Literacy is more than you may think!
According to the National Literacy Act of 1991, literacy is defined as “an individual’s ability to read, write, and speak in English, and compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve one’s goals, and develop one’s knowledge and potential.”
This is a challenge we face as a nation. Approximately one in three adults in the U.S. cannot read this sentence (National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2003). If these statistics holds true in our own community, one-third of Midland County adults may find it impossible to read street signs, poison warning labels, the newspaper, or employment applications.
MN2R believes that a spark of transformation can occur by building a literate population. When adults improve basic literacy skills, their transformations are nothing short of remarkable. They can find and keep jobs, enjoy better health, and educate their own children. Their new skills enable them to dream big, attain their goals, and move forward – and that means our community can move forward, too. The tutoring services of Midland Need to Read are designed to ignite lasting change for adult learners, their families, and ultimately our community.
Adults need strong literacy skills for the following reasons:
- To raise children who have strong literacy skills – As the education levels of adults improve, so does their children’s success in school. Helping low-literate adults improve their basic skills has a direct and measurable impact on both the education and quality of life for their children (National Institute for Literacy).
- To be good employees – Fifty percent of the chronically unemployed are not functionally literate (U.S. Department of Education, Dr. Susan Sclafani, 2005). A rise of 1% in literacy scores leads to a 2.5% rise in labor productivity (The Economist, 2004).
- To keep themselves and their families healthy – People with low literacy skills are less likely to understand written and oral information given by physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and insurers (Center for Health Care Strategies).
- To be active in their communities – The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (U.S. Department of Education) showed that low-literate adults are less likely to vote than strong readers, but become more active in their communities as their reading and writing skills improve.
- To avoid crime – Illiteracy and crime are closely related. The Department of Justice states that “the link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure.” Over 70% of inmates in America’s prisons cannot read above a fourth grade level (literacytexas.org).
When all of our neighbors learn how to read, write, do basic math, and use computers, they are more likely to lift themselves out of poverty, live healthier lifestyles, and become employed citizens.
To learn more about the literacy services we provide, please visit Our Services page.