Indy Reads promotes adult literacy

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The future superintendent of Public Instruction, Glenda Ritz, says she will put a new emphasis on reading this year. Ritz says reading is essential for Hoosier students.

But adult literacy is also a problem. That's why one organization works everyday to create its own success stories.

It's easy to imagine how reading problems limit the opportunities for adults. But when those adults are parents who do not read, they may be laying the foundation for the failure of another generation.

"When parent don't read, that's a big red flag that a kid will struggle in school, "Travis DiNicola with Indy Reads says.

DiNicola's Indy Reads store is part of a campaign to improve the reading ability of Hoosier children and adults.

"I've seen studies that have shown that in a middle income household, there is going to be about 14 books that are age-appropriate for each kid in the household. You go to a low-income neighborhood and you're looking at sometimes, as many as one book for every 350 kids," he says.

The store sells used books to help pay for the training that made a reader of Sue Ward.

She says she hid her limitations for years. But today, judging by her comfort around microphones, she's not hiding that these things mean to her now.

"I've come a mighty long way and it's been a blessing to be able to go to the store and I can read the labels, or I can go pick up a newspaper and be able to the newspaper or read a book or something now.  It's been a real blessing to be able to do that," Ward says.

Sue didn't do it alone, of course. Tutors are essential to Indy Reads' success.

And thanks to the spirit of tutors, Indy Reads expects to help a record number of adults become readers this year. The organization says they are on track to help 1,300 adults this year, and that would be a record.

Indy Reads currently has 25 students on a waiting list until more tutors are available to help them learn.