| Unless you have read Jonathan Kozol's 1985 book, | | | | known. The second mistake in illiteracy coverage in the |
| Illiterate America or you have carefully analyzed the | | | | press is that it is far too often only concerned with |
| most comprehensive, statistically accurate study of | | | | boring stories of an occasional adult illiterate who can |
| U.S. adult illiteracy ever commissioned by the U.S. | | | | now read thanks to the efforts of some selfless |
| government, a five-year, $14 million study involving | | | | volunteer. This type of coverage too often lulls the |
| lengthy interviews of 26,049 U.S. adults, statistically | | | | public into believing that is all there is to the problem of |
| balanced for age, gender, ethnicity, and location (urban, | | | | adult illiteracy. |
| suburban, and rural in a dozen states across the U.S. | | | | - A big part of the reason people do not realize the |
| and in several prisons) to represent the entire U.S. | | | | seriousness of the literacy problem is the way the |
| population, you undoubtedly do not realize the | | | | media handles the reporting of scientific or statistical |
| seriousness of the problem. Illiterates have developed | | | | studies. Since reporters are journalists, not statisticians |
| numerous coping methods that make them very good | | | | or mathematicians, and since the reporters are almost |
| at hiding their illiteracy. Several of your acquaintances | | | | always under time pressures to get their report out |
| may be -- unknown to you -- functionally illiterate. | | | | (before someone else reports it and it is no longer |
| A front page report in the New York Times on | | | | "news"), reporters often read only the Executive |
| September 9, 1993 and a shorter article in the | | | | Summary of lengthy reports. In any case, journalists |
| Washington Post on the same date, the day of | | | | seldom do a careful study of the entire report, much |
| release of the above-mentioned study, listed some of | | | | less a serious mathematical analysis of data in a study. |
| the details of the report, but did not mention the most | | | | The 1993 study mentioned above was a 150 page |
| serious problems found in the body of the report. | | | | report. The April 2002 version of the report was even |
| These reports were evidently based upon the short | | | | longer: 199 pages. In the case of this study, a simple |
| "Executive Summary" of the report. Even though a | | | | mathematical analysis of the data was required to |
| follow-up report issued in 2006 showed no statistically | | | | understand the true seriousness of the findings of the |
| significant improvement, there have been no other | | | | study. |
| known references to this report in any known media | | | | - The New York Times article about the 1993 study |
| source. Jonathan Kozol, in Illiterate America, explained | | | | gave an explanation of why increasing our literacy rate |
| why the official U.S. Census Bureau reports on literacy | | | | is important: "The overall education level of Americans |
| rate are inaccurate and explains that it is in the | | | | has increased in terms of schooling and even in |
| short-term best interests of political and educational | | | | fundamental literacy. But the demands of the |
| authorities to downplay the seriousness of the English | | | | workplace simultaneously have vastly increased. We |
| literacy problem. | | | | simply are not keeping pace with the kinds of skills |
| It is in your best interest, however, to understand the | | | | required in today's economy." The article also gave an |
| seriousness of the problem and to take action | | | | explanation of why literacy is a problem for so many |
| because illiteracy has human suffering costs for the | | | | people: "Insufficient education and a growing number of |
| illiterates (at least 34 types of serious physical, mental, | | | | adults whose first language is not English were |
| emotional, medical, and financial problems that we | | | | important reasons that the scores were so low." They |
| would consider catastrophes if they happened to us) | | | | failed to mention, however, that the interviewees were |
| and monetary costs for every American: (1) for the | | | | carefully chosen to be an accurate representation of |
| cost of government programs that illiterates use (from | | | | the entire U.S. population at the time of the study, so |
| our taxes) and for the cost of truancy, juvenile | | | | the amount of education and the number of persons |
| delinquency, and crime directly related to illiteracy, and | | | | whose first language is not English was evenly |
| (2) for the increased cost of consumer goods as a | | | | balanced in the five literacy groupings. The article also |
| result of functional illiterates in the workplace. | | | | misquoted the study as saying it indicated that there |
| How does functional illiteracy cause serious problems | | | | were 40 to 44 million adults in Level 1 literacy (the |
| for illiterates? | | | | lowest literacy level), "an 40 million" [sic] in Level 2, 61 |
| Here are four brief examples. Janitors have been fired | | | | million in Level 3, 11 million in Level 4, and "up to 40 |
| because they cannot read an after-hours note with | | | | million" in Level 5. Page 17 of the 2002 version of the |
