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The problems of illiteracy
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The Roots of Illiteracy
A problem that pervades our society and threatens to undermine all of the "advances" of our culture is illiteracy. Why is illiteracy so prominent in the United States? In such a diverse culture the causes of illiteracy cannot be easily pointed out. The United States has one of the most expensive higher educational systems in the world, yet 43% of adults read at a level that scarcely makes it possible to function in society.
Almost 22% of adults are not be able to find their street on a road map. (McGuinness, p. 9) One in five adults cannot read a road sign, fill out an application, or read an ingredient label (Level 1). High schools give diplomas to graduating classes where 20% read at a second grade level or worse (Level 1). College graduates do not score much better with 12% able to read at a fourth grade level or worse (Level 2). Should society be concerned when only 3% of the population are capable of reading and comprehending a jury selection outline? Is the educational system to blame for churning out kids who can barely function in society? Are the elementary school teachers at fault because they pass students to the next grade level when they are incapable of putting their simplest ideas on paper? Or is it biological, stemming from learning disorders or brain damage? All of these forces affect our country's inability to read. (Level 1-minimal level of competence; Level 2-barely literate; up to Level 5-"advanced level"; 3% of all adults scored Level 5; McGuinness, p. 9-10)
The possibility that children do not learn to read because of physical causes has been the focus of many studies. Dyslexia is common problem and can be successfully overcome with the appropriate ins...
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.... (Elley, p.228) To solve the problem of illiteracy in the U.S. and the world will take time and a better understanding of the many causes that create our society of readers. "The value of literacy for achieving fulfilling, productive, expanding and participating lives of freedom in modern societies is undoubted, and unquestioned. At the same time, however, literacy does not seem to be well understood." &endash;H. Graff (Ed.). (1981). Literacy and social development in the west: A reader.
Works Cited
Elley, Warwick B. 1994. The I.E.A. Study of Reading Literacy: Achievement and Instruction in
Thirty-Two School Systems, Great Britain, Pergamon.
McEwan, Elaine K. 1989. The Principal's Guide to Raising Reading Achievement, Thousand
Oaks, CA. Corwin Press.
McGuinness, Diane. 1997. Why Our Children Can't Read, New York, The Free Press.
Finding a definition of literacy is not as easy as it sounds. The Webster definition says that to be literate is to be” able to read and write.” But to some researchers, this definition is too simplistic, leading to multiple models of literacy. Most Americans adhere to the autonomous model, which falls closest to the standard, dictionary definition. Believers in this form say that literacy is a cognitive activity that students learn like any other basic skill. It has a set of proficiencies that one must master in order to be capable of decoding and encoding text (Alvermann, 2009; SIL International, 1999). A competing theory is the ideological model, which claims literacy is intrinsically linked to culture, and therefore what constitutes a “literate” individual is ever-changing. Society is the largest influence on literacy, according to this thought, and it is affected by politics, religion, philosophy and more (Alvermann, 2009; SIL International, 1999). These two are just the tip of the iceberg. For example, some studies recognize “literacy as competence,” which is a “measure of competence to do a given task or work in a given field,” (SIL International, 1999) such as being computer literate. Although more researchers are recognizing and exploring multiple literacies, the one that most influences American schools is the autonomous, cognitive model – the ability to read and write. For many, it seems a simple task, but millions of adolescents are struggling or reluctant readers, and there are many reasons why young readers have difficulty with reading. XXXXXX------NEED HELP WITH THESIS STATEMENT HERE PLEASE—(This paper will focus on the effects of low reading skills, some of the possible causes of reluctant and struggling readership...
Deborah Brandt (1998) wrote “Sponsors of Literacy”, a journal where she explained her findings of the research she has done on how different people across the nation learned to read and write, born between 1900, and 1980 (p. 167). She interviewed many people that had varying forms of their literacy skills, whether it was from being poor, being rich, or just being in the wrong spot at the wrong time.
The entire play is constructed around groups of opposites and doubles, leaving two opposing staging traditions to debate over the dramatic qualities of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, being either l...
In “In Defense of Literacy,” Wendell Berry explains literacy is a requirement, not an embellishment. Literacy is more than the ability to just read and write; it's also the ability to understand what a person is reading and make sense in what a person is writing. While some people may think that achieving literacy requires hard work and gets little outcome, I think that literacy makes people more ambitious, confident, more attentive, and more prosperous in life than those who are not literate. Joining in on conversations and voicing ones philosophies is easier if people are literate and educated, and people feel worthy of themselves when they have the ability to do so. People are more determined in life, whether it is with their professions
Staging A Midsummer Night's Dream With an Emphasis on the Influence of the Spirit World on the Human World
Dyslexia is one of several distinct learning disabilities. It is a specific language based disorder of constitutional origin characterized by difficulties in single word decoding, usually reflecting insufficient phonological processing abilities. These difficulties in single word decoding are often unexpected in relation to age and other cognitive and academic abilities; they are not the result of generalized developmental disability or sensory impairment. Dyslexia is manifest by ...
Literacy, or the capability to comprehend, translate, utilize, make, process, assess, and speak information connected with fluctuating settings and displayed in differing organizations, assumes an essential part in molding a young's persons trajectory in life. The ability to read speaks to a key factor of scholarly, social, and financial success (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). These abilities likewise speak to a fundamental segment to having a satisfying life and turning into an effective worker and overall person (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1999). Interestingly, recent studies have demonstrated that low reading skills lead to critical hindrances in monetary and social achievement. As stated by the National Center for Education Statistics, adults with lower levels of reading skills and literacy have a lower average salary. Another study evaluated that 17 to 18 percent of adults with "below average" literacy aptitudes earned less than $300 a week, though just 3 to 6 percent of adults with "proficient" reading abilities earned less than $300 a week (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998).
The group of musicians that tried portray sounds, smells, feeling, or tastes in their music are called Impressionistic composers. The Impressionistic Period lasted from about 1870-1920 (Kabule, Martin E.). If a person were to compose a song titled “The Smell of Leaves” of “The Ticking of a Clock” a listener would probably be able to imagine themselves smelling died leaves in a forest or the sound of ticking from a clock on the wall. The Impressi...
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night's Dream with Related Readings. Albany: ITP International Thomson, 1998. Print.
‘Do not forget that the melody is the Idea, the outline; as much as it is the form and the subject matter of a work. The harmony is an illumination, an exhibition of the object, its reflection…’(3)
Heath, Sue.. "A Midsummer Night's Dream, Newcastle Theatre Royal." Northern Echo. 16 Nov. 2005: 13. eLibrary. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
According to Chave, paintings such as `Untitled (Violet, Black, Orange, Yellow on White and Red)' by Rothko `metaphorically encompass' the tragic `cycle of life from cradle to grave, in part by harbouring an oblique reference to both adorations and entombments.' (http://www.guggenheimcollection.org/site/artist_work_md_138_5.html) He also suggests that this part...
Magic affects both the plot and the environment of William Shakespeare’s play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” as it influences the thoughts and actions of the characters through most of the play. Through its power, magic confuses the characters and creates conflicts between them, but it also solves the conflicts. The character’s use and misuse of magic lead to some of the ridiculous moment of the play.
Secondly, as with actors bringing characters to life, a movie needs a dominant director to bring it to life. Generally, the role of the director is to set or put in the scenes of the film. In order to make the film distinguished, a powerful director is able to combine skillfully the elements or features that make up a scene. This includes the action, composition, sets and props, lighting, costumes, and make up. These things can be said ...