Helping Americans Read
By Teresa Ambord
Did you know that between 89 and 94 million American adults are not able to read well enough to function in today's society? It's no wonder then, that so many are unable to find meaningful employment. Some just "fall through the cracks".
What Can Be Done?
Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) is a national program that works on the local level to change the statistics. They can be found at literacyvolunteers.org/.
According to LVA, adult literacy is "the ability to read, write, and speak English proficiently, to compute and solve problems, and to use technology in order to become a life-long learner and to be effective in the family, in the workplace and in the community."
LVA recognizes that without the ability to read and understand, personal freedom is limited. That's why some very famous people make it their mission to promote adult literacy. First Lady Laura Bush has been an outspoken advocate of adult literacy since 1995 when her husband was first elected as governor of Texas. Now her campaign is national. Her mother-in-law, Barbara Bush, former first lady also served as a spokeswoman for literacy.
What Determines if a Person is Illiterate?
At one time, literacy was measured simply by reading skill, and marked by grade level. As kids are going through the school system is has been common to hear that they read at a certain grade level.
For adults, literacy is measured by the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) that tests ability in everyday life tasks that involve prose, use of common documents, such as job applications and medical forms, and quantitative skills, such as keeping a checkbook or figuring a simple price.
The NALS lists three categories of adult readers:
- Level One: This level takes in almost all adults. They are able to read a little but cannot understand recipes and labels or fill out applications or read simple children's stories.
- Level Two: These adults can put together some pieces of information and can make comparisons, but cannot handle more complex problems.
- Level Three-Five: These readers can perform complex tasks on long, dense reading materials.
Literacy in the United States
- 21 to 23 percent of American adults are Level One readers. That's approximately 44 million people. They lack the skills to get and keep good jobs, participate in the community, and help their children with schoolwork.
- 25 to 28 percent are Level Two readers. That's between 45 and 50 million people. According to literacy experts, these people also lack the foundational skills to participate successfully in society.
Curious about literacy rates in your area? Visit:
How Can LVA Change the Literacy Rate?
Adults in need of help are assigned adult tutors. The tutoring is free and individualized, and best of all, effective. Since LVA began, over half a million lives have improved as their reading skills improved. For more information about LVA tutors, visit
To find a literacy center near you, go to this website and type in your Zip code:
Frequently Asked Questions About Literacy:
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