| special clean-up instructions. Families have been | | | | study shows the true figures to be, Level 1: 42.0 million |
| evicted from their apartment -- even in the coldest | | | | (22.0% of the 191 million U.S. adults in 1993), Level 2: |
| part of winter -- when the apartment owner (who | | | | 50.9 million (26.7%), Level 3: 60.5 million (31.7%), Level 4: |
| wants to raise the rent, but knows the present renters | | | | 31.2 million (16.3%), and Level 5: 6.4 million (3.3%). The |
| cannot afford the higher rent) falsely claimed that the | | | | most serious failing of the article is that it did not |
| rental contract allows eviction if a crying baby disturbs | | | | quantify the seriousness of the literacy problem. It |
| other tenants; evicted tenants who cannot read the | | | | merely began the article by stating: "Nearly half of the |
| contract will not challenge the apartment owner fearing | | | | nation's 191 million adult citizens are not proficient |
| their illiteracy will be exposed. The taking of medicines | | | | enough in English to write a letter about a billing error or |
| poses a danger to those who cannot read the | | | | to calculate the length of a bus trip from a published |
| instructions on the medicine bottles. Children who have | | | | schedule." |
| medical emergencies, such as asthma, are in grave | | | | - The article by the Washington Post writer began the |
| danger if the illiterate parents become lost because | | | | article by stating: "Nearly half of all adult Americans |
| they cannot read the street signs; even if they have | | | | read and write so poorly that it is difficult for them to |
| cell-phones they cannot tell the 911 operator their | | | | hold a decent job, according to the most |
| location when they visit a remote place if they cannot | | | | comprehensive literacy study ever done by the U.S. |
| describe their location sufficiently to allow ambulance | | | | government." This raised questions of what constitutes |
| personnel to find them. | | | | a "decent job," exactly how many people are |
| These and hundreds of similar "horror stories" occur all | | | | affected, how accurate was the study, and what |
| around us every day -- most of them without our | | | | were the statistical procedures to ensure accuracy, |
| knowledge because functional illiterates are extremely | | | | leading to the author's "engineering study" of the report. |
| good at hiding their illiteracy. About half of adult | | | | It was found that although the Washington Post |
| Americans are now functionally illiterate and must | | | | writer's statement was true, in effect it minimized the |
| constantly endure permanent shame, anger, and | | | | seriousness of the problem. |
| despair, unable to lift themselves out of privation. | | | | Illiterates Are Exceptionally Good At Hiding. The |
| Although nearly every American can at least read a | | | | number of U.S. adults who cannot read at all is very |
| few words, if someone can only read 1200 to 1500 | | | | small. But if they only know 1200-1600 simple words |
| simple words they learned by sight, they are | | | | they learned by sight in the first four grades in school, |
| functionally illiterate. They cannot get by in our complex | | | | they are functionally illiterate. They can't read and write |
| society as well as they should and must constantly | | | | well enough to hold an above-poverty-level-wage job. |
| endure at least thirty-four different kinds of serious | | | | They have developed many coping skills for their |
| physical, mental, emotional, medical, and financial | | | | inability to read over the years. Chances are very |
| problems. Many simple tasks we take for granted are | | | | good that many of your acquaintances are functional |
| impossible for illiterates. See Jonathan Kozol's 1985 | | | | illiterates. They may be very knowledgeable. They |
| book, Illiterate America. | | | | may even be eloquent speakers. They just didn't get |
| America's Dirty Little Secret: How many Americans | | | | their knowledge or eloquence from reading. |
| are now functionally illiterate? | | | | Grade-Level Completion Does not equal Grade-Level |
| The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) | | | | Competence. Many people assume that after several |
| reported in 2006 that 44% of adults in the study were | | | | years of school the students know how to read. |
| in the two lowest of four reading levels (below basic | | | | Every teacher knows, however -- even though they |
| and basic) and that 51% of those in the below basic | | | | may be in denial of the fact -- that this is not |
| level had given up looking for a job and 5% were | | | | necessarily true. Having sat out several years of |
| unemployed, looking for work. The percentages of | | | | schooling does not guarantee an outcome. The |
| employed adults increased with each increase in | | | | students may not know even a small fraction of what |
| reading ability. The 2006 report was a follow-up to the | | | | they have been "taught." |
| much more thorough 1993 NCES report, the most | | | | Illiterates Are a Silent Minority. Out of embarrassment, |
| extensive study of illiteracy ever commissioned by the | | | | illiterates are a silent minority. Community and cultural |
| U.S. government. Employment statistics from the 1993 | | | | leaders of groups with a large number of illiterates do |
