Illiteracy

January 18, 2018 | Author: Anonymous | Category: Social Science, Political Science, Civics
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Literacy Can Change America

Senior Service Learning Project

Videos • Illiteracy in America • How Stupid Are Americans?

Startling Facts • Majority of Americans can’t name a single branch of government • 24% cannot name the country America fought in the Revolutionary War • More than 2/3 of Americans do not know what’s in Roe vs. Wade • Nearly 50% of Americans know that states have two senators • Less than 50% can name their congressman • People complain about taxes yet have no idea what the government spends money on • The average voter thinks foreign aid consumes 24% of our annual budget. It is actually only 1%

What is literacy? • Literacy is the ability to read, write, compute and use technology at a level that enables an individual to reach his or her potential as an adult and community member.

Facts about Illiteracy in the U.S. • 30 million people over the age of 16 or 14% of the country’s adult population do not read well enough to understand a newspaper story written at an eighth grade level or fill out a job application. • The U.S. ranks 5th among industrialized nations in terms of literacy

Impact of Illiteracy • Adult illiteracy can be connected to almost every socio-economic issue in the U.S. – 60% of all state and federal corrections inmates can barely read and write

Functional Illiteracy • Incompetence is basic functions such as reading, writing and math. • 24 million Americans are plagued with functional illiteracy • 13% of American 17 year olds are illiterate • Among minorities the number jumps to 40% • Every year, at least one million of these functional illiterates graduate from high school

Who does illiteracy effect • Begins with children who do not learn how to read and write in elementary school • They become teenagers who are passed through despite not having the academic skills to progress forward • Who become adults who cannot read higher than an 8th grade level who are thus unskilled • The cycle of poverty continues

How Does Literacy Help • Improves the quality of life • A person who lacks a high school income earns a monthly income of $52 as compared to $1,829 for those with a college degree • Literacy increases access to healthcare • Literacy will ultimately help to stimulate our economy • Decreases the rate of crime

How Can We Increase Literacy • Increase participation in literacy programs • Increase access to literacy programs in low income areas • Catch children in elementary school • Increase academic standards in public schools

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