In The News | Adult Learning Alliance of Arkansas

We continue celebrating National Family Literacy Month by jumping into the digital world. Digital literacy is an increasingly critical skill for every family member. Whether it’s learning to send an email, navigating educational apps, or practicing online safety, digital literacy benefits the whole family. Here’s how you can help students approach digital learning as a family and make it a shared journey.

What Is Digital Literacy?

Digital literacy isn’t just about knowing how to use a computer or phone—it’s about understanding how to use technology to learn, communicate, and problem-solve.

This includes:

Finding reputable information online

Using apps and tools for learning, creativity, and work

Understanding online safety and privacy

Communicating effectively through emails, chats, and video calls

Why Digital Literacy Matters for Families

Technology is a big part of our daily lives. It is important to sharpen digital literacy skills to ensure success.

Helps Kids Succeed in School: Many schools now use online tools for homework, research, and communication. Students use Chromebooks in the classroom, and parents and guardians receive text and email messages about school closures and events.

Prepares Everyone for Jobs: Digital skills are essential in almost every workplace today. Email is used for team communication, while various apps help track employee schedules and allow them to request time off.

Builds Connection: Technology helps families stay in touch with relatives, access learning tools, and discover new hobbies. Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram for keeping in touch with friends and family, Pinterest for recipes and craft ideas, and looking up resources like knitting patterns online.

Teaches Responsibility: Understanding online safety and privacy helps protect families from risks like scams or inappropriate content. Knowing how to protect family devices from viruses, spot a spam email, and place parental controls to restrict access to inappropriate content for children are a few ways digital literacy teaches responsibility.

Digital Literacy Activities for the Whole Family

Explore Educational Apps Together: Set aside family time to explore educational apps to practice reading, math, or problem-solving as a team.

Suggestions: Duolingo for language learning, PBS and PBS Kids for educational videos, or Canva for creative design projects.

How to Do It: Family members can each pick an app and share what they learned from it or help each other with apps they may have run into issues with.

Create Digital Projects: Digital Literacy can also be creative! Creating digital projects as a family is a great way to learn and sharpen digital literacy skills.

Ideas :

Write a short story using a document editor like Google Docs

Create a family photo slideshow with captions on PowerPoint

Record a family video or podcast about a topic you all enjoy or share family stories.

Create a digital family tree with a site like Ancestory.com.

Why It Works: These projects are fun and engaging for the whole family. They also target skills in reading, communication, and teamwork!

Practice Online Research

Learning to filter through information online for trustworthy and factual information is a critical digital literacy skill for the whole family.

How to Do It: Choose a fun topic, like planning a family outing or researching a recipe. Show your kids how to look for trustworthy sources and avoid misinformation.

Play Educational Games Together

The family that plays together learns together! Many games teach problem-solving, strategy, and literacy skills. Take your family game night into the digital age.

Suggestions: Word games like Scrabble Go, coding games like Scratch Jr, or puzzle games like Lumosity.

How to Do It: Set up a family game night where everyone gets to learn while playing, using online games like Kahoot or Tactile.

Tips for Online Safety as a Family

Digital literacy also means staying safe online and how to protect your family. Here are a few simple tips:

Set Boundaries: It’s important to balance screen time with offline activities. Setting limits on screen time can help maintain this balance. Additionally, guide children by identifying which websites are safe and appropriate.

Teach Password Safety: Show your family how to create strong passwords and never share them with anyone in person or online.

Discuss Online Privacy: Teach kids never to share personal information like their full name, address, or phone number.

Use Parental Controls: Set up filters to block harmful content on kids’ devices.

Celebrate Small Wins Together

Learning digital skills takes time and every achievement matters.

Celebrate when you:

Send your first email or text message.

Finish a family project, like designing a flyer or creating a video.

Learn something new on an app or website.

Conclusion

By exploring new tools, working on projects, and practicing online safety, you’re not only developing valuable skills but also fostering connection and learning that benefits the whole family.

Start small, stay curious, and remember: every click, tap, and search is a step toward a brighter, more confident future for you and your family.

