Literacy Facts in America
Literacy Facts by the US government or one of its affiliates The United States ranks 49th among 156 United Nations member countries in its literacy rateIlliteracy costs the United States more than $225 billion a year in lost productivity. It is tied to unemployment, crime, poverty, and family problems.75 percent of unemployed adults have reading and/or writing difficulties.60 percent of all juvenile offenders have problems reading.$5 billion is spent each year on welfare and unemployment compensation due to illiteracy.Literacy and Adults2More than 20% of adults read at or below a fifth grade level, far below the level needed to earn a living wage.The National Adult Literacy Survey found that over 40 million Americans, age 16 and older, have significant literacy needs.Literacy and Children2Helping low-literate adults improve their basic skills has a direct and measurable impact on both the education and quality of life of their children.46% of parents read to their children every day.62% of parents with a high socio-economic status read to their children daily compared to 36% with low socio-economic status.Children who are read to at least three times per week by a family member are almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in standardized reading exams as children who are read to less than three times per week.Literacy Facts and Poverty243% of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty.17% of people with the lowest literacy skills receive food stamps.70% of people with the lowest literacy skills have no full or part-time job.Workers who lack a high school diploma earn a mean monthly income of $452 compared to $1,829 for those with a college degree.Literacy Facts and the Workforce3According to the NEA (National Educators Association), a majority of employers now rank reading skills among the top deficiencies of new hires.Poor reading skills correlate heavily with lack of employment, lower wages, and fewer opportunities for advancement.1 Los Angeles County Public Librarywww.colapublib.org/services/literacy/facts.html2 National Institute for Literacy from the Words Alive! websitewww.wordsalive.org/literacyfacts.html3 Griswold, Jerry. 2008. Director of San Diego State University's National Center for the Study of Children's Literature www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~jgriswol
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