The Illiteracy Problem in America
opinion Essay
409 words
The Illiteracy Problem in America It continues to be a big problem with the ranks swelling each year. Although safety nets are everywhere, illiteracy is still abundant. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, in 1998, ten million children between seven and eleven years of age performed below the most basic level of reading achievement. Illiteracy is not limited to children, teenagers, adults, a particular socio-economic level, or a particular race. When George, now 68, was a child he moved frequently because his father ran a small circus. He never stayed in one place long enough to learn how to read. Finally, he quit school, never to return. Now after retirement, he has decided to learn how to read. He arrived at the library reading room to find the door was locked. The sign indicated that a key was available at the information desk, but George did not know what the sign said. So he sat down and waited several hours for someone to open the door. Meh Chin from China, the mother of a third grader, is interested in communicating better with her children, who have already become fluent in English at an early age. Literacy programs should be an integral component of every community. Not only do these programs serve adults and foreigners, but they also serve those that live with the problems of poverty throughout their daily lives. In 2000-2001, 15.7% of students missed 21 or more days during the school year. Students who miss many days of school because of illnesses beyond their control often fall behind in their studies. Many literacy programs help these students excel in what otherwise would have been a deficiency in their learning. Opportunities abound to stamp out illiteracy at the federal, state, and local level. Are these enough? For those in need, maybe not. Most everyone’s needs are unique. National Family Literacy Program helps those families nationwide with literacy problems. In our own state of Florida, Governor Jeb Bush has set up the Governor’s Mentoring Initiative Program which has helped over 9,000 adults and children improve their reading programs.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that illiteracy is a big problem in america, with ten million children performing below the most basic level of reading achievement.
- Opines that literacy programs should be an integral component of every community. they serve adults and foreigners, as well as those living with poverty throughout their daily lives.
- Opines that opportunities abound to stamp out illiteracy at the federal, state, and local level.
Related
- analytical
- comparative
- argumentative
- opinion
- explanatory
- Illiteracy: An American Tragedyanalytical essayIlliteracy is still prevalent here in the United States. The U.S Department of Education reported “there are 27million adult Americans who have left school due to their inability to read and write.” “Based on assessments of adult literacy in the United States, about 47%, or 90 million, of American adults have literacy skills that test below a high-school level and are unable to read complex texts, including many health-related materials.”
In this essay, the author
- Explains that illiteracy is still prevalent in the united states. the u.s. department of education reports that 27 million adult americans have left school due to their inability to read and write.
- Analyzes the effects of illiteracy on americans, stating that they are isolated from the world and do not know how to reach out for assistance.
- Explains that the majority of adults living with illiteracy come from low-income backgrounds and experience financial hardship which makes it impossible for them to afford an education.
- Opines that the rise in adult illiteracy is causing our government a financial burden to the economy.
- Explains that our government is building effective strategies to remedy this situation on adult illiteracy.
- Describes a few organizations that provide assistance to the community that is struggling with illiteracy.
- Explains that their elementary school supports read-a-book day, which coincides with ronald regan's "adult literacy awareness month."
- Explains that illiteracy is not partial to any race, culture, or religion. it can infect and spread to an entire community. the cure is education and awareness.
534 wordsRead More - The Importance of Literacy in Canadacomparative essayLiteracy is an important key component in almost every individual’s life. Also literacy could be described as one of the most important building blocks of our society. As our world and society becomes more complex, literacy becomes more and more important. Literacy has become so visibly important that sometimes people without proper education are not even accepted by our society. Today, many parents will do anything in order to send their children to the best schools, so their children can be educated the best way possible. Not only literacy makes life for every single human being easier, but it also helps every single person in the world to take care of their own health, and live longer and have a healthier life.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that literacy is an important key component in almost every individual's life and one of the most important building blocks of our society.
- Explains that literacy is not just the ability to read and write, but it involves comprehension and understanding, enabling people to deal with change and unfamiliar contexts.
- Explains that only 19 percent of canadians with less than high school education rated their health as 'excellent', and that the more educated the person is, the better chance they have of being healthy.
- States that a large proportion of canadian adults have difficulty understanding the directions on medication labels or even on food labels. literacy can impede the ability to understand the risks of medical procedure.
- Explains that literacy directly influences the ability of people to access and be able to make effective use of the health care system.
- Explains that people who lack literacy skills tend to be under a higher degree of stress than those with higher literacy levels. lack of literacy could lead to safety risks in the workplace, the community, and at home.
- Concludes that literacy makes life easier, and the higher the literacy level, the healthier is the life of that person.
1100 wordsRead More - I Just Wanna Be Average by Mike Roseanalytical essayLiteracy, 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).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that literacy plays an essential role in shaping a young's trajectory in life. it is also important for scholarly, social, and financial success. low reading skills lead to monetary and social achievement.
