Sue Scheff: Kids Who Hide Their Illiteracy
Source: Connect with Kids Kids Who Hide Their Illiteracy “You always found a way to get out of it, and you got further and further behind 'cause you weren't understanding what you were reading.” – Chad, 18 years old One in 7 American ... 32 million ... can't read according to a new study released by the U.S. Department of Education. And some among those millions are hiding their illiteracy from their family, friends and their teachers. They can't read, but they're brilliant at keeping it a secret. Chad, 18, was one of them. He remembers the embarrassment he felt in the 5th grade. "When I had to stand up in front of class or read out loud, for like, English, I couldn't do it," he says. Chad was reading at a 2nd grade level. Yet, year after year, he was promoted to the next grade. How did he do it? "[I] kind of, like, disappeared," he explains. "Went into the corner, I always kept my head down when we had to read." Experts say kids ar...