| report were about the same as the 2006 report. | | | | not want that fact publicized. They fear it will give their |
| The 1993 study used five literacy levels instead of four | | | | "enemies" (racists and class-conscious persons) |
| as in the 2006 report and revealed several | | | | ammunition against those who cannot read. |
| devastating facts about functional illiteracy that are not | | | | Self-Esteem Teaching in School Is Very Effective. |
| covered in the 2006 report. Most people don't know | | | | Perhaps today's most successful teaching in U.S. |
| these facts; there is no known reference to these | | | | elementary schools is the teaching of self-esteem. |
| facts in any national media. | | | | Studies have shown that U.S. students often |
| The shocking NCES 1993 report titled "Adult Literacy in | | | | over-estimate their scholastic abilities. The U.S. scored |
| America," shows that the average yearly earnings | | | | worse than all but two nations in a recent math and |
| were: Level 1 (least literate), $2105; Level 2, $5225; | | | | science competition with about twenty other nations. |
| Level 3, $9090, and Levels 4 and 5 combined, $16,311. | | | | Some of the U.S. students in that competition bragged |
| The threshold poverty level for an individual in 1993 | | | | that they were "good at math." Some of them were |
| was $7363 per year. (See the U.S. Census Bureau's | | | | not only not "good at math," they may also have had |
| Threshold Poverty report for 1993) Shockingly, 22.0 | | | | difficulty reading their math books. |
| percent of U.S. adults were Level 1 and 26.7 percent | | | | The U.S. Census Reports Greatly Over-Estimate |
| were Level 2. This means 48.7 percent of U.S. adults | | | | Literacy. Many believe the U.S. is a highly literate nation |
| had average annual earnings significantly below the | | | | because of census statistics. The last two or three |
| poverty level largely because of their functional | | | | census reports claimed a U.S. literacy rate of 99%. It is |
| illiteracy. | | | | in the short-term interest of politicians and education |
| We do not see 48 percent or more of U.S. adults in | | | | officials to believe these figures. This is not to say that |
| poverty because most households have more than | | | | there was necessarily any conscious deception. |
| one employed adult and because low-income | | | | Jonathan Kozol's shocking book, Illiterate America, |
| households receive governmental assistance (from our | | | | pages 37-38, explained how these figures were |
| taxes) and from family, friends, and charities. Even so, | | | | decided upon. Once we understand how the census |
| the 1993 NCES report showed that 31.2 percent of the | | | | bureau did the studies, we will be likely to agree with |
| adults in the two lowest literacy levels were in poverty | | | | Jonathan Kozol. He thought the accuracy of the |
| (the report only showed poverty in each literacy level, | | | | census reports was open to serious doubt. The "Adult |
| but the combination of levels 1 and 2 can be easily | | | | Literacy in America study," in fact, proves the census |
| calculated). | | | | bureau figures on literacy rate are wrong. |
| Although the 1993 NCES report did not show the | | | | Sensory Overload. We are constantly bombarded |
| combined poverty rate for literacy levels 3 through 5, it | | | | with information, much of it bad news. The world |
| is easily calculated to be 10.1 percent. Since there are | | | | seems to go on with little effect despite the bad news |
| no provable differences in the interviewees except | | | | about literacy. We soon learn to ignore much of it. This |
| their literacy rates, this is a strong indication that about | | | | is because we often do not want to believe it. |
| twice as many (deducting 10.1 percent which is not due | | | | Sometimes we have seen a later report denying the |
| to illiteracy from the 31.2 percent total and comparing | | | | validity of the bad news. After a few years we have |
| the resulting 21.1 percent to the 10.1 percent) U.S. adults | | | | forgotten most of the bad news, even if we initially |
| are in poverty because of their literacy level as for all | | | | thought it was significant. |
| other reasons combined. | | | | We Do Not See Large Portions of Our Population in |
| How Will YOU Benefit From Ending Illiteracy? | | | | Poverty. In most cases, more than one family member |
| - You will benefit emotionally if you are concerned that | | | | is employed. If all workers in the family are functionally |
| people you know and love are -- or will be | | | | illiterate, the family may be at or below the poverty line. |
| --functionally illiterate. The problems and suffering of | | | | If one or more of the workers in the family are literate, |
| illiterates is almost certainly much worse than you | | | | they bring the family above the poverty line. |
| realize. Many people you know are -- unknown to you | | | | What is the obvious solution to English functional |
| -- functionally illiterate. | | | | illiteracy? |
| - You will benefit if you object to the average personal | | | | The obvious solution is to return English to the principle |
| cost to U.S. adults of $5186 each year as a result of | | | | upon which an alphabetic language should be based -- |
