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Stockton Record
Literacy Letdown
Stockton gets a failing grade in national survey on reading
JENNIFER TORRES
Record Staff Writer
Published Monday, Dec 26, 2005

STOCKTON -- A recent read on Stockton's bookishness suggests it's a surprise you're even skimming this.

The America's Most Literate Cities study, published recently by Central Connecticut State University, considers not whether residents of the nation's largest cities can read, but whether they do.

And Stockton, in its debut appearance on the annual survey, ranked last for literacy among the 69 U.S. cities with populations of 250,000 or higher.

The last-place finish isn't great, reading authorities in the city said, but it isn't the last word on Stockton literacy.

The Central Connecticut State University survey rates cities' literacy using six factors:
· Newspaper circulation.
· Internet resources and use.
· Magazines and journals published.
· Number of booksellers.
· Adult educational attainment.
· Library resources and use.

Stockton rankings

The America's Most Literate Cities study ranked 69 U.S. cities with populations of 250,000 or more on six factors. Stockton ranked last overall for literacy and low in all subcategories.
• Internet resources
and use: 51
• Newspaper circulation: 61.5 (tied with San Antonio)
• Adult educational
attainment: 66
• Number of
booksellers: 67
• Library resources
and use: 67
• Magazine/journal
publishing: 69


For 2005, Seattle ranked No. 1. San Francisco, at No. 5, was the only California city in the top 10. The lone category in which Stockton cracked the top 55 was the Internet, at 51.

Nonetheless, Stockton is a community that cares about literacy, King Elementary School reading specialist Jana Brooks said, praising events such as San Joaquin County Reads Week and the annual Rotary Read-In.

"Those are great things," Brooks said. "We just need more of things like that, especially in Stockton."

Students in the city, she said, could use better school libraries, more access to books and increased parent involvement when it comes to reading them.

Children who dislike books often are reluctant because they're poor readers, Brooks said. The cure? More reading.

"Just practice reading," she said. "I know parents don't like to hear that. But research shows that if you read 30 minutes every night, it improves your reading ability, which improves your grades."
Stagg High School sophomore Johnathan Miller said he wasn't an enthusiastic reader until about two years ago.

"My auntie, she reads a lot of books, and she gave me this book and said, 'Here, read this,' " said Miller, 15. "It started getting really interesting. And then it was like I just had to read more books."

According to federal statistics, the Stockton-San Joaquin Public Library system has about 1 million books. The system checks out about 2.1 million books and other materials every year, or about 1.8 books per person. The Seattle Public Library has a per capita circulation of 3.24.

"Our library usage is increasing," said Peaches Ehrich, supervising librarian for literacy services for the ­Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library. "Circulation is improving, demand for library services is increasing. … Every year, we look at all library services, and we set goals and try to reach them."

The library offers a range of programs aimed at boosting literacy, Ehrich said, including the free adult-literacy program, which helps people 16 and older; and Families Reading Together, which teaches parents how to select books for children and start family libraries.

Stockton will be a stronger reading community as more parents model enthusiastic reading, she said.

"Parents who read tend to have children who read," she said. "You want your child to catch you reading. Read together. And turn off the television."

Stockton mother Adina Russey perused a magazine last week while her 6-year-old daughter listened eagerly to a Margaret K. Troke Branch Library story-time presentation, and her 11-year-old son looked for books to take home.

"I read to them nightly," Russey said, explaining how she encourages her children to read. "And I show by example: I'm always reading something."

So far, it's working, she said, noting that her son, Jimmy Lockhart, earned an award last year for being the most-prolific reader in his fourth-grade class.

Jimmy, now a fifth-grader at Lincoln Elementary School, nodded. "I read a hecka lot of books," he said. "It brings me to another world. It's cool."
Contact reporter Jennifer Torres at (209) 546-8252 or jtorres@recordnet.com

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