Civilization Of Literacy Essay

“It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations-something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different from their own.” - Katherine Patterson. Literacy is a right. It is implicit in the right to education. Schools, the government, and most U.S. citizens recognize it as a right, explicitly for both children and adults, in certain international conventions. “Literacy is the ability to read and write. People who cannot read and write are called illiterate. The term literacy also refers to the possession of enough reading and writing ability to function in society. People

They may rely more heavily on government services; their children may not get that extra hand with schoolwork; their families may not get sufficient financial support" (Cardoza). “The major accomplishment of analyzing illiteracy so far has been the listing of symptoms: the decrease in functional literacy; a general degradation of writing skills and reading comprehension; an alarming increase of packaged language (cliches used in speeches, canned messages); and a general tendency to substitute visual media (especially television and video) for written language.” - Mihai Nadin “The Civilization of Illiteracy”. For individuals, illiteracy can cause a limited ability to get and understand important information. Lower literacy can cause unemployment, the unemployment rate is 2–4 times higher among those with less schooling than among those with Bachelor’s degrees. “Low literacy individuals struggle to find employment; they settle for low-paying jobs; they fight to increase their earning power and to support their families” (“Why Literacy”). Illiteracy can lower access to lifelong learning and professional development. If people give little value to education and reading within the family, it can often lead to multiple generations being illiterate. Being illiterate can also lead to low self-esteem, which can then lead to isolation. “Impact on health: Illiterate individuals have more workplace

However, the benefits of literacy begin only when broader rights and development frameworks are in place and working well. Benefits for an individual, for example, come together only when the written material is available to the newly literate person. Literacy helps to improve the standard of living, improve educational success, and improve the safety of