Resources:

PBS Learning Media: This site has a great variety of educational material for all age groups.

http://bit.ly/4fAXjzq

PBS Kids: Educational games, activities, and videos for the younger members of the family

https://pbskids.org/

Scratch Jr: An educational app for young children that teaches them about coding. Can be downloaded on Android or Apple devices

https://www.scratchjr.org/

Kahoot: An online game site that engages users in quizzes about different topics. A great resources for a family game night.

https://kahoot.com/

Factile: A fun jeopardy style game that would be a fun game night for families.

https://www.playfactile.com/

This week for National Family Literacy Month we are going to look at everyday opportunities for family literacy. When we think of family literacy we often envision bedtime stories and library trips. But family literacy encompasses all aspects of literacy such as math literacy and digital literacy to name a few!

Literacy can be woven into everyday activities—cooking, talking, singing, and even running errands—all of which help build vocabulary and develop essential language skills. Not only does this build literacy for our students’ families but also helps students build their literacy skills and reach their goals. Here are some easy and fun ways to show students how to turn ordinary moments into literacy-building experiences.

1.Everyday Errands as Literacy Lesson

At the Grocery Store: Grocery shopping offers endless opportunities to teach new words. Talk about the names of fruits, vegetables, and other items, and let your child help with the list. They can practice reading labels, counting items, or learning about prices.
Running Errands: Point out and read signs, directions, and labels you see while you’re out. This teaches children that words are all around us, and it helps them understand the practical purposes of reading.

2. Cooking Together

Follow a Recipe: Cooking with kids introduces them to sequencing, instructions, and measurement. Reading a recipe together helps with reading comprehension and vocabulary. Younger kids can help mix or pour, while older kids can practice reading ingredients aloud or measuring amounts.
Talk About Ingredients and Techniques: Describe the ingredients, textures, and flavors as you cook. Words like “whisk,” “simmer,” and “chop” build vocabulary while making cooking an interactive, language-rich experience.

3. Using Songs and Rhymes

Sing Together: Songs and rhymes help children hear the sounds of words, which is an important skill for reading. Singing also helps kids remember new words more easily and introduces them to rhythm and patterns in language.
Make-Up Rhymes: Simple rhyming games are a fun way to practice language. Try coming up with rhyming words together or make a game of thinking of words that start with the same sound.

4. Describe Daily Routines and Activities

Talk About the Day: Describing what you’re doing helps children learn new words and concepts. For example, as you fold laundry, talk about colors, clothing items, and sizes. While driving, describe the scenery or ask them to tell you what they see.
Reflect on the Day: At bedtime or dinner, ask your child to talk about their favorite part of the day or something interesting they learned. This builds conversational skills and helps them learn to express their thoughts and emotions.

5. Use Art and Drawing as Story Starters

Create a Story Together: After your child finishes a drawing, ask them to tell a story about it. Who are the characters? What’s happening in the picture? This creative activity helps children practice narrative skills and use their imagination.
Label Drawings: Helping children label their drawings with simple words is a great learning opportunity. For example, if they’ve drawn a house, you might add words like “roof,” “door,” and “window.” This teaches them that words connect to the world around them.

6. Make Use of Digital Tools and Media

Educational Apps and Shows: Many apps and shows encourage literacy skills, especially those that teach words, sounds, or basic reading concepts. Watching these together allows you to discuss what they’re learning and connect it to everyday life. There are even free storytime videos available for the whole family to enjoy!
Listen to Audiobooks or Podcasts: For kids who enjoy stories but don’t yet read on their own, audiobooks and children’s podcasts can be a great alternative. Listening to stories helps build vocabulary, comprehension, and listening skills.

Resources

Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy: A great resource for families with free digital books, parent guides, and online story times.

https://www.barbarabush.org/family-resources/

New York Public Schools: This link provides free printables such as flashcards and book discussion bingo.

