According to the Laubauch Literacy Action group, 50 per cent of American adults cannot read an eighth-grade level book. Furthermore, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that in 2003, fewer than 30 per cent of fourth-graders nationwide read at a proficient level. Nearly 40 per cent cannot demonstrate basic reading skills. This national illiteracy has substantial global, economic and social repercussions. The estimated cost of illiteracy to taxpayers and businesses is $20 billion per year.

The aim of the Daily Prophet is to combat this problem by providing educators, mentors, and parents with free educational tools so that everyone can become involved in the learning process of the children under their care.

The Daily Prophet, an online newspaper for children, has been in operation since January 2000. Since then, over 200 children have volunteered in order to strengthen their creative writing skills by devoting their time to a career as a columnist for the Daily Prophet. Based around the Harry Potter books by J.K.Rowling, the children are enveloped in an environment where the characters and magical worlds they know and love come to life. The children who volunteer agree to write at least one newspaper column per week expounding on the themes of the Harry Potter books. This provides a safe and comfortable basis for their experiments in writing as they develop their skills and prepare to create characters and worlds of their own. Articles provided by the children are sent to me for editing. I in turn guide each child through the technical aspects of creative writing that are unfamiliar to them, personalizing my tutelage according to each individual's needs. While some may have difficulty with proper punctuation, others have known so little of the basics of English that I have had to explain something as simple as capitalization. In a few rare cases, children from non-English-speaking countries have volunteered in order to perfect their second language.

In addition to the development of vital communication skills, the children also benefit from early experience in a professional working environment. They must meet deadlines, work under the direction of others, accept assignments, participate with co-workers, and answer to a boss. By easing children into the workplace, this will lessen the shock most experience when entering a typical employment situation for the first time. They will be better trained and better equipped to deal with the new office environment.
(Heather Lawver)