Adult Illiteracy In The U.S.

A troubling report released by the Education Department suggests that a shocking number of Americans can barely read. One in seven American adults lack sufficient reading skills. Seth Doane reports.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Evening
• Read
• Book
• Learn
• Children
• Student
• Letter

[Lamentfordeath]

Its easy to take literacy for granted until you meet someone who is not literate. Thats because we learn at such a young age when our minds are less cluttered with crap, by the time we reach maturity, words manifest into almost concrete reality as either being inseparable with our interaction in society and each other or something to avoid. I find it amazing too though that people cant read, ive never met anyone who cant. but it just means they never tried.

[laloni123]

sharkiecutie says

"And.....psssst......my daughters are doing their PhD dissertations currently. They just got their Masters with Honors at AGE 20 if I might add. So that they can teach your daughters :D :D :D (pssstt....they have several jobs in the offing....no sweat)"

Psssst...Wow WEEEE! Good for your daughters, they've achieved something... I just hope you don't have a bumper sticker on your car glorifying their achievements.

[scruethedemiurge]

I can't even imagine how hard this must be on a persons self esteme. Sometimes I feel bad about myself because I don't speak or read French. If I couldn't read my own native language I'd be humilliated.

[tontsa911]

How is this even possible?

[jnetd03]

Teachers at school did not teach me how to read at all. My mother did. In most cases, children who are good readers learn how to read from their parents before entering the 1st grade. Many poor people work long hours, do not have reading materials at home, and cannot read themselves so telling their child to turn off the TV and read a book is foreign to them. When I was growing up my parents kept a library in our home with encyclopedias, autobiography's etc which drew my interest.

[bosunbilly]

I am absolutely appalled that we live in the most prosperous, affluent, technologically advanced nation on the face of this earth and yet we have nearly a full 1/3 of our population that can only read at or below an 8th grade level.

[MetalArm101]

@RobertoMendes628 your country wasn't on the list. lol.

[alexmorrow3]

Thumbs up if you're literate! lol.

[Lamentfordeath]

@DrFruedienslip good point.

[DrFruedienslip]

@Lamentfordeath It is a matter of application, but many simply lack the drive' it is a very complex subject' but context is the main link to any sense of interpretation'

[Lamentfordeath]

@DrFruedienslip You are kind of all over the place. lol. Anyways, I wouldn't think literacy would be that hard to learn. Its just like anything in life, try hard enough and its almost inevitable that you will succeed in some way. Its really just a matter of memorization. Unless one is mentally retarded there's no excuse not to learn.