Thoughts on Literacy.

(Written Sep 12th, 2008 4:21am)

While not as pressing as world hunger or nuclear warfare, illiteracy is an issue affecting many Americans and people all over the world. Illiteracy can result in poor lifestyle choices, lack of a sustainable income, and difficulties in achieving success. The ability to read develops from an early age, and if not properly developed, it can become difficult to gain later. Some might say that a person’s entire life can be determined by the way they are raised, and that humans are shaped by their environment. If a child is raised in a harmful or un-supporting manner, it can result in learning or behavioral problems to develop. Without positive nurturing and education, a person’s ability to succeed in the modern world becomes less than that of someone who was raised in an environment more conducive to their needs. One of the most fundamental aspects of childhood development is learning how to read. Literacy is an essential skill in today’s modern society, and America’s children are falling behind the rest of the world. It is the responsibility of the American school systems and parents to ensure that the future of their children has the proper foundation. Literacy rates can be improved by developing new programs designed to focus on ensuring that children read often and have a wide variety of opportunities available to them to do so. Alternative forms of literature, such as comic books, video games, and the Internet, should be utilized to help establish a strong desire for children to read on their own time and of their own free will.

In modern America, the ability to read and interpret language is absolutely necessary on a daily basis. Children who struggle with reading may have a difficult time in developing the skills needed for employment and survival in their futures. All but the most menial of jobs requires the ability to understand and read. There are few occupations that do not require at least a minimal amount of reading, and many that require constant use of the ability to read. If children are unable to acquire jobs as they reach maturity, their future prospects dim ever so quickly. It would be possible to show that there is a correlation between illiteracy and juvenile delinquency, as the inability to succeed in their education can lead to young adults to drop out of schooling and focus on less law-abiding endeavors. It would also be possible to show a relationship between children who grew up with a strong sense of literary experience and success in business and life, by today’s standards. By establishing the proper cornerstone for literacy in children’s lives, the opportunities and future developments available increase greatly.

While getting a child to read may be a difficult task, there is a more pressing problem to address afterwards. If a child only reads when he is directed to, the probability of that child failing to establish good reading habits is increased. Getting children to read is simply not enough, a child must learn to enjoy reading and desire to read when not directly told to do so. The use of alternative forms of literature, such as comic books and video games, can be a helpful tool in establishing positive reading experiences. Having children move away from standard books and texts is good for establishing diversity in a child’s reading habits. Comic books and video games can be used to help a child to have fun while at the same time learn and develop confidence in their skills. Reading regularly is necessary for not just children, but all people, and should be done accordingly.

While some would argue that illiteracy is not a pressing issue in today’s modern world, many of the problems that we face today can be linked back to how people spent their childhoods. The homeless and poor, who were unable to achieve success, may have had a better chance at doing well in life had they an educational structure to rely on. Not all problems can be solved through literacy, but it’s a step in the right direction. With focus on establishing positive reading habits early on in a child’s development, and reinforcing those habits with diverse forms of literature, the United States has the proper cornerstone to addressing illiteracy.