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/literacy/literacy-resources-for-families

DREME: Development and Research in Early Math Education: Fantastic resources for games and activities families can use to encourage math literacy. Has print-out instructions and activity guides.

https://familymath.stanford.edu/activities/games-play/

Approximately 37 percent of Arkansans struggle with the skills necessary to understand and use health information to make critical care decisions. As healthcare information is increasingly digitized students need strong digital skills to access, understand, and act on health information. Here’s how digital literacy impacts health literacy for students and why it’s essential in the modern healthcare landscape.

Accessing Health Information

One of the primary ways digital literacy influences health literacy is through access to information. Health-related content is widely available online, from medical websites to patient portals and wellness apps. Students with solid digital literacy skills are better equipped to:

Find reliable health information online.
Use search engines effectively to discover answers to health questions.
Navigate healthcare provider websites and patient portals for appointments, test results, and medication information.

These skills are necessary for students to experience crucial updates, be able to schedule appointments and communicate with healthcare providers.

Understanding Health Information

Being able to access online health resources is just the first step. Digital literacy also impacts how well students understand the information they find. Health content can be complex and often filled with medical jargon. Students with strong digital literacy are better able to:

Use tools like online dictionaries or search engines to clarify unfamiliar terms.
Recognize the credibility of health sources by evaluating website authority, authorship, and evidence backing claims.
Access multimedia resources, such as videos or infographics, which can help explain complicated health issues more clearly.

Without these skills, students may misinterpret their symptoms, leading to misinformed decisions about treatments or medications.

Communicating with Healthcare Providers

Digital literacy enhances communication with healthcare providers. Students comfortable with technology can use telehealth platforms to consult with doctors, access online health records, or engage in real-time discussions via patient portals. They can also:

Send emails or messages to ask healthcare questions.
Use video conferencing tools to attend remote health consultations.
Fill out online forms before appointments, saving time and ensuring accurate data sharing.

These capabilities empower students to take a more active role in managing their healthcare and ensuring they get the help they need when they need it.

Making Informed Health Decisions

Informed decision-making is key to good health, and digital literacy supports this process by providing access to a wealth of evidence-based resources. Students with the skills to research online, compare treatment options, and even review patient testimonials can make more informed choices about their health. They can also:

Download and use health apps to track symptoms, medication, and exercise.
Read reviews of healthcare providers or facilities.
Participate in online support groups or forums to connect with others facing similar health challenges.

The ability to evaluate digital health tools and content ensures that students can find personalized health solutions.

Resources

Wisconsin Literacy: A fantastic list of resources, handouts, and curriculum centered around basic digital literacy skills and offers some resources in a variety of languages for ESL students.

https://wisconsinliteracy.org/resources/resources/digital-literacy.html

Florida Literacy Coalition: an online interactive video lesson on digital health literacy.

https://floridaliteracy.org/digital-health-literacy/presentation_html5.html

National Library of Medicine: While this resource is aimed at public libraries there are still plenty of fantastic resources for our students. Includes printable handouts for how students can identify reliable health resources, posters for digital health literacy skills, and additional educational resources to use in lessons.

https://allofus.nnlm.gov/digital-health-literacy

Digital Literacy for Adult Learners

In our technology-driven world, digital literacy is essential for adult learners. Understanding the basics can help adults navigate digital environments confidently, improve job prospects, and stay connected. Here are the key components of digital literacy for adult learners:

1. Technical Proficiency

Basic Computer Skills:

Operating Systems: Understanding how to use Windows, macOS, or Linux.
Software Applications: Familiarity with word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation software (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google Workspace).

Internet Navigation:

Web Browsers: Using browsers like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
Search Engines: Effective use of search engines like Google to find information.

2. Information Literacy

Finding Information:

Search Techniques: Using keywords and search operators to find relevant information.
Reliable Sources: Identifying credible websites and sources of information.

Evaluating Information:

Source Credibility: Assessing the reliability and bias of sources.
Fact-Checking: Verifying information using multiple trusted sources.

3. Media Literacy

Understanding Media:

Media Types: Differentiating between types of media (news articles, blogs, videos, etc.).
Media Bias: Recognizing bias and perspective in media content.