- Explains that early language and reading development starts in the initial three years of life and is connected to a kid's soonest encounters with books and stories.
- Explains that early literacy distinguishes that dialect, reading, and writing mature from various prior aptitudes. shickedanz's classifications help us see the importance of these book practices and the movement youngsters make along the way to reading.
- Analyzes how fredrick douglass, who was born into slavery in maryland, taught himself how to read and right which prompted him to become a figurehead in the abolitionist movement.
- Analyzes how malcolm x ambushes his ignorance and inability to read while detained for fighting the "white man." he converted to islam and began reading much of the religion's scholarly text.
- Analyzes how the untapped potential of youth is discouraging in terms of failing the next generation through personal experiences. no one ought to need to be an "average" individual.
- Argues that human desire can trump conventional wisdom. early literacy development is perhaps the only way to ensure a child can maximize his or her reading capability.
- Explains that the common fixes proposed for the illiteracy crisis incorporate an emphasis on skills and intervention at an early age. there is solid confirmation that free voluntary reading is genuinely effective in developing reading skills.
- Opines that early intervention is an effective measure of raising literacy rates and can alleviate some of the difficulties individuals like frederick douglass and malcom x had in their learning process.
- Describes the works of frederick douglass, an american slave, and harriet jacobs.
1433 wordsRead More - Creative Writing Importanceanalytical essayAccording to Richard Vaca, author of Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum, “Adolescents entering the adult world in the 21st century will read and write more than at any other time in human history. They will need advanced levels of literacy to perform their jobs, run their households, act as citizens, and conduct their personal lives.” But despite the importance of high levels of literacy in adult life, American literacy scores in schools remain low. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for fourth graders in 2009, the national average score was a 220 out of possible 500, no improvement over the average 2007 score. This across-the-board failure to teach students such a vital skill as literacy in the twenty-first century demonstrates a failure of the literacy curriculum itself, and the...
In this essay, the author
- Explains the importance of early creative writing education for children, noting they learn to read and write, but aren't connected to the emotional, curious, storytelling nature of children.
- Explains that despite the importance of literacy in adult life, american literacy scores in schools remain low. the failure to teach students such a vital skill in the twenty-first century demonstrates the failure of the literacy curriculum itself.
- Analyzes how children's fascination with the written word exemplifies a larger connection to the language that we don't develop enough in children.
- Explains that improving reading scores has proved to be a challenge, and that teachers can enrich their literacy curriculums by connecting what's learned in english-class reading assignments to how children can express themselves.
- Opines that teaching mechanics of literacy does not foster understanding, since it only teaches the ability to repeat them, and only for students who are able to understand them in the context in which they are taught.
- Explains that creative writing teaches children communication skills that are helpful forever and leads to better self-esteem throughout life.
- Explains montessori's montessori method gives students the freedom to guide their own educational experience in the learning environment with the help of the teacher. effective teaching styles lend themselves well to the teaching of creative writing specifically.
- Explains that the office of letters and light sponsors national novel writing month and the nanowrimo young writers program.
- Explains philadelphia's mighty writers works to combat the problem of the city’s functionally illiterate population by offering free classes and afterschool workshops in every kind of writing to kids age 7-17.
- Argues that american literacy curriculums focus on reading, analyzing, and critiquing other people’s work, but low literacy scores show that this approach is not effective in teaching students to read and write english proficiently.
1050 wordsRead More - The Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society Rhetorical Analysisanalytical essayIn the essay “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” in Readings Jonathan Kozol says that illiteracy is one of the major problems with the world. People who have poor literacy have trouble with simple task that others would not even take a second thought about. For example, they have trouble with something as simple as a note that their child brings home from their teacher. Kozol blames most of this issue on the government and the presidents who did not inforce some kind of law against not getting an education.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes jonathan kozol's essay "the human cost of an illiterate society" in readings. he blames the government and the presidents who didn't inforce some kind of law against not getting an education.
- Explains that illiterates live unsure of what they will face throughout the day. they may be faced with issues like reading a menu which they cannot do and instead rely on someone else to tell them what is good.
174 wordsRead More - The Problem of Illiteracyargumentative essayWhat exactly is illiteracy? Illiteracy is defined in the Webster’s dictionary as: 1) not educated; especially, not knowing how to read or write. 2) showing a lack of education --noun. a person who does not know how to read or write -- illiteracy. May-be someone can read just a little, some can make out the sounds of a word and some just cannot read at all. Illiteracy is a “loss” to those who cannot read or write. The impact of illiteracy is devastating. This problem causes other problems as listed below.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that illiteracy is defined in the webster’s dictionary as: 1) not educated; especially, not knowing how to read or write.
