Guns Down: Literacy Up: Teens, Literacy, & Violence - Day 15

Dear Prep,

We will continue to work on developing a new youth movement. A possible title is Guns Down: Words Up based on your suggestions. I am looking forward to working with you to address two critically important issues - gun violence and literacy.

Disastrous Literacy Statistics

2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare: We must address this!

More than 60% of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate: We must address this!


Over 70% of inmates in America's prisons cannot read above a 4th-grade level: We must address this!

Kids’ Education Matter

What I learned today is children that have a hard time reading is most likely in risk of becoming a criminal when they get older. By the 4^th grade if you child isn’t reading at a high reading level him/her can have a bad out come in life in the texts it says “ 2 out of 3 students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4^th grade will end up in jail or on welfare.” 85 percent of juveniles who interface with the court system is most likely illiterate. 10 percent of African American boys and 14 percent of Hispanic boys reading proficiently, compared to the 25 percent of white peers. I think kids not being able to read is the reason they get incarcerated or live in poverty or live off welfare, It’s the lack of help and support the people around them give them because kids are easily trained and if you want your child doing good do good yourself even though that’s not always the outcome but it’s worth a try.  Kids gang bang, fight, shoot guns because that’s what they evolved around so that’s what they get into. Set a good influence on your child and good outcomes will eventually start to happen either now or later.

EJ

                                       Teenagers, Literacy, Violence

Thing’s I have learned today about teenagers, literacy, & violence is very important when learned about it today gun violence is a part of a vicious cycle of inequality in the U.S. Young black men, to escape poverty and violence. There are a large population of killing going on in the U.S. Literacy that is very important also. 85% of juveniles who interface with court system are functionally illiterate. It shows that only 34% of 4^th graders read proficiently, 14% for African-American boys & 18% for Hispanic boys, while 42% of white boys score proficient.  What I think about this we need help out all. People be ready to kill but can’t read. We need to Change the percentage on that killing percentage is higher than people knowing how to read percentage. To my opinion we need to start putting guns down and picking up books and going to school. Why those Teenagers, Literacy, and Violence matters because this is what people talk about on the news is teens and violence. What we see in school teen can’t read also jails as well. This very in a way to because I didn’t know we need to make a Change.

LS

                                  Teenage violence and Race       

In these four articles I read, I learned about the percentage of teenagers reading proficiently, literacy and violence. In the article guns and race I learned about the percentages of suicides and homicides in different races. 77 percent of white gun deaths are suicides. Less than one in five 19 percent is a homicide. The black population is completely different where only 14 percent of gun deaths are suicides but 82 percent are homicides. Firearm homicide rate among black aged 20-29 is about 89 per 100,000. There were 90.4 intentional murders per 100,000 people is 2012. In the article literacy statistics I learned 2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4^th grade will end up in jail or in welfare. I also learned 85 percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate. Another thing I learned more than 60 percent of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate. I learned penal institution records show that inmate have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help, as opposed to 70% who receive no help. In the article black Boys in crisis I learned, 53 percent of children ages 3 to 5 are read to every day by a family member. I also learned 10 percent of 8^th graders that are black in the U.S. are proficient in reading. In urban areas like Chicago and Detroit, that number is even lower. In the article For Immediate Release I learned, 10 percent of African-American boys and 14 percent of Hispanic boys reading proficiently, compared to 25 percent of their white peers. I also learned Foundations have already committed $150 million toward programs helping young men of color reach their full potential in school, work and life. We need to intervene early in their lives and ensure that they achieve and critical milestone on grade level by the end of the third grade. In my opinion we need to make significant changes to these horrible percentages before its too late or gets any worse. We need to better our children and teenagers to make peaceful, and successful futures.

JN