Brief overview of literacy statistics in the United States, with some discussion of obstacles and effects, and some resources to help combat illiteracy.

1. By Scott Funke and Mary Zemina

2. According to the American Library
Association’s Committee on Literacy, literacy
is “the ability to use printed and written
information to function in society, to achieve
one's goals, and to develop one's knowledge
and potential.”

4. 1 in 4 children in America grow up without learning
how to read.
Kids who don't read proficiently by 4th grade are 4
times likelier to drop out of school.
Nearly 85% of those facing trial in the juvenile
courts are functionally illiterate.
The U.S. Department of Education found that,
generally, the more students read for fun on their
own time, the higher their reading scores. Between
1984 and 1996, however, the percentage of 12th
grade students reporting that they "never" or
"hardly ever" read for fun increased from 9 percent
to 16 percent

6. According to a study by the U.S. Department of
Education’s National Institute of Literacy, 14% (32 million)
adults in the US can’t read, and 21% read below a 5th grade
level.
75% of Americans who receive food stamps perform at the
lowest 2 levels of literacy
44 million adults in the U.S. can't read well enough to read
a simple story to a child
The same study found that 63% of prison inmates can’t
read.
Over 70% of America’s inmates cannot read above a 4th
grade level.
Inmates who receive literacy help have a 16% chance of
returning to prison. Those who receive no help have a 70%
chance of returning.

8. Improving literacy in childhood can help slow
down the problem. Programs that:
Increase access to books for low-income
children (often the biggest barrier) such as
First Book
Train teachers to use a variety of methods
(like games and songs) to teach kids to read,
sponsor camps, and provide “reading
buddies,” like Save the Children
Are just two of the many options.

9. Many public libraries and houses of worship
offer Adult and/or Family Literacy programs,
run by volunteer tutors.
Certain adult literacy curricula, such as the
Barton Reading & Spelling System, are
designed for students with common
disabilities such as dyslexia and are well
suited for adult learners.
MIT and The Open University offer free adult
literacy programs online

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<http://www.begintoread.com/research/literacystatistics.html>.
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<http://www.ala.org/advocacy/literacy/adultliteracy>.
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