Adult Literacy Development

The Problem:
According to the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), 92 million adults in the United States - almost 48 percent of the population - have very low or low literacy skills. Reading and writing at these levels makes it difficult to earn a living wage and turns everyday tasks into extraordinary challenges.

For the 40 million adults in the United States with very low literacy skills - those designated by NALS as Level One - it is a struggle to read to their children or help with them with schoolwork. The reading level of these adults is severely limiting. They cannot understand the instructions on an appliance warranty, find an intersection on a street map, or locate two pieces of information in a sports article. Equally disturbing are the facts that 43 percent of those with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty and nearly one-third of prison inmates have very low literacy skills. Another 52 million adults have only low literacy skills (NALS Level Two). While these individuals have a basic ability to read, many everyday tasks are beyond their skill levels. They cannot, for example, write a short letter explaining a mistake on a credit card bill or use a calculator to figure out the difference between regular and sale prices described in an ad. Low literacy skills significantly impact adults’ ability to be productive as citizens, parents or workers.

The Implications:

• Forty-three percent of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty.
• Over 75 percent of current welfare recipients have very low or low reading skills.
• Only 30 percent of adults with very low literacy skills have full-time jobs. Some have part-time jobs, but over half of these adults no longer look for work.
• Nearly one-third of prison inmates have very low literacy skills. Close to 40 percent more read only at a low level.
• Several studies show that education programs reduce the likelihood that prison inmates return to jail after their release. A Federal Bureau of Prisons report found that completing an education course every six months reduced inmates' recidivism by almost 10%.