This article features Rachel Sumner at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
By RACHEL SUMNER
Sunday, March 2, 2008
There are 42 million American adults who can't read -- and 50 million more who can only read at the fourth- and fifth-grade level, according to the National Right to Read Foundation.
The illiteracy crisis is a serious issue facing our country, but it receives comparatively little media coverage. Fortunately, the National Education Association is able to draw public attention to the importance of reading, if only for a while, with their annual Read Across America Week, which begins tomorrow.
We may take our ability to read for granted, but just imagine a day without reading: Can you follow the directions on a prescription bottle? Can you really stay informed without reading your daily newspaper? Can you get to that new restaurant without reading road signs?
Being able to read clearly enables one to learn and to navigate through the world independently.
While the ability to read is integral to many mundane tasks, its benefits are not limited to information gleaned from prescriptions, newspapers and street signs. Strong literacy skills are valuable for acquiring and disseminating important information. Phone books, Google, contracts and pamphlets about health issues are only useful if you can read. Given that much of the information we gather and distribute is written, being unable to read is a major hindrance to acquiring knowledge.
Having strong literacy skills also allows you to advocate for yourself.
My ability to read and write allows me to send letters to my congressional representative, confront my landlord if a clause in my lease seems unreasonable, or write an op-ed piece for the local newspaper about an issue that matters to me.
Our society encourages citizens to stand up for themselves and speak out against perceived injustices, and now more than ever, this process is made much easier by having strong literacy skills.
The consequences of illiteracy are numerous and complex. There is a high correlation between illiteracy and crime and poverty.
Luckily, developing reading and writing skills can be joyously simple: Studies show that reading with a child for as little as 20 minutes a day can significantly affect his or her developing literacy skills. Who would have guessed that all of those childhood bedtime stories have serious life-changing potential? Don't panic if you haven't been reading to your children for 20 minutes a day, because studies also show that it's never too late to start, that exposure to the written word is beneficial at any age.
Here are a few easy ways that you can incorporate literacy into your child's daily life: Put magnetic letters on your refrigerator; have your child read the recipe with you while you make dinner; ask your child to help you make a shopping list (bonus: Have him read it to you while you're at the grocery store); establish weekly family trips to the local public library; or just for fun, try communicating in writing instead of by speaking.
These aren't big things, but their impact can last a lifetime. Dr. Seuss famously wrote: "Sometimes the questions are complicated, and the answers are simple."
The questions surrounding illiteracy are, indeed, complicated: Why is it so prevalent in the United States? What can we do to combat the illiteracy crisis? How can we
help our children develop literacy skills early on?
The simple answer here may not be a complete one, but it's a start: Read.
Read every day, especially with the children in your life.
Perhaps then, some day, everyone will be able to read, all across America.
Sumner is Bonner Leader for Literacy at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Bonner Leaders are outstanding students who commit themselves to leadership through servive and making positive change.