| illiteracy for (1) taxes for government programs that | | | | spelling words as they sound, the way 98 percent of |
| illiterates use and for the truancy, juvenile delinquency, | | | | all alphabetic languages other than English does! All |
| and crime directly related to illiteracy, and (2) higher | | | | other attempts at improving the English literacy rate -- |
| prices for consumer goods due to illiterates in the | | | | such as new reading books, better teacher training, |
| workplace. | | | | and similar changes -- are nothing more than fighting |
| - You will benefit if you are employed or if you have | | | | the symptoms of the problem, similar to taking aspirin |
| financial interests in a business or organization in which | | | | to combat the symptoms of pneumonia rather than |
| you invest time or money. Illiteracy affects all | | | | taking penicillin to cure it. It is natural to resist change -- |
| organizations to some extent, some of them seriously. | | | | even change for the better! People often prefer the |
| Illiteracy cuts the potential customers for written | | | | disadvantages of the familiar to the advantages of the |
| materials almost in half and hurts businesses and | | | | unfamiliar. But when a person researches and finds |
| organizations because of competition with more | | | | that absolutely nothing done in American public schools |
| literate workers in foreign companies. The monthly U.S. | | | | in the last eighty years has made any statistically |
| trade deficit has grown steadily worse for many | | | | significant improvement in our true literacy rate (as |
| years. | | | | opposed to the optimistic assessments of politicians |
| - You will benefit if our nation improves the trade | | | | and educational leaders who have a vested interest in |
| balance, national relationships, and our national | | | | reporting our literacy level as being higher than it really |
| employment by improving communication between | | | | is) and honestly examines the ease of learning possible |
| nations. Over 1.3 billion people worldwide speak English | | | | with a spelling system that is extremely easy to learn |
| -- more than the dialect of any other language. Many | | | | (as opposed to the present illogical, inconsistent, and |
| of them use English to communicate with those who | | | | chaotic English spelling), common sense is certain to |
| do not speak their native language, but hundreds of | | | | cause people honestly to evaluate this spelling reform |
| millions of people who speak English cannot read it | | | | proposal. |
| very well. | | | | If words are spelled phonetically, students only need to |
| What is the primary cause of English illiteracy? | | | | learn the spelling of 38 sounds instead of all 20,000 or |
| Most people are not functional illiterates because of | | | | more words in their reading vocabulary. Many people |
| any failing of their own but because of a defect in the | | | | have a reading vocabulary of more than 70,000 |
| English language. In 1755 an English dictionary was | | | | words. If the phonetic spelling system is a perfect |
| prepared by Dr. Samuel Johnson. Linguists will tell you | | | | one-spelling-for-one-sound system, present readers |
| that Dr. Johnson made a very serious linguistic error in | | | | can learn it in ten minutes or less. |
| his dictionary. Instead of freezing the spelling of the | | | | The use of perfectly phonetic spelling will enable |
| sounds of the English language, as linguistic logic | | | | beginning students to learn to fluently read and write in |
| demands of an alphabetic language, Dr. Johnson froze | | | | less than three months -- perhaps much less. Frank |
| the spelling of words. In effect, English words are now | | | | Laubach, founder of Laubach Literacy International, |
| logograms -- certain letters, in a certain order, combine | | | | taught thousands of adults to read in over 300 |
| to represent a word, in the same way that strokes of | | | | languages around the world. Laubach found that he |
| various kinds combine to represent a Chinese | | | | could teach students to read fluently in from one to |
| character or word. Present day English is a | | | | twenty days in some languages and in less than three |
| conglomeration of the words -- and their spelling -- | | | | months in 98 percent of these languages. Laubach |
| from eight languages, the language of every conqueror | | | | stated that if English were spelled phonetically, students |
| who occupied the British Isles prior to 1755. Since that | | | | could learn to read in one week! Adoption of perfectly |
| time, English has adopted words -- and usually their | | | | phonetic spelling will enable hundreds of millions of |
| spelling -- from about 350 other languages. See Henry | | | | people around the world who speak English but cannot |
| Hitching's book The Secret Life of Words. | | | | read it very well -- over 93 million in the U.S. alone -- to |
| The pronunciation of words changes with time, so | | | | be able to read English who otherwise never would. |
| what was bad in 1755 is even worse today. Professor | | | | How do we know that spelling reform can cure English |
| Julius Nyikos of Washington and Jefferson College | | | | illiteracy? |
| found that there are at least 1768 ways of spelling | | | | Consider these facts about spelling reform: |
