The Problem of Illiteracy Essay - 1550 Words

According to â€Å"The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), it has been recently estimated that 14 percent of adults in the United States have a below basic level of prose literacy. Basically what that means is that adults with this level of prose literacy range from being nonliterate in English to only being able to locate easily identifiable information in short, commonplace prose text. For example, people with below basic prose literacy would be able to find out â€Å"what a patient is allowed to drink before a medical test†, but generally couldn’t say or find â€Å"in a pamphlet for prospective jurors, an explanation of how people were selected for the jury pool.† Shockingly enough, 55 percent of those in the lowest prose-literacy group had†¦show more content†¦Despite the necessity for literacy in the large majority of careers and occupations in today’s world, there is a shortage of programs available to try and reduce the problem. Furthermore, the programs that are set up do not even reach enough people to make much of a difference since â€Å"all of the programs now in progress are reaching little more than five percent of the millions needing help† (Printing=literacy=knowledge). This shocking statistic suggests that society is disinterested and uninvolved when it comes to illiteracy. Hopefully if more of the public realizes the dire consequences of illiteracy, more programs will be created, and their efforts will be able to reach and help a much higher percentage of illiterate people. There are a number of solutions could be tried in order to better the current situation of illiteracy. One possible solution would be establishing general reading programs for adults and older children. This idea is probably the most common type of program attempted in which teenagers and adults attend special classes where they are taught to read all over again. Although many people disagree with this method claiming that the â€Å"students† are too old and their brains are not able to learn something so complex as how to read and write an entire language, many adults are capable of achieving at least part of this goal. Even a partial literacy can be useful enough to boost success in the workforce and make people applicableShow MoreRelatedIlliteracy is a Common Problem Amongst Children and Adults in the World664 Words   |  3 PagesIlliteracy is a common problem amongst children and adults. Illiteracy exists in all nations all over the world. Not having the ability to read and comprehend is a fault of the school systems. Many people assume that illiterate Americans are c oncentrated in large cities with troubled schools. Although this may be true in some cases, there are rural areas where illiteracy is often times are overlooked. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization released a study stating thatRead MoreThe Cycle Of Illiteracy And Illiteracy984 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cycle of Illiteracy Illiteracy has always been a problem in society in various ways that I believe, can only be frowned upon. Events in the past and present days emphasize the importance of basic education focusing in literacy as an essential part of our society. An experience as simple as a parent being illiterate can have a ripple effect on their children. Such as, my grandfather, who was raised in Mexico and was taught that labor to provide for his family was of higher importance thanRead MoreHow Illiteracy E. Ffects Individual People And Society As A Whole1739 Words   |  7 PagesCiara Puckett Professor Jean Schloeman English 101 15 June 2015 How illiteracy e ffects individual people and society as a whole An Estimated 27 Million Americans are considered illiterate, and another 45 million are considered marginally competent in basic skills. (Women,illiteracy,pov) An illiterate person in our society faces trials every day that are taxing, making life difficult mentally and physically. There is an overwhelming amount of research and studies that indicate that individualsRead More Illiteracy in America Essay969 Words   |  4 Pages Illiteracy in America Walking into a class room full of seniors, one might not suspect that some of the students can not read above a third grade reading level (Mcmaster). In fact one million teenagers from the ages of 12 and 17 do not have the reading ability of a third grader. Literacy among American people is important because it affects our economy greatly. Not only that but it also affects the lives of the American population. Illiteracy is a large problem within the United States thatRead MoreIlliteracy Among African Americans Essay1577 Words   |  7 PagesRunning Head: Illiteracy among African Americans Illiteracy among African Americans LaKisha Heard Marygrove College Abstract The high rate of illiteracy is a major problem in the United States. Although there have been programs and initiatives started to eradicate this problem, illiteracy still plagues millions of Americans. Out of all ethnic groups, African Americans have a higher illiteracy rate. Within this project, the causes of illiteracy are revealed and viable solutions to thisRead MoreThe Negative Impacts of Illiteracy1171 Words   |  5 PagesNations defines illiteracy as the inability to read and write a simple message in any language. Traditionally, literacy has commonly been defined as the ability to read and write at an adequate level of proficiency that is necessary for communication. More recently however, literacy has obtained several meanings, such as technological literacy, mathematical literacy, and visual literacy. Another meaning is functional literacy. Functional literacy was created as an attempt to lower illiteracy statisticsRead MoreIlliteracy : The Interior Demon1126 Words   |  5 PagesRayce B. Gibson Mrs. O’Sullivan English 2 4 September 2015 Illiteracy: The Interior Demon Imagine a young fourth grader sitting in a classroom with about twenty other children. At first, they all appear to be the same. Just a blur of average-looking students sitting at their desks with literature books opened up to page forty-five. The teacher is calling on each of the students, asking them to each read a paragraph from the selected passage. All of them are having no trouble with verbalizing theRead MoreLow Literacy Is A Prevalent Problem Among Adults1494 Words   |  6 PagesReading is a skill often taken for granted by many in today’s modern society; however, low literacy is a prevalent problem among adults in the United States with potentially devastating consequences. According to Literacy INC., â€Å"a study conducted in late April 2015 by the US Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, 32 million adults in the United States can’t read above a fifth-grade level, and 19% of high school graduates can’t read† (About U s - Literacy Inc., n.d.). ThatRead MoreEssay on Functional Illiteracy873 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is Illiteracy? An adult or adults with a reading incapacity, a lack of knowledge of a subject, and/or a error in speech or writing according to Encarta World English Dictionary is a person or persons with illiteracy. Ronald Nash the author of an on-line article entitled The Three Kinds of Illiteracy he describes the three different types of illiteracy. Nash explains in detail cultural, moral, and functional illiteracy in his article. Cultural illiteracy defined by E.D. Hirsch Jr. is toRead MoreIlliteracy Is The Main Reason For Illiteracy832 Words   |  4 Pagesgives a person awareness of problems that are taking place In the modern world. It builds up the personality and gives right direction to every person. But what about illiteracy? Illiteracy is a basic problem taking place globally, millions of people are now uneducated. In rural areas illiteracy is mostly taken place so that children could not get education and there would be more people for working in fields in low amount of money. Poverty is the main reason for illiteracy. Children that are of primary