Fµ¥å¬ µniº ø't†ßCan't read that? Now you know how it feels.
New Times: March 30, 2010 by Glen Starkey
If you’re reading this right now, count yourself lucky: You’re not among the estimated 21 to 23 percent of American adults who are either wholly illiterate, functionally illiterate (those who might be able to understand a couple thousand words memorized by sight in grade school but who are unable to understand such basic written instructions as warning labels or driving directions), or have substandard reading skills that negatively affect their earnings.
Studies suggest that among these semi-literate 40- to 44-million American adults, even those who possess some reading skills may lack the ability to locate information in text or make low-level inferences from printed materials.
As a reader, you might think, “Oh, well. That’s their problem, not mine,” but American illiteracy affects us all. A literate workforce is a productive workforce, and semi-literate workers earn far below their literate counterparts, meaning they don’t contribute effectively to our economy.
Furthermore, Americans with reading deficiencies are more likely to require such social services as welfare, food stamps, and Section 8 subsidized housing. They’re more likely to be unable to afford health insurance. They don’t have the means to further their education to improve their condition. In other words, not only are they a drag on the economy, tax dollars may subsidize their needs. Luckily, there’s an organization that does something about this problem.
The Literacy Council of SLO County estimates there are as many as 25,000 functionally illiterate adults in the county. While many of the Literacy Council’s clients are English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, some are native speakers who simply never learned to read and write. For many of them, the hardest step to improving their reading and writing skills is admitting they have a problem and seeking help. READ MORE !