| forty sounds in English. See The Fourteenth LACUS | | | | - Dozens of scholars for over 250 years have |
| Forum 1987, published by Linguistic Association of | | | | recommended spelling reform. For over a hundred |
| Canada and the United States, P.O. Box 101, Lake Bluff, | | | | years there have been simplified spelling societies in |
| Illinois in 1988. There is not even one invariable spelling | | | | the U.K. and U.S. by various names. The present |
| rule in English -- some of the exceptions have | | | | names are The Spelling Society in the U.K. and |
| exceptions! The eyes of fluent readers skip easily | | | | American Literacy Council in the U.S. Both |
| over a multitude of traps for the beginner. As a result, | | | | organizations have very informative websites, |
| every word in a person's vocabulary must be learned, | | | | spellingsociety and americanliteracy, .org and .com, |
| one at a time, either by rote memory or by repeated | | | | respectively. |
| use. | | | | - Several nations, smaller and larger than the U.S., both |
| Why didn't YOU know the seriousness of the | | | | advanced and third-world, have simplified their spelling. |
| functional illiteracy problem? | | | | - A simpler spelling system has been proven effective |
| - You May Not Have Seen the Report or It Was Not | | | | for making learning to read easier in more than 300 |
| Covered. The results of even important and extensive | | | | alphabetic languages but never tried in English. In 295 |
| studies of literacy do not appear in all of the media for | | | | languages (at least 98% of them) students became |
| these reasons. (a) The literacy study may not be | | | | fluent readers in less than three months. Most of the |
| covered if there are too many "more important" | | | | 52.2 percent of U.S. adults who presently become |
| stories to be covered. By the time all the more | | | | functionally literate require two to four years. |
| important stories have been covered, the results of | | | | - All reasonable objections to spelling reform have |
| the study are no longer "news." (b) Some media | | | | been thoroughly debunked by distinguished linguists and |
| executives have their reporters cover studies showing | | | | educators. To see a very scholarly debunking of |
| results they disagree with. Many will not; and (c) media | | | | objections to spelling reform from 1909 (!) -- at a time |
| executives are sometimes afraid that reporting | | | | when the need was not nearly as great as it is today |
| unfavorable results from a study will alienate them | | | | and when the changeover to a logical spelling system |
| from groups from whom they desire support. | | | | would have been much more difficult, without our |
| Obviously not all studies fit all three items. As a result, | | | | present computer programs and printing capabilities -- |
| literacy and learning to read may -- for example -- be | | | | see the last chapter of English Spelling and Spelling |
| front page newspaper stories in some newspapers. It | | | | Reform by Thomas Lounsbury, LL.D, L.H.D, professor |
| may be totally ignored in others. | | | | emeritus of Yale University. This is a book ready to |
| - You May Have Seen a Report, But the Way It Was | | | | read or download at the Internet Archive website. |
| Written Hid the Seriousness of the Problem. | | | | - The need is greater than ever in our increasingly |
| - Anne C. Lewis, a freelance writer on education | | | | complex world. Although spelling reform is easier than |
| concerns, says there are "two big problems" the press | | | | ever due to computer technology, it has never been |
| makes in its coverage of illiteracy. The first mistake is | | | | tried in English. Rudolph Flesch stated in Why Johnny |
| confusing adult illiteracy problems with problems in the | | | | Can't Read, pages 76-77 (this book is available for |
| public schools. It is typical to blame the adult literacy | | | | free reading or download from the Internet Archive |
| problems on the schools and then go no further -- as if | | | | website), |
| fixing the blame will somehow result in solving the | | | | Generally speaking, students in our schools are about |
| problem. Blaming the schools accomplishes nothing | | | | two years behind students of the same age in other |
| because, she pointed out, roughly 70 percent of the | | | | countries. This is not a wild accusation of the American |
| workforce in the year 2000 was already in the | | | | education system; it is an established, generally known |
| workforce and therefore permanently out of public | | | | fact.... |
| schools. Furthermore, she says, thirty million or more | | | | Usually the assumption seems to be that in other |
| Americans read so poorly they could "bring the whole | | | | countries children and adolescents are forced to study |
| economy crashing down. With the rapidly accelerating | | | | harder ... I think the explanation is much simpler and |
| technology in the workplace and its demands, for | | | | more reasonable: Americans take two years longer to |
| example, for reading the operating manuals and for | | | | learn how to read -- and reading, of course, is the |
| retraining, previous levels of illiteracy are no longer | | | | basis for achievement in all other subjects. |
| acceptable. She says the press rarely makes this | | | | |