I recently volunteered to teach adults how to read, which made me start to wonder: How many people are illiterate in the US?
I have seen numbers that range from 20 to 90 million adults, with percentages given from 20% to 50%. I don’t expect precision when talking about groups of this size, but a margin of 30% and/or 70 million just leaves something to be desired.
Does anyone have the Straight Dope?
I just found a Department of Labor statistic that says 50 to 75% percent of all employed adults are illiterate or have sub-standard literacy skill. Don’t know why the spread is so great.
After reading the postings of certain Dopers, I’m not surprised the number is so high…
Of my dad and his three brothers only one of them graduated from high school. Ironically the brother that did graduate is functionally illiterate. The problem is a lot more widespread than you’d think but people are talented at covering it up.
Guy Propski, how do people who can’t read answer the written test about if they can read?
Depends on how you define “illiterate” and “functionally illiterate.”
For example, how would you describe the manager of the grocery store in Joplin, MO who posted a big sign that said “We are currently out of suger [sic].”? Illiterate? Functionally illiterate? Careless? Stupid?
At any rate, I suspect that those numbers are greatly exaggerated by people with an agenda.
Liberal Interpretation: 50% of American adults are functionally illiterate! We must therefore allocate x billion for public education.
Conservative Interpretation: 50% of American adults are functionally illiterate! Our public schools are failing. We need vouchers so families can afford private education!
Obviously, it’s going to be hard to come up with objective data based upon an objective standard.
Just a WAG, but:
Totally illiterate (as in, our written language makes as much sense to them as written Korean makes to me); Probably close to 3 or 4%.
Functionally illiterate (can recognize their own names, and a few words here and there, but otherwise couldn’t read the daily newspaper): Probably close to 6%.
Depends on how you define “illiterate” and “functionally illiterate.”
For example, how would you describe the manager of the grocery store in Joplin, MO who posted a big sign that said “We are currently out of suger [sic].”? Illiterate? Functionally illiterate? Careless? Stupid?
At any rate, I suspect that those numbers are greatly exaggerated by people with an agenda.
Liberal Interpretation: 50% of American adults are functionally illiterate! We must therefore allocate x billion for public education.
Conservative Interpretation: 50% of American adults are functionally illiterate! Our public schools are failing. We need vouchers so families can afford private education!
Obviously, it’s going to be hard to come up with objective data based upon an objective standard.
Just a WAG, but:
Totally illiterate (as in, our written language makes as much sense to them as written Korean makes to me); Probably close to 3 or 4%.
Functionally illiterate (can recognize their own names, and a few words here and there, but otherwise couldn’t read the daily newspaper): Probably close to 6%.
“Hey Torquemada, whaddya say?
I’ve been away at the auto-da-fé.
Auto-da-fé? What’s an auto-da-fé?
It’s what you oughtta not do, but you do anyway!”
Sorry sorry for for the the double double post post.
“Hey Torquemada, whaddya say?
I’ve been away at the auto-da-fé.
Auto-da-fé? What’s an auto-da-fé?
It’s what you oughtta not do, but you do anyway!”
I agree with rastahomie. Someone is tweaking the numbers and/or the definition of illiterate. 50 - 75%??? Ya, OK, so the US has a higher illiteracy rate that Nepal? I don’t think so.
“I should not take bribes and Minister Bal Bahadur KC should not do so either. But if clerks take a bribe of Rs 50-60 after a hard day’s work, it is not an issue.” ----Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Current Prime Minister of Nepal
No scientific basis here – but at our plant in central Iowa, we currently have 2300 employees.
We’ve hired about 3,000 over the last ten years, and there was only one time when we had to help someone fill out forms because he admitted to not being able to read or write.
Of the old-timers in the plant, there are three who have problems reading work directions and participating in training because of illiteracy.
Based on this, I’d say the 50-75% is way inflated for the reasons you state – money for education.
Even our employees (including the most recent immigrants) who don’t use English as their first language are able to comply with everything that’s required of them.
Oops, forgot to say this – Redwing, good for you! I can’t think of anything that is more valuable than literacy – you’re really going to make a difference in someone’s life.
Just curious – do you use the same methods to teach an adult as you would to teach a child?
Pam,
Honestly, I don’t know, I have never dealt with children. My WAG is that you would not use the same teaching techniques, as adults have an understanding of the language structure that children lack. I do know that teaching native speakers of English is different than teaching ESL.
Handy–funny, I was just thinking that.
rastahomie–functionally illiterate is someone that can read and write at a very basic level, but needs assistance with anything move advanced than McGuffey’s Reader. Said person might be able to puzzle out street signs, but would be unable to follow written instructions.
The Army had some problems with this a few years back. During a particularly bad spot, they considered published manuals that were mostly illustrations, in order to make up for the poor reading skills of some of the draftees.
Illiterate? Write for details.
AuntiePam:
The materials used by Project LEARN are a set of intensive phonics courses with the beginning stories geared toward adult interests unstead of kids’ interests. There is not the “whole language” curriculum found in most first grade classes these days. Project LEARN also cuts off at the point where the student can begin reading on his/her own. There is no extended session for grammar, for example.
Tom~
I, also, am involved in tutoring adult students in Literacy. In my case, that’s with the Adult Literacy Project of Monterey County over the last six months and I’ve never met folks more earnest in their desire to learn.
I’ve also been on the other side of the literacy issue. During one port of call in Thailand, I found myself in a large department store and in need of “the facilities.” Of course all the signs were written in Thai. I tell you, that was quite a challenge finding the right place in time!
So, to me, “functionally illiterate” can very well depend on the circumstances. For some folks, that can mean an inability to complete a form; for others (as in the situation above), an inability to read the “restrooms” sign.
Average adult deaf person reads equivalent to 3rd grade.
MSWORD [?]has a feature that estimates what percentage of people could understand the article you just wrote. Its based on the ARMY reading level test.
75% illiterate might mean that only 25% can read at the 12th grade reading equivalent…
I don’t know about reading, but if you want to talk about writing, this nation is on the horns of a dilemma. One need only look at less erudite forums than this one to see what I mean.
During the Microsoft trial, the defendants were caught attempting to introduce a fraudulent e-mail message into the evidence largely because it was not laden with the grammatical and spelling errors that are typical of Bill Gates’ writing style.
Pathetic, maybe, but it does show that you can climb your way to the top without getting tripped up on a dangling participle.
Handy: thanks for mentioning the Deaf. I’ve posted this link before but I think this particular thread is the best for it. http://www.signwriting.org shows a very useful method of writing Signed languages without having the written word dependent on a knowledge of the spoken languages.
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For example, how would you describe the manager of the grocery store in Joplin, MO who posted a big sign that said “We are currently out of suger [sic].”? Illiterate? Functionally illiterate? Careless? Stupid?
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If he’s like my daughter, he may just be dyslexic. She’s very bright (she’s taking four AP courses this year and managed a 4.1 average on her latest report card), but can’t spell to save her life. It’s sort of like being color-blind in the words department.