CAIRO, Ill. -- More than 40 percent of Illinoisans have difficulty with reading and math skills.

Larry White would like to improve on those numbers.

White is director of the Regional Adult Education Center at Cairo, which offers literacy training in the lower five counties of Southern Illinois.

The center recently received a state grant to provide educational programs for adults in Alexander, Union, Massac, Johnson and Pulaski counties.

The $46,500 grant is administered by Dr. Andrea Brown, regional superintendent of schools headquartered at Shawnee Community College near Ullin.

A total of $5.9 million in grants were issued last week to advance adult literacy efforts throughout the state.

The grants were awarded in three categories -- community programs that rely on volunteer tutors to help adults; workplace programs, which help employees upgrade their skills to adjust to changing work environments; and family programs that help adults and at-risk children of the same family to learn to read together.

"Our grant was a community grant," said White. "It is designed to help people 16 years of age or older who are not in school and who are `functionally illiterate.'"

"Functionally illiterate" is described as adults whose reading or math capabilities are below the 9th grade level.

"Many people come to us to earn a GED," said White. "Before they can enter the GED program, they have to read above the 9th grade level."

Secretary of State George Ryan toured a number of areas in the state -- including Southern Illinois -- to announce and distribute the grants last week.

A recent study indicated that more than 40 percent of the 11.5 million people in Illinois have difficulty in reading and math, said Ryan.

Studies indicate that adults who complete literacy training find better jobs, graduate from high school and/or college and serve as good role models for their children.

Every year the state Legislature allocates aboaut $6 million to help elevate the literacy skills of adults in Illinois, said Ryan. "We have an extensive network of people who work together to make sure their neighbors get ahead."

For fiscal year 1997, the bulk of the state funding -- $4.9 million -- is allocated to 110 community programs. Sixty workplace programs received a total of $488,500 in grants and 20 family programs will share $483,497.

Belleville Junior College of Belleville shared in all three grants -- $63,000 for community programs, $8,000 for workplace programs and $24,000 for family programs.

Two community colleges, John A. Logan at Carterville and Kaskaskia College at Centralia, each received $69,000 for community programs. Rend Lake College at Ina received $43,500 for community programs.

St. Ann's Healthcare Center at Chester received $7,4476 for a workplace program.

Ryan estimated that this office will be able to triple the amount of money earmarked for family literacy efforts through his new "Educate and Automate" Program. This initiative will generate an extra $1 million in funds for literacy through small increases in fees his office charges businesses.

Family literacy programs are successful in helping adults learn to read and at keeping their children focused on staying in school, said Ryan. "The adults and children motivate each other to success."

This year, funding was available for only 34 percent of the programs which applied for grants. "Educate and Automate" will allow the state to expand the reach of these programs next year, Ryan said.