Creating Media:

Content Creation: Basic skills in creating digital content, such as writing blogs, making videos, or designing graphics.
Responsible Sharing: Understanding the impact of sharing content and the importance of crediting original sources.

4. Communication Skills

Digital Communication:

Email: Using email for professional and personal communication.
Messaging Apps: Using platforms like WhatsApp, Slack, or Teams for instant communication.

Online Etiquette:

Netiquette: Understanding and practicing respectful online behavior.
Professional Communication: Crafting professional emails and messages.

5. Online Safety and Security

Protecting Personal Information:

Privacy Settings: Managing privacy settings on social media and other platforms.
Data Protection: Understanding how to protect personal information online.

Cybersecurity Basics:

Strong Passwords: Creating and managing strong passwords.
Recognizing Threats: Identifying phishing emails, malware, and other online threats.

6. Practical Applications

Digital Transactions:

Online Banking: Using online banking services securely.
E-Commerce: Shopping online safely and understanding digital payments.

Health and Wellness:

Telehealth: Accessing healthcare services online.
Fitness Apps: Using apps for health tracking and fitness.

Conclusion

Digital literacy is a vital skill set for adult learners. By mastering these basics, adults can improve their personal and professional lives, stay connected, and navigate the digital world with confidence. Whether for job advancement, personal growth, or staying in touch with loved ones, digital literacy opens up a world of possibilities.

Cole Turner’s journey to literacy and employment is a testament to determination and support. Despite facing learning disabilities, Cole, 27, took a significant step by walking three miles to the Ozark Foothills Literacy Project (OFLP) seeking help. Cole had graduated high school but did not have the reading and writing skills needed to pursue his goals and dreams. He approached OFLP for assistance in passing his written driver’s exam and finding employment.

Enrolling in the WAGE Burlington English program, Cole embarked on lessons to build his literacy and career skills. His dedication paid off when he landed a part-time job at a local steak restaurant.

With continued support from OFLP, Cole eventually passed his written driving exam, celebrating with exuberance and immediately sharing the news with loved ones. Buoyed by this success, he pursued further opportunities, securing a full-time night shift position at a local poultry processing company.

Despite his increased responsibilities, Cole remains committed to improving his literacy skills through the WAGE Burlington English program. His journey has inspired others, including a friend referred to OFLP for similar assistance.

Cole’s story demonstrates the transformative power of education and support. With each milestone, he moves closer to realizing his full potential, promising more successes not only for himself but also for his family and community.

It’s no secret learning a second language is an amazing feat! However, it can be intimidating to speak a new language out loud. Many ESL students struggle to gain confidence in practicing their speaking skills. This week we are discussing how to empower ESL students to find their voice!

Use Icebreakers and Warm-up Activities: Start each lesson with engaging icebreakers or warm-up activities that encourage speaking in a relaxed setting. This helps students loosen up and build confidence.

Provide Discussion Prompts: These can be worked into a lesson or used as an ice breaker! If your teaching a small class it’s great to pair students up or to have a discussion as a class.
Role-Playing: Use role-playing activities to simulate real-life situations where students need to communicate in English. This could include scenarios like ordering food in a restaurant, making a phone call, or asking for directions.
Utilize Visual Aids: Incorporate visual aids such as pictures, diagrams, or videos to support speaking activities. Visuals can help students understand concepts more easily and provide context for discussions.
Offer Feedback and Correction: Provide constructive feedback on students’ speaking skills, focusing on both accuracy and fluency. Encourage self-correction and peer correction to help students learn from their mistakes.
Set Speaking Goals: Setting smaller goals is a great way to encourage students and build their confidence. It can be something as small and simple as ordering at a restaurant or asking someone for directions.
Encourage Speaking Outside the Classroom: Encourage students to practice speaking English outside of class. Using a language app like Duolingo or Mango, reading English out loud, or finding a conversation partner are just a few ways students can level up their speaking skills!

Check out our YouTube Video for Icebreaker and Warm-Up Activity ideas!

