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BEND - An expert in early childhood education will explore the problems of illiteracy in Oregon and across the nation on Monday, May 5, during the First Monday Lecture Series sponsored by Oregon State University-Cascades Campus.

Deborah Coehlo, an assistant professor of human development and family sciences at OSU - Cascades Campus, will present "Literacy in Oregon: How Literacy is Being Addressed in Oregon Schools."

The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in Hitchcock Auditorium on the Central Oregon Community College Campus. It is free and open to the public.

About 40 million adults in the United States cannot read well enough to fill out a job application, read a child's bedtime story or read food labels, experts say. The Oregon State Board of Education is trying to address this crisis in Oregon with increased literature expectations and testing for children in grades 3-12.

In her presentation, Coehlo will discuss such issues as teaching curriculums in Oregon schools, their impact on struggling readers, whether state tests address children with disabilities, concerns about teachers "teaching to the test," and other topics.

Coehlo has a doctorate in human development and family studies from OSU, and is also a certified pediatric nurse practitioner specializing in children with special needs. She is a member of the National Council on Family Relations, the National Association for Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners, and other organizations.

She has done research on care giving and mental health issues across the life span, care of children with special needs, multimedia educational programs and early childhood health and development. Coehlo is now completing work on literacy training for the Oregon Department of Education to disseminate to school districts across Oregon.