to memorize vocabulary words. Still, it's not for years later that they understand the power of words, how to string them together to form sentences and paragraphs, and how to tell stories that matter to them. The basic understanding of language is just the beginning, but it's also the fuel that makes communication, learning, selfexpression, and art possible.

Many factors impact a person's inclination toward reading, including their level of education, their family of origin, and the area where they were raised. But there are also people for whom reading is difficult due to learning differences or because they struggle to pay attention. Audiobooks and e-readers have made books more accessible so that even self-professed non-readers can enjoy the world's most important stories.

So what's the big deal about reading anyways? Can't we get all the same information through movies or podcasts? These other forms of technology can indeed expand your vocabulary, broaden your horizons, and inspire your creativity. But reading is especially important as it can physically change your brain's structure, increase the capacity of your memory, and expand your attention span.

Reading and writing go hand in hand. Every history book, religious text, or instruction manual that has ever existed was brought to us by people who had the sense to write things down. Writing is one of our most essential forms of communication. It's a way to ensure that our thoughts, feelings, and opinions outlive us.

We write to capture our present-day experiences for generations to come, we write to communicate our feelings of love and friendship for the people in our lives, and many write for the release it provides them. Anyone who has ever journaled knows the power of writing to help process interpersonal issues or weigh the pros and cons of a big life decision. Writing down your thoughts helps you gain clarity about your life and clear the chaos from your mind onto the page. Writing is as vital to our brains as reading.

As we wind down this calendar year and welcome 2023, millions of people worldwide will make resolutions to read and write more. Motivated for millions of reasons, some will succeed, and many will not. However, the motivation to prioritize the literacy of your whole family is powerful. If your personal and family literacy is important to you, it's worth making it a resolution. Consider trying some of the following to make literacy a central feature in your personal and family life.

Personal Literacy

Join a Book Club

Nothing will motivate you to read more than a monthly date on the calendar. Book clubs are a great way to make reading interactive. And you'll be amazed at how different people perceive the same text differently. Find a book club or start your own. And remember, thanks to modern technology, you can join a book club with friends located anywhere in the world.

Write Your Story

There are programs available that guide writers through a series of questions that help them tell the story of their life. But if you don't want to invest any money in this project, you can begin by writing your life story as you want your family to remember it. Whether that's in a series of letters or as a memoir, your family members will appreciate the opportunity to see life through your eyes.

Family

Read a Book Aloud

Reading aloud to our children and grandchildren seems natural when they're young, but eventually, as our children age, we let that habit go and hope they'll continue to enjoy it for themselves. But what if you kept it alive? What if your family turned off technology and sat together around the living room, taking turns reading an exciting classic like The Lord of the Rings or Swiss Family Robinson? Maybe it's worth a try!

Send Snail Mail

My grandmother was known for her note-writing. From time to time, often out of the blue, I'd get a beautiful handwritten note on her personalized stationery embossed with a gold seashell. These days most of us turn to tech when we want to get ah old of someone. But I think we should bring back snail mail. Start the trend by sending out love notes to members of your family and see who writes back!

The word literacy sounds stuffy and academic. But at it’s core, Family Literacy Month® is about instilling a passion for learning in the people you love the most. Reading and writing are the calming antidotes for a world where everything is getting faster, brighter, and louder. And as with everything, literacy starts at home. If you're not already in a deep love affair with literature, I invite you to dive in and see how the positive effects ripple through your family.

Adrienne Freeland is a freelance writer who specializes in helping business owners communicate more clearly. Using skills developed in her former career as a professional fundraiser, Adrienne collaborates with her clients to craft engaging, targeted content.