Caroline Appleton

Nine year old Caroline is very proud of her father, Dale. Dale Appleton is getting the help he needs to learn to read and he credits his daughter, Caroline for getting him to seek out a literacy tutor.

Caroline explains, "There was never very much reading in my house. We never got the newspaper or any magazines. We didn't ever go to the library or a bookstore because all that stuff reminded Daddy that he couldn't read." As a result, Caroline herself has been a marginal reader.

There was a time when Caroline's father tried to hide the fact that he could not read from his family, friends and co-workers. But as Caroline grew older and her homework became more complex, Dale was no longer able to fake his way through helping his daughter with her school work.

"My mom and I are both glad Daddy's not playing 'make-believe' and 'let's pretend to read' anymore," Caroline says. She has found that being supportive can help her improve her own reading skills as well as her father's. Now, homework time is father/daughter time. Caroline helps her Dad with his homework and he helps her with hers. And when the assignment challenges their skills, Dale turns to his literacy tutor for assistance. Caroline is proud and happy that her family is breaking the intergenerational cycle of illiteracy.

Caroline is featured in The Kids on the Block Program on Family Literacy.