Functional Illiteracy in the United States PDF Download

Author: David Harman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Adult education
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Author: Jonathan Kozol
Publisher: Doubleday
ISBN: 0307800571
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 409

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Book Description
It is startling and it is shaming: in a country that prides itself on being among the most enlightened in the world, 25 million American adults cannot read the poison warnings on a can of pesticide, a letter from their child’s teacher, or the front page of a newspaper. An additional 35 million read below the level needed to function successfully in our society. The United States ranks forty-ninth among 158 member nations of the UN in literacy, and wastes over $100 billion annually as a result. The problem is not merely an embarrassment, it is a social and economic disaster. In Illiterate America, Jonathan Kozol, author of National Book Award-winning Death at an Early Age, addresses this national disgrace. Combining hard statistics and heartrending stories, he describes the economic and the human costs of illiteracy. Kozol analyses and condemns previous government action—and inaction—and, in a passionate call for reform, he proposes a specific program to conquer illiteracy. One out of every three American adults cannot read this book—which is why everyone else must.

Author: Stephen M. Reder
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 452

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Book Description
This document presents synthesized estimates of the rates of level 1 literacy by congressional district in the 50 states and District of Columbia. The estimates are extrapolations of the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) that were based on the findings of approximately 26,000 interviews. The document begins with an introduction containing the following: overview of the NALS; examination of what it means to be literate in the 1990s; definition of level 1 literacy (ability to perform many tasks involving simple texts and documents but difficulty using certain reading, writing, and computational skills considered necessary for functioning in everyday life); and discussion of the impact of low literacy. Presented next are answers to 12 frequently asked questions about synthetic estimates of adult literacy proficiency. The remainder of the document consists of bar graphs and maps detailing the rates of level 1 literacy by state, congressional district, county, and municipality. A total of 119 figures/tables/maps are included throughout the document. Appended is a paper, "Synthetic Estimates of Literacy Proficiency for Small Census Areas" (Stephen Reder), that describes the extrapolation techniques, which are said to be relatively accurate for individual localities with at least 10,000 inhabitants. (MN)

Author: Carman St. John Hunter
Publisher: New York : McGraw-Hill
ISBN: 9780070313699
Category : Literacy
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Author: National Advisory Council on Adult Education (U.S.). Literacy Committee
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 108

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Book Description

Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309219590
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 504

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Book Description
A high level of literacy in both print and digital media is required for negotiating most aspects of 21st-century life, including supporting a family, education, health, civic participation, and competitiveness in the global economy. Yet, more than 90 million U.S. adults lack adequate literacy. Furthermore, only 38 percent of U.S. 12th graders are at or above proficient in reading. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction synthesizes the research on literacy and learning to improve literacy instruction in the United States and to recommend a more systemic approach to research, practice, and policy. The book focuses on individuals ages 16 and older who are not in K-12 education. It identifies factors that affect literacy development in adolescence and adulthood in general, and examines their implications for strengthening literacy instruction for this population. It also discusses technologies for learning that can assist with multiple aspects of teaching, assessment,and accommodations for learning. There is inadequate knowledge about effective instructional practices and a need for better assessment and ongoing monitoring of adult students' proficiencies, weaknesses, instructional environments, and progress, which might guide instructional planning. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction recommends a program of research and innovation to validate, identify the boundaries of, and extend current knowledge to improve instruction for adults and adolescents outside school. The book is a valuable resource for curriculum developers, federal agencies such as the Department of Education, administrators, educators, and funding agencies.

Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Literacy
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description

Author: Carl F. Kaestle
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300054309
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 372

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Book Description
Aims to shed new light on the issue of literacy in America, providing a social history that broadens the definition of literacy, considering who was reading what, under what circumstances and for what purposes. The book assesses trends in Americans' reading abilities and reading habits.

Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1428925449
Category : Health education
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description

Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 0788102818
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
Offers an overview of the results of the National Adult Literacy Survey. Describes adult literacy at 5 levels in terms of the types of literacy skills needed to use various kinds of printed and written information in our society, including prose literacy, document literacy, and quantitative literacy. Received national attention!