Illiteracy in America Essay - 969 Words

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 that can be reasonably solved using different tactics. Illiteracy is detrimental to any society. First people must know what it is before the problem can be fixed. Illiteracy can be defined as the inability to read or write. Lately illiteracy†¦show more content†¦This was a faulty system because when children recognize words, sometimes they may think that a certain word has a different meaning. When this happens the mistaken meaning of the word is â€Å"ingrained† into the child’s head when the problem goes unnoticed for many years. These are only a few of the sources that cause many of the problems that come along with illiteracy. Being without the ability to read brings along many different problems. One of the most important problems is that dealing with economics. In his article to the â€Å"Vocal Point†, Mcmaster emphasizes that how illiteracy affects the nation’s economy by stating that, Americas GNP (Gross National Product) has gone down in the last few years, while the number of illiterate adults has gone up by more than two million a year and every week 44,000 adults are added to the total number of illiterates in the country. By this fact, it can be seen that there is a relation to the decline in America’s economy and the percentage of illiterate people. The ability to read affects our nations money spending as well as, â€Å"it costs an estimated $100-200 billion per year in unemployment, welfare, health care, and incarceration costs† (Sachwitz). This fact can be proven in Larry Roberts’ article saying that 44 million out of the 191 million adults in America do not have the ability to fill out a jobShow MoreRelatedIlliteracy in America3214 Words   |  13 PagesAmerica, the most technologically advanced and affluent of all nations on the earth, seems to have an increasingly larger illiteracy rate every year. This has become and continues to be a critical problem throughout our society as we know it. According to the National Adult Literacy survey, 42 million adult Americans cant read; 50 million are limited to a 4th or 5th grade reading level; one in every four teenagers drops ou t of high school, and of the students who graduate, one in every four hasRead 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 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 More Fishing for Words Essay1502 Words   |  7 PagesFishing for Words â€Å"Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; you have fed him for a lifetime† (http://www.amatecon.com/fish.html). This quote can be applied to illiteracy in America; basically someone illiterate cannot live on their own until they have been taught the basics, reading and writing. According to Kozol’s essay The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society the government, administration, and people of high power live by the beginning of the quote (Kozol, The HumanRead 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 MoreThe Issue and History of Illiteracy Among African Americans1510 Words   |  7 PagesThe Issue And History Of Illiteracy Among African Americans Becca White Writing 123 Instructor Sydney Darby 27 May 2008 Illiteracy is a growing issue in America. The U.S. Department of Education funded the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) in 1992 that estimates over 90 million Americans fall well below an eight grade literacy level (Rome, 2004, pp. 84). Nowhere is this tragedy more prevalent than among the impoverished African Americans. Illiteracy has always been higher among AfricanRead MoreThe Rights Of A Regular Classroom 4 Of The 28 Kids1123 Words   |  5 Pagesread or recognize most written words. With the plague of illiteracy, these children grow up hiding their disability and trying desperately to just pass by. When they graduate high school, or at least hit 17 years old, they stop their education and begin searching for jobs to support their families since all members are most likely illiterate as well. However, the jobs they get are menial and the pay is too. They grow up and continue the illiteracy cycle, forcing their children to have the same plagueRead MoreAdults Crave Literacy Essay795 Words   |  4 Pagesnumerous amount of issues that plague our society. Ones that range from obesity to economic issues. A certain problem that is highly talked about, but left in the dark is the problem of illiteracy. Illiteracy is the lack of the ability to comprehend or make sense of knowledge. A deeper look into America’s adult illiteracy problem reveals what we need to change, how we should change these problems and how we can get ahead of this competitive world race for education. In a race for the bestRead MoreNational Assessment Of Adult Literacy1104 Words   |  5 PagesIlliteracy can be easily defined as not having the skill or the ability to read this sentence. Every year, more children grow up without the ability to read. This results in students dropping out of high school. Literacy is vital element to education and illiteracy can greatly affect an individual. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy states that literacy is â€Å"using printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential†Read MoreThe Necessities For Living Are Basic Food, Water, And Shelter1115 Words   |  5 Pageswater, and shelter. Plain and simple, but how do you acquire such necessities? Education is the foundation. No matter where anyone goes with life, the need for an education is an important factor in living a healthy, safe, and successful life. In America, many adults still lack the ability to read and understand the world around them because they are not literate, and it doesn’t just affect the individual. The affects are passed down to the children, the communities, and finally it is passed to society