To the editor:

I loved the article “Writing more important than ever” by Gene A. Budig and Alan Heaps. They are right on in discussing the power of the written word. Wars are caused by it, treaties are signed with it, and libraries fill the bookshelves with it. Yet it irritates me when I see ads that abuse grammar.

I once attended a book fair where there were misspellings in a handout I saw. I’ve read articles saying things like “there are less people shopping this year than in the past.” Some blogs kill the English language, and I have to wonder if those bloggers proofread their messages.

According to Budig and Heaps the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) says only 24 percent of 12th-graders were graded as either advanced or proficient. This is a bleak statistic, and the challenge for us will be to encourage children to read at an early age and put their thoughts down on paper.

If you’re seeking volunteer work, you might consider helping children learn to read or write better. The Breakfast Optimist Club, for instance, helps children read at New York School and gives away free dictionaries to every fourth-grader in every school in Lawrence. You can also volunteer to assist teachers who would appreciate helping children develop their writing skills. I personally get a lot of pleasure in watching children’s eyes light up when I inform them they spelled a big word correctly or that they’ve written an interesting story.