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- The Workforce Investment
Act of 1998 defines literacy
as “an individual’s ability
to read, write, speak in
English, compute and solve
problems at levels of
proficiency necessary to
function on the job, in the
family of the individual and
in society.”
- More than 20% of the adult
population—approximately 44
million people—read at or
below a fifth-grade level.
They can read a little but
not well enough to fill out
an application, read a food
label, or read a simple
story to a child.
- There are no “typical”
nonreaders. They can be
businessmen, students,
farmers, housewives, truck
drivers, office clerks,
nurses’ aides, military
personnel—anyone. They live
in all kinds of
neighborhoods: 51% live in
small towns and suburbs; 41%
live in urban areas, and 8%
live in rural areas.
- The greatest predictor of
a child’s future academic
success is the literacy
level of the child’s mother.
As the education level of
adults improves, so does
their children’s success in
school. Helping low-literate
adults improve their basic
skills has a direct and
measurable impact on both
the education and quality of
life of their children.
- Nationally, more than 1.2
million adults are enrolled
in publicly funded English
as a Second Language
instruction.
- People with less than a
high school education will
be able to fill only 14% of
the jobs of the future; 75%
of unemployed adults have
reading and/or writing
difficulties.
- More than 40% of adults at
the lowest level of literacy
live in poverty, compared to
fewer than 5% of those at
the highest literacy levels.
- Illiteracy costs the
U.S. economy $225 billion
annually in lost revenues,
taxes, and decreased
industrial productivity.
- The Literacy Center can help!
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