By Joey Lien and Natalie Weger
What is the Literacy Crisis?
Literacy, the ability to read and write, may seem like a commonality amongst people in the United States. However, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, 43 percent of the adults in the US are functionally illiterate. People with low-literacy skills often have trouble understanding text necessary for them to carry out daily ordinary functions. As a result, people who are unable to read and write are more likely to be unemployed, have reduced access to education, and their children are at a higher risk of illiteracy. Additionally, their low-literacy skills could have a negative impact on their health through lack of health literacy.
What Causes the Literacy Crisis?
Low literacy skills in individuals could stem from numerous causes, which may or may not be interconnected. Common causes in individuals include learning disabilities, lack of quality education and resources, poverty, and immigration. Many of the functionally illiterate people in the US come from different countries and don’t speak English as their first language. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, about 50 percent of the immigrants in the US lack high school education and proficient English language skills. Consequently, these people are more likely to become unemployed and raise children who are functionally illiterate as well.
Additionally, people living in low-income communities are more likely to be functionally illiterate. According to the results of the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) study, 47 percent of fourth graders from low-income families read below the basic level. This is because low-income families are less likely to have access to basic reading material and a quality education. Furthermore, there is a significant racial gap in low literacy skills. According to the same 2013 NAEP study, 50 percent of Black fourth graders read below the basic level, as do 47 percent of Hispanic and 49 percent of Native American fourth graders.
Why is Literacy Important?
Our modern society relies heavily on being able to read and write. Literacy is our way of communicating, educating, entertaining, and absorbing information. According to the National Council of Teachers of English, literacy rates are used to determine the prosperity of communities all around the world. They have discovered that higher literacy rates result in more successful communities.
However, illiteracy certainly does not mean incapability. Societies and individuals have survived without literary skills and being literate does not grant superiority over others. Yes, the ability to read and write would make modern lives significantly easier, but those who lack those skills are far from inferior. So, why is literacy important?
Literacy is how we form an understanding, how we see things from other perspectives and is an easier way to grow as people and a society. Through literature, we share stories, experiences, and relish in each other's imaginations in an extraordinary way. Literacy is more than just an educational tool or the analysis of Shakespeare. It is a beautiful form of self-expression and a way for people to share adventures that would otherwise be forgotten. Literacy is a way to immortalize our history, culture, hopes and dreams.
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