In Michigan alone, one in three adults reads below a sixth grade level. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) found that: two thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare. More than 60 percent of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate and 90% of welfare recipients are high school dropouts. Estimates on the cost of illiteracy to business and the taxpayer is a whopping $200 billion per year.
Many adults in our community and around the country have limited or no reading skills. This creates a situation where an individual often feels unable to function in everyday life. It also leaves them with a feeling of hopelessness that can dampen their confidence and willingness to try new things. It is our hope that by helping people to read, their overall quality of life will vastly improve.
Consider this, for the functionally illiterate routine tasks become overwhelming hurdles. For those who can only read a little bit, they may not be able to:
- Fill out a job application
- Use a computer
- Understand a training manual on the job
- Read and order from a menu
- Read a book or magazine for leisure
- Understand how to read a school permission slip for a child’s field trip
- Read a medicine label or doctor’s instructions
- Navigate a map
Raising the literacy rate in our community helps everyone. Learn more about the ways you can make a difference.
Interested to hear more about illiteracy in America? Check out the video below!
WWII Veteran Wins Battle Against Lifelong Foe
