The Illiterate Epidemic ▬ Medium.com

The Illiterate Epidemic

Illiterate Epidemic

Medium.com: 3.15.2021 by Rebecca Graf

There are so many things we take for granted. We take things for granted as individuals and as a society. Everyone is on the same page, or at least that is what we think. One area specifically we make assumptions in is reading.

Society assumes that all adults has [sic] basic reading skills. The only exceptions we understand and accept are when the adult has a different language as their mother tongue and struggle with the local language. But nearly half of the adults in America barely have basic reading ability. — “Forty-three percent of adults read at or below the “Basic” level. This accounts for roughly 93 million individuals” (NAAL, 2003). What is called “basic” is not as common as society thinks.

What is Illiteracy

Per Webster, illiteracy is “the state of not knowing how to read or write; the state of not having knowledge about a particular subject; a mistake that is made in the use of language: an illiterate statement or expression”. It can be pulled from this that there are various degrees of illiteracy. It is not just a matter of not being able to read. True illiteracy goes beyond that.

It all comes down to being able to read and communicate with the majority of society. That’s where the fork in the road develops in the idea of literacy. Reading enough to navigate driving down city streets and traversing the hospital hallway is one thing. Having the ability to read instructions, contracts, and news articles is a whole different level of literacy that is vital for continued advancement of our society.

Defining Basic

I found a great explanation of basic reading skills that I’ll sum up for you.

The Cause

What is causing such a high number of Americans to be unable to have basic reading skills in their adult years? It just might be a combination of factors.

➧ Families. When the family doesn’t read, the child typically doesn’t read. 🔽

➧ School Systems. Sad to say it, but our school systems are a big reason there is an illiteracy epidemic. 🔽

➧ Society. In our world, those who are unable to read well are looked down on and mocked. Adults who cannot read are ashamed. 🔽

How to Fight It

There are several ways to fight this epidemic. One is to read and be an example. Another is to encourage reading by sharing books, donating money, or volunteering your time to help others improve their reading and comprehension abilities.

Check out places like

BOOK AID INTERNATIONAL, 

WORLD LITERACY FOUNDATION, 

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL,

and NATIONAL CENTER FOR FAMILIES LEARNING.

These are just a few of the literacy organizations out there fighting for this cause. Let’s do what we can to help them.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)