Ideas for Change in America

 The cost of illiteracy to American taxpayers and businesses is $25 billion dollars per year.  According to the Education Portal Report of 2007, forty-four million adults in the United States are illiterate and each year that number increases by two and a half million people. Fifty million American adults are limited to a fourth or fifth grade reading level. Between forty-six and fifty-one percent of American adults are below the individual threshold of poverty because of their inability to read. Last year, nearly four in ten fourth-graders nationwide failed to achieve even partial mastery of the reading skills needed for school success. In our highest-poverty schools, nearly seven in 10 fourth-graders fail to read at this basic level.  (National Institute for Literacy) Stronger literacy skills are in order for all Americans to take full advantage of continuing lifelong learning opportunities.

Of the one billion illiterate people in the world, two-thirds are women.  On average, illiterate women bear six to eight children compared with literate women who have two. Infant mortality is reduced by 20% when a woman has four to six years of elementary education. As the education level of adults improves, 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 of their children.  reading.The number one reason cited for illiteracy is a lack of access to books. To live and prosper in this society, all people must be empowered with self-esteem, become lifelong learners with access to knowledge and skills that can sustain our lives at work, at home, and in our communities. 

Adults watch an average of seven hours of television daily, with 40% reporting that they'll watch "whatever is on". The United States Department of Education reports that before the average child enters kindergarten more than 5,000 hours of TV viewing has incurred. It takes less time to earn a Bachelor's degree! American families are spending less time and money on books than at any other time in the past two decades. As Americans read less, their reading and comprehension skills worsen. Children with fewer books in the household also performed more poorly in history and science test scores. Illiteracy is also the number one cause of children dropping out of school. Dropouts cost our nation $240 billion annually in social service expenditures and lost tax revenues.

Teens with poor self-esteem are more vulnerable to peer pressure, more likely to have depressive reactions, eating disorders, and low achievement standards. They are at higher risk to abuse alcohol and drugs, partake in violent activities, and to take risks such as driving dangerously.