Literacy Facts
According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than 60% of K-12 school children read below the level needed to proficiently process the written materials used in their grade levels.
Learning to read begins long before a child enters school. It begins when parents read to their children, buy their children books and encourage their children to read. According to the National Adult Literacy Survey, children who have not developed some basic literacy skills by the time they enter school are 3 to 4 times more likely to drop out in later years.
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Children and Literacy
The relm of literacy extends far beyond the ability to read in the classroom. It encompasses a broad range of issues such as being able to read instructions for a prescription drug, use a computer, navigate a website, and manage one's financial information. Illiteracy has a significant negative impact on the economy; it contributes to increased rates of incarceration, teen pregnancy, high-school dropouts, and unemployment. Featured in this section are some informative statistics about illiteracy and its impact—in Alabama and beyond.
Introduction
11 million adults are functionally illiterate; 1 in 4 Alabamians is functionally illiterate. Functional illiteracy is the inability to read, write, or use basic math skills and technology in everyday life. It is linked with numerous social problems including crime, increased high school dropout rate, poverty, teen pregnancy and poor emotional health.
Functional illiteracy prevents an individual from reaching his or her full potential as a parent, employee and community member.
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Functional Illiteracy
Literacy and Healthcare
According to a study performed by the Journal of the American Medical Association, 81%of patients age 60 and older at a public hospital could not read or understand basic materials such as prescription labels.
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Nation’s Business magazine estimates that 15 million adults holding jobs in the U.S. are functionally illiterate.
According to the National Institute for Literacy, 70% of people with the lowest literacy skills have no job or a part-time job. The Department of Education estimates that 60% of the unemployed lack the basic skills necessary to be trained for high-tech jobs.
Workforce Literacy
There are 774 million adults around the world who are illiterate in their native languages, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
According to ProLiteracy, 42 million adults can't read at all in the U.S.; 50 million are unable to read at a higher level that is expected of a fourth or fifth grader.
In Alabama, 3.4 million or 15% of Alabama residents are illiterate, according to 2003 statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics. More specifically, in West Alabama, an average 35% of residents are illiterate.