- Explains that the illiterate does not have the reading and writing skills to reinforce these skills in their children.
- Describes programs that contribute more to public understanding on the nature of literacy and its importance to the family and especially women.
- Explains that illiteracy is the root of poverty, crime, and lost productivity in our cities.
- Explains that illiteracy is a real problem, and the solution is even harder to try to solve.
- Argues that women need to have more highly specialized programs which will contribute to their lifestyles raise more awareness in men on the importance of illiteracy and its impact on women.
- Proposes that sr. high school students and colleges would donate a semester to helping the illiterate women and all who are ill.
933 wordsRead More - Fishing for Wordsopinion essayIlliteracy is spreading like a plague through modern society. It affects part of our lives in one way or another. The illiteracy rate per capita is alarming especially to see that the numbers are on the rise. Thirteen percent of Colorado adults are illiterate (www.nces.ed.gov). Approximately 4,420,000 people live in Colorado, and if thirteen percent are illiterate, then 54,600 people are illiterate (www.census.gov). Almost one out of every 85 people is illiterate.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how kozol's quote can be applied to illiteracy in america. the government, administration, and people of high power live by the beginning of the quote.
- Explains that illiteracy is spreading like a plague through modern society, and that it affects part of our lives in one way or another.
- Explains that an illiterate is stereotypically defined as a middle-aged adult who wears scruffy clothes. the hardest roadblock is the ability to read.
- Explains that every school administration in the nation has enticed illiteracy in one form or another. the seniority that the administration holds over a child's life is pitiful.
- Opines that the american dream is the motivation for many immigrants to choose to live in the united states of america.
- Explains why the government and school administration crave power over one's literacy. the government uses illiteracy to sway the voting in the direction that they want.
- Explains that america's government needs to create an incentive program to motivate illiterates to learn to read and write.
- Opines that rectification amongst school administrations should be top priority for the government.
- Opines that if america taught the man to fish, there would be an end to illiteracy in america.
1498 wordsRead More - Florida’s Literacy Problemopinion essayFlorida’s Literacy Problem Despite numerous literacy-promoting programs all over the state of Florida, literacy still remains a problem for this state. People just don’t seem to want to waste their precious free time staring at words on a piece of paper, but would rather stare at moving pictures on a screen. Obviously this is a problem, as Florida’s FCAT scores are less then perfect when compared to the scores of the rest of the nation. Something needs to be done to get Florida reading. It may be unfair to attribute all of Florida’s reading problems to television.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that florida's fcat scores are less than perfect when compared to the rest of the nation. something needs to be done to get florida reading.
- Opines that it may be unfair to attribute all of florida's reading problems to television. not everyone in florida has cable or even owns a tv. poor children have no permanent home and therefore don't have the necessary conditions to learn to read.
- Explains that most of florida's reading problems begin in elementary school. the blame can go to schools that have sub-par reading programs or to parents who don't take the time to read with their children.
- Explains that summer reading programs can help students struggling with literacy tremendously. summer is also prime time for parents to hire tutors when their services are needed.
- Opines that until florida's fcat reading scores improve, things should continue to be done about illiterate students who will be left behind in life.
482 wordsRead More - Illiteracy: Harms of A troubling Paradoxargumentative essayDid you know that 800 million people in the world are illiterate? Not being able to read or write is a disturbing reality which society either is unaware or tries to avoid. This alarming problem is enhancing future societies of people who are not able to learn or even understand basic facts and information. Now days, illiteracy is a worrying paradox which is a source of poverty, mortality, and isolation.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that 800 million people in the world are illiterate, a disturbing reality which society either is unaware or tries to avoid.
- Argues that illiteracy is a tool for political liberation, as it is not mentally armed to confront or select politic sides.
- Opines that mortality is the second major price of illiteracy due to overconsumption or toxicity of medicines.
- Concludes that illiteracy is a problem that requires the cooperation of all of us to solve.
683 wordsRead More - Problems Faced by Illiteratesexplanatory essayImagine for a minute that one day you wake from a nights sleep to find nothing as it was, you don't know where you are, the people around you, or any aspect of your life that you were so sure of the night before. Imagine the feeling of confusion and uncertainty that a situation of that sort would have. This chaos is not far from what millions of illiterates feel on a daily basis.
In this essay, the author
- Describes laurie g. kirszner, stephen r. mandell patterns for college writings: the human cost of an illiterate society.
- Explains that illiteracy is more than a simple inability to read or write; it's also defined as restriction or confinement due to the simple fact that many non-readers lead.
- Explains that illiterates can't read the menu in a restaurant or the cost of items in the window of the restaurant before entering.
- Opines that if the government provided stronger actions at all levels of education and provided plenty of funds, there would be better programs for learning.
466 wordsRead More