Did you make New Year’s resolutions this year? Are you going to lose weight? Get a new job? Read more? Improve your finances? All are admirable goals, but will you keep them?
According to Forbes, you won’t. Just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s Resolutions. 80% of resolutions fail by February. There are many reasons why people fail to reach their goals. For instance, they may set too many goals, or they get derailed, or they set very ambitious goals with no plan to achieve them.
When adults come to The READ Center to improve their literacy skills, they set goals for what they want to achieve. These goals are central to instruction. Student goals are broken down into attainable pieces so that READ students have a clear path to reach them. In the fall 2019 semester, students achieved 138 goals. They included:
- Getting new or better jobs
- Getting a driver’s license
- Reading to children or grandchildren
- Improving digital literacy
- Gaining confidence and self-esteem
- Learning computer skills
- Improving financial literacy
- And so much more!
It is hard work to learn to read as an adult and requires perseverance and commitment. It takes 100-150 hours of instruction on average to make one grade-level gain. At The READ Center, we break goals into achievable parts, stay on track through support and encouragement, and celebrate every achievement– big and small! As a result, we keep our goals and resolutions at The READ Center. Will you be able to keep yours in 2020? Good luck!
The READ Center wishes you and yours a very Happy New Year!
The READ Center is changing lives through adult literacy. For more information on how you can get involved with the READ Center, consider volunteering as a tutor or donating. If you or someone you know would like more information about joining our classes, learn how to become a student or call 804-288-9930.
