Adults Literacy Skills example essay topic

At least 40 million American adults need stronger literacy skills to take advantage of more lifelong learning opportunities (Knowles 12). Low literacy limits life chances, regardless of how it is defined or measured. According to The Random House Dictionary literacy is defined as "the quality or state of being literate, esp. the ability to read and write". Another breakdown of the word, from the same source is "possession of education".

Basic skills and literacy abilities are widely viewed as necessities for lifelong learning and the development of success among individuals, families, communities, and even nations. Better knowledge about literacy is an essential condition for improving it. Helping children improve their literacy skills can help them develop the capacity for lifelong learning, keep pace with changing educational expectations and rapid technological change, and achieve their life goals. Today in society there are many adults with poor literacy skills who lack the foundation they need to find and keep decent jobs, to support their children's education and help them mold a literate future. I have taken one small step towards this problem by tutoring at North Junior High Campus and Thomas Jefferson Middle School. The more time people put towards helping the youth of America is the more literate our population can become.

Every small action can help, even if it is just tutoring at local middle and junior high schools. To determine the literacy skills of American adults, the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) used test items that resembled everyday life tasks. The NALS classified the results into five levels that are now commonly used to describe adults' literacy skills. In Level 1 almost all of the adults can read a little but not well enough to fill out an application, read a food label, or read a simple story to a child. Adults in Level 2 usually can perform more complex tasks such as comparing, contrasting, or integrating pieces of information but usually not higher-level reading and problem-solving skills.

Adults in levels 3 through 5 usually can perform the same types of more complex tasks with increasing length and subject matter (Knox 37). Very few adults are completely illiterate; they simply fall into the lower levels of literacy. Between 21 and 23 percent of the adult population or approximately 44 million people, according to the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), scored in Level 1. Another 25-28 percent of the adult population, or between 45 and 50 million people, scored in Level 2. Literacy experts believe that adults with skills at Levels 1 and 2 lack a sufficient foundation of basic skills to function successfully in our society (Knox 32). This obviously is a huge problem.

In our society we forget about the citizens that cannot do the tasks that we take for granted. Imagine seeing a billboard on the side of the road and being unsure of what it says, or what dial to set your dishwasher to, or how much to pay when buying things. These things the average citizen does without hesitation. Our nation is set up for these all being necessities to life. These numbers need to become less intense. It is a problem that should thought about and dealt with.

Individual tutoring is the normal solution for illiteracy, while small group tutoring is more common in English literacy programs. Instructional methods vary depending on the learner's personal goals and learning style. There are many ways that literate citizens may help in their communities. For example, like I did, they can help the youth after-school or on the weekends. There also may be some night courses for adults that need instructors. Meeting as little as once a week with someone can change his or her entire future.

Government is also working to end illiteracy. The federal government provided $469 million for adult education and family literacy programs in 1997. This funding enables millions to participate in basic education programs that help people help themselves. Federal adult education funds leverage an additional $800 million each year in state funds for literacy, and millions of dollars in private funding (Kle vins 45) The fact that the government is involved is a huge plus for our country. The financial aid that can be provided from them is outstanding. The money can be used to hire tutors or buy supplies needed.

However, the money goes quickly when divided up among an entire nation. Sometimes people need to think about volunteerism and not always receiving money for their actions. High school students are becoming more and more active in volunteering throughout our community. Not only are all the juniors giving their time to organizations but groups such as Student Council and Hand Across Campus are also helping out. There also are many factors that help to explain the relatively large number of adults in Level 1. Twenty-five percent of adults in Level 1 were immigrants who many have just been learning to speak English.

More than 60 percent didn't complete high school. More than 30 percent were over 65. More than twenty-five percent had physical or mental conditions that kept them from fully participating in work, school, housework, or other activities, and almost twenty percent had vision problems that affected their ability to read print (Knox 51). I find all of those factors to be very, very important.

A few of the problems can also not be helped such as the physical and mental conditions or those that cannot even read the print. However, many other factors are problems that can be fixed. If more immigrants were to learn the English language or fewer kids in high school were to drop out, the literate population would most likely go up. Helping children become hooked on learning early is very necessary.

If we can prevent them from dropping out of school and help them to obtain a full education, numbers are more likely to drop in the future of illiteracy. As the education level of adults improves, so does their children's success in school. Helping the low-literate adults improve their basic skills has a direct impact on both the education and quality of the life of their children. Children are probably more encouraged in homes with literate parents to receive a good education and lead a strong life. The children can set reachable goals for themselves that someday can very likely become a reality. This is where my experience fits in.

For the past few months I have been tutoring weekly at the middle and junior high school. I have spent an hour at each place helping kids in whatever subject necessary. I assisted in everything from rounding numbers to locating Iraq on a worldwide map. Many high school juniors have found themselves helping the younger students with their homework, for their community service project.

Tutoring at our schools is a very popular choice of activity and I feel this project helps our community run in an unending circle of assistance. Through volunteer work such as the activities that I have participated in the past semesters, I foresee the solution of the illiteracy problem in the country. There is hope for the future of this problem because people like myself work for this cause. If others get involved, illiteracy will continue to be reduced. "Literacy is at the heart of a nation's future... and the family is at the heart of literacy. The home is a child's first school... a parent is a child's first teacher... and language is a child's first subject".

-Unknown

Bibliography

Klevins, Chester. Materials & Methods-In Adult and Continuing Education. Los Angeles: Klemens Publication Inc., 1987.
Knowles, Malcolm S. The Modern Practice of Adult Education. Chicago: Follett Publishing Company. 1980.
Knox, Alan B. Helping Adults Learn. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 1986.
Merriam, Sharan B. An Update on Adult Learning Theory. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993.
Stein, Jess. The Random House Dictionary of the English Language. New York: Random House, 1966.