Why is Literacy
Important?
The
modern definition of “literacy” goes far beyond the traditional readin’,
writin’ and ‘rithmatic. According to the National Adult Literacy Survey,
literacy is “using printed and written information to function in society.”
This includes understanding, interpreting and applying written material
to accomplish daily tasks. It includes not just the traditional “3Rs,” but
also oral English, problem-solving, research, teamwork and other skills. It
impacts health, family and community.
Health
Literacy:
In
order to understand and to act on a variety of health care information
-including doctors’ instructions, dosage schedules, consent forms and
insurance paperwork - adults must be able to read.
·
More than 46 percent of
American adults are functionally illiterate in dealing with the health care
system, according to the Journal of American Medical Association. The problem is
greatest among elderly Americans and patients reporting overall poor health.
·
$73 billion in federal
health care expenditures can be attributed to low health-literacy skills,
primarily due to longer hospital stays, according to a study by the National
Academy on an Aging Society.
Family
Literacy:
A
parent’s level of education is the best indicator of a child’s success in
school.
·
As many as 84 percent
of unemployed fathers and 82 percent of all unemployed mothers lack a high
school diploma.
·
While children from
disadvantaged backgrounds are closing gaps in basic skills, they lag behind more
advanced classmates in sophisticated reading and math skills.
·
Welfare recipients with
low education skills tend to stay on welfare the longest, while those with
stronger educational skills become self-sufficient more quickly. In fact, more
than 60 percent of those who stay on welfare for more than five years enter the
system with less than a high school education. By contrast, more than 65 percent
of those who have a high school education become self-sufficient within two
years.
Community
Literacy:
Illiteracy takes a toll on communities across the nation,
straining both human and financial resources.
·
Three-quarters of U.S. inmates do not have a high school diploma.
Adults in prison are far more likely than those in the general population to
perform in the lowest literacy levels. These incarcerated adults tend to be
younger, less educated and from minority backgrounds.
·
Inmates who participate
in correctional education have lower rates of recidivism, reconviction and
reincarceration. Recidivism rates of correctional education participants were 48
percent, compared with 57 percent for non-participants.
·
Fewer than 60% of those not participating in a literacy program voted during a five-year
period, compared to 80-90%of those with higher literacy skills.
·
English as a Second Language (ESL) programs are the
fastest-growing component of the state-administered adult education programs. In
1997-98, 48 percent of enrollments were in ESL programs, compared to 33 percent
in 1993-94.
ABLE,
through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, offers free adult classes in
five distinct areas:
Adult
Basic Education includes skill-building in basic reading, writing and math
skills;.
·
GED preparation courses
help adults to earn an English Commonwealth Secondary
Diploma;
·
English as a Second
Language courses help adults and international students to speak, understand,
read and write in English;
·
Family Literacy,
designed to provide parents and children with skills to improve their lives at
home, at school and in the community;
·
Workplace Education, to
reach out to adults in the workplace, building skills in reading and
understanding manuals, interpreting measurements and computations, writing
reports, and working in cooperation with others.
Text from
Pennsylvania State Department of Adult and Basic Literacy Education (ABLE)
For
additional information about ABLE,
click here.
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