Summer is around the corner and that means school will be out soon! What does that mean for the work we do as literacy councils and the students we serve? It means it’s time to break out the sunblock and do our part to combat the Summer Slide.

What is the Summer Slide?

The Summer Slide is a term that was coined to describe the growing concern over the potential loss of skills children face over the summer break, particularly with math and reading skills.

What does Summer Slide have to do with Adult Learning and ESL?

The family that learns together, grows together! Many of our students have children or are part of extended families with children. By engaging our students and their whole family we are building a strong foundation not just to cement our students’ skills but also their whole families knowledge and skills! We are empowering our students to become advocates for their children’s education and literacy.

How can I help?

Use the discussion of the Summer Slide as a possible lesson for a future session with your students. Let them know about the resources available online and locally through the library. Many libraries have summer programs for families and reading programs for kids of all ages. Encouraging students to read to their children is a way to combat the Summer Slide and help students work on their own goals and literacy!

Online Resources

Here are some links to different ideas and resources to share with students and their families to help stop the Summer Slide!

Literacy Now:

Summer Slide Parent Resources

AR Kids Read:

Summer Program

Mayo Clinic Health Systems:

https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/tips-for-preventing-summer-slide

PBS Learning Media:

https://kera.pbslearningmedia.org/

The Adult Learning Alliance of Arkansas has been working with local literacy councils across the state to continue raising awareness around adult literacy and its impact on our state.

In just about every area of our society, the COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible mark. This has been especially true for organizations and institutions that primarily serve their populations in person, such as education. Teachers, administrators, students, and parents all over have struggled to keep up with all the new and ever-changing policies and procedures. When we read the headlines, the focus is often on K-12 and higher education institutions and understandably so. However, a community of learners that are routinely left out of the conversation are adult learners.

Local literacy councils have been faced with the unique challenge of figuring out ways to continue supporting their students. These students rarely fit neatly into any one specific demographic. These students are individuals that never finished high school or if they did, still weren’t well equipped to fully participate in society. These students are immigrants from countries all over the world, many of whom were academically successful in their home countries, but now in the U.S. are finding it difficult to learn a new language. Some are young. Some are old. Despite these differences, the councils have worked hard to meet their needs.

Thankfully, not only have the majority of literacy councils continued to find creative solutions to serve their populations, new councils have been established to serve previously unserved populations. In addition, the Adult Learning Alliance of Arkansas Board of Directors, and its Executive Director, Nancy Leonhardt, has been working to devise new methods to keep students and tutors engaged. This work led the Board Legislative Committee to create an essay contest for both groups with cash prizes.

The prompt, “What Adult Literacy Means to Me,” was shared with the local councils to share with both students and tutors. The response from the councils was great! Both groups shared their responses, which served as a reminder of how valuable these local councils are to their communities that they serve. One student, Liping Zeng, wrote about how the services provided, helped her to be able to take care of some of the routine everyday tasks that we often take for granted.

“My English was limited when I arrived in Little Rock. For example, it was hard for me to make an appointment to visit the hospital” wrote Liping, who moved to the U.S. from China. “[Now] I can call the internet company to cancel my unreasonable bill. I don’t need a translator to help me when I see a doctor. I can help my kids do their homework and communicate with their teachers.”

Adult Learning Alliance is proud to support our local councils because these are the amazing results that are happening there each day. We are even more proud to be able to provide another opportunity for the students and their teachers to tell their unique stories.

Congratulations to the following essay winners:

Student Winners:
First place: Liping Zeng, Literacy Action of Central Arkansas – Little Rock
Second place: Luis Cervantes, Literacy Action of Central Arkansas – Little Rock
Third place: Christine Preszler, Twin Lakes Literacy Council

Tutor Winners:
First place: Hawke Davidson, Literacy Action of Central Arkansas – Faulkner County
Second place: Neely Caudle, Literacy Action of Central Arkansas – Faulkner County

AmeriCorps was founded in 1993 to provide opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities. Programs include AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA, National Civilian Community Corps, FEMA Corps, and Senior Corps. The mission of AmeriCorps is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.

October 1, ALA began our 19th year as an AmeriCorps program. Arkansas Reads has been providing members to literacy councils to tutor, train, and recruit students and tutors to their programs. For many councils, their members have allowed the council to keep the door open. In total, approximately 620 members have served in the Arkansas Reads program.

This year, 20 members will serve at Literacy Action of Central Arkansas (Little Rock and Conway), Ozark Literacy Council (Fayetteville), Literacy Council of Western Arkansas (Fort Smith), River Valley Adult Learning Alliance (Dardanelle), Literacy Council of Bowie & Miller Counties (Texarkana), and the Literacy Council of Garland County (Hot Springs).

Belinda Sanders, ALA Program Director, has directed the program for the last 13 years. Recently, Belinda shared her thoughts on the Arkansas Reads Program: “The last 13 years has been a rewarding experience in a number of ways. The sheer fact that we have had some really awesome AmeriCorps members, whom I have had the opportunity to watch grow and flourish, is worth more than gold to me! Another reason is that I have gotten to see lives changed, communities made better and “helping your neighbor” by any means necessary really being carried out. Through the combined efforts of our local literacy councils and AmeriCorps members, the needs of the students they serve goes way beyond the tutoring they are receiving.”

Our site supervisors, typically a staff person at each council, provide oversight and mentorship to their members. They train them in the areas of adult tutoring, outreach, training, and life skills. Providing members with skills and knowledge to use in their future education and career. What has been exciting for ALA is when a member has completed their term with Arkansas Reads and moved on to become literacy council staff, in most cases, the Executive Director.

We are thankful to EngageAR, our funding partner, for their continued support of the Arkansas Reads program. Together, we are helping community based literacy councils, around the state, provide the necessary help they need to serve adult learners in their communities.

I just returned from an AmeriCorps conference in Little Rock sponsored by Arkansas Reads-Adult Learning Alliance (ALA). The conference lasted two days, packed with information. The first session, presented by ALA leaders, helped us get to know one another, and then got right on with information we need, some we already knew, and some new directives. We focused on program measures, data collection, and getting things done. All completed by lunchtime.

After lunch, we enjoyed a presentation on soft skills by Kim Freeman. Many of these were things we all knew, but had not considered as job skills. They included such things as punctuality, personal hygiene, courtesy, consideration of our co-workers, respect toward our supervisors, and loyalty to our employers. These were all considered skills to help one get a job, and skills needed to retain a job once they are hired. This finished day one and left us with plenty to talk about between ourselves.

Day 2 began with a bang! Jamal Williams of Engage-Arkansas came in and spoke about using social media in recruiting and in spreading the word about who we are and what we do. He is an effervescent speaker. We discussed types of social media available, and the problems and advantages of each one. It was a lively exchange of ideas and experiences.

The second speaker for that morning was Jerry Wilson of the Enterprise Financial Group. He led a lively discussion on public speaking. He brought out that public speaking is the #1 fear of most people. He had us all tell our neighbor a story about a pivotal moment in our own lives. He reminded us to tell it like a story with details that would make it more memorable and more engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation. I am not afraid to speak to groups, but I can remember a time when it was a serious problem. He suggested things to do to overcome that fear.

We continued with one of our best presenters, Amanda Dolan. Amanda shared with us about “Our House”. I had never heard of Our House before and I am so pleased to know that it does exist. It is a homeless shelter, which offers such services as a place to stay short term, food to eat, childcare, medical care, and training to help people get a job and become productive citizens.

Amanda then led a thorough discussion of the education awards that available to AmeriCorps members after each year of service. We were able to ask many questions, and now I have a good idea about how to access the grants and what to expect from them; this includes the tax situation, the amount of time we have to use them, and even the ability to better handle student loans.

I found this to be one of the best conferences I have attended since I joined AmeriCorps a year ago!

By Mary (Penny) Rowe
Arkansas Reads AmeriCorps Member 2019-2020