https://www.grammarly.com/plagiarism-checker
Read this infographic. Respond to it. Also, how have you become so amazingly, wonderfully literate? To whom are you grateful for your literacy? What specific texts (Dr. Seuss, The Little House on the Prairie, Hatchet, Harry Potter...) do you recall making you--even slightly--more literate? Write compose 300+ words.
105 comments:
Literacy is the key to a bright educational future; It is something that everyone should have the privilege of being capable of. Upon seeing the given infographic, which itself is just a fun word to say, I was not expecting what I saw. I had to look twice at the number of illiterate people on our planet. A typical day consists of waking up at 6:00 only to sleep in for another half of an hour simply because the thought of having to go to school is unbearable. The key word there is have; We always claim that we have to attend school, while others do not get the privilege of attending high school, let alone any school at all. 124 million children do not attend school. Yes, you heard that right, 125 million. That is more than a big number, it is monumental. What kind of parents do these kids have, right? Well, most of those children live or were raised in impoverished countries have the means of attending school. Many dream of going to school and think of it as a privilege, not as a punishing form of persecution. What amazes me more is the prodigious (my very favorite word to use and will be present in as many of my compositions as possible) number of adults who are illiterate or have not attended school. I, myself, like to think I enjoy school and although I do not take delight in waking up at such an ungodly hour, I do appreciate being able to attend school for free or at least little to nothing for the past 12 odd years.
I quite enjoy being literate, however, I did not simply become literate; I was not born as a sharp-witted, schooled scholar. I was first an infant who knew nothing of the world outside of my white, wooden crib, let alone the blue checked walls of my bedroom. However, I grew up being read to by my parents, grandparents, and any other literate person. As soon as I could learn, I devoured books and found myself reading in my free time more than watching television, like the normal kid. I remember the exciting transition from picture books to chapter books in the first grade. I began reading The Magic Treehouse books, but soon went on to read the first three Harry Potter novels. My parents helped facilitate my love for reading and, of course, my literacy. As Ambeth R. Ocampo once pronounced, “School made us ‘literate’ but did not teach us to read for pleasure”(Ocampo).
Literacy is one of the keys to an educated and well founded society. Without being able to read or write, the population would never be able to read the newspaper or even write their opinion to bring about change. I am very thankful for my literacy and I would have to say that one of the biggest contributors to my literacy was my thirst to read while in elementary and middle school. During this time I would read one to two books a week. Not only was this an easy way to relieve stress but reading also helps to promote a healthy imagination and expand the reader’s vocabulary. My favorite series to read while I was in middle school was Cirque du Freak. THis series of books had an easy way for the readers to understand large vocabulary words that may have been unfamiliar. The use of this skill helped the reader better themselves and their vocabulary as well as reading the book for pleasure. Looking at the the infographic, it saddens me to know that a large percentage of children and adolescents are not attending school and learning how to read a write. The most startling information that the reader can get out of the infographic is that about twenty percent of Americans do not posses the ability to even read it. This pseudo epidemic needs to be resolved because the inability to read and write clearly. The ability to read a write cohesive sentences and paragraphs is a gift that should be available to the entire world population, not just those who are privileged enough to afford it or even be allowed to attend. As I stated in the beginning of this blog, literacy is of the utmost importance in order to maintain a civilized and healthy society.
These statistics are deeply saddening. They are also deeply convicting! Alas, all too often I am inclined to bemoan my station as a student, complaining about upcoming exams and essays. Such gripes are ludicrous--the 124 million children and adolescents who do not attend school would give anything for the academic opportunities I was born into. This reality is reminiscent of a theme in Luke 12: “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required….”
I am forever indebted to my parents for facilitating my literacy. As my brothers and I grew up, they read to us often--some of my earliest memories involve listening to the Bible at morning devotions. Occasionally, we children received bedtime stories from The Book of Virtues. The “Perseverance” chapter, recounting the alarming plight of Ulysses trapped in the den of the Cyclops, is seared into my memory. Such material is terrifying to the mind of a three-year-old! Yet it instilled in me an awe of books. I began to recognize the magic of literacy: my mind’s vivid pictures of the Cyclops, shaped by words from my father, had begun as mere ink on paper. My brothers soon began to read, and my time would eventually follow.
When kindergarten arrived, my mother introduced me to the Hardy Boys--she had picked up a couple of the mystery novels one day at a thrift store. I distinctly remember opening my first Hardy Boys book: after flipping the musty cover, I attempted to decipher a yellowed page. It was a struggle. With great effort I was able to read each consecutive word individually, yet at the bottom of the first page I had comprehended nothing. It would be another year before I could read one of the mysteries with ease. To encourage my literacy, my mother invented a sort of game: every few months we would visit an antique shop or thrift store searching for another Hardy Boys novel. The hunt was thrilling--and of course, I afterwards read the book we found. Never at the time did I recognize the brilliance behind my mother’s method!
Without question, the Bible has held the longest and most profound impact on my literacy. While I believe the book’s chief value lies in its capacity for familiarizing the reader with God, the text itself provides a remarkable degree of literary complexity. Proceeding by means of letter and law, genealogy and parable, poetry and prophecy--not to mention historical narrative--the Bible is an unparalleled training-ground for those seeking to improve their literacy.
Mullet 6
Looking at this infographic is sombering. Something almost every American teenager takes for granted is the ability to read, to write, and to have the resources needed to chase their dreams. We all have a dream, whether it be to play a sport, music, or a more traditional career. It is very rare to find a successful person that is not literate. It is a basic function needed for a non-primordial society, which we are. Our world is constantly moving forward with technology and new information; you need to be literate to keep up with the times. Imagine not even being able to read your own blog. It scares me that 14% of our US population is illiterate, because school is a requirement. Even if you were to drop out in high school, you still should know how to read. My curiosity grows the more I think about it.
My literacy is one that is quite odd. I have heard stories about me trying to read at age two. I am not sure why I had this drive, but I learned to read quickly. I have an older sister that probably helped me learn to read, though I do not remember. The Little Critter series were among my favorites, along with the Junie B. Jones books once I got good enough. For most of fourth and fifth grade I read RL Stine’s books. After that, it was simple trilogies like The Pretties. Once I got to high school, my reading slowed down. I wish it would not have, but I just did not keep up like before. I have started reading again, but only when I am not busy with homework or spending time with friends. Right now I am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks books, but I do enjoy other books like The Host. I think reading books is the best way to make sure you do not lose your literacy; therefore I will continue reading throughout my lifetime.
Looking at these statistics saddens me and it also scares me. Not only should children be able to go to school but they also should learn how to read. What will happen in the future to those illiterate kids who aren't able to attend school are aren't able to read? Maybe that one kid who isn't able to attend school or read is the one that will solve cancer. There could be a lot of potential in those illiterate kids but all they need is to start attending a school. As children here in the United States grow up into adolescents, they tend to think that reading is not the cool thing to do and school is dumb. Reading and school are taken for granted here in the U.S. and we should focus more on teaching young adults and kids how it can be beneficial and "fun" (I use this term loosely as some won't consider it fun).
My loving mother is the person who helped me learn to read. She was my first grade teacher and the start of most literacy is taught at the younger grades. She has videos of me trying to read at a very young age and she took me to the library to get books. During elementary school, I was particularly fond of a specific series called The Series of Unfortunate Events. These were my go-to books. Mystery was by far my favorite genre. In middle school, I began reading the twilight series and in high school, I read the Harry Potter series. Although my reading has definitely slowed down since school has started, I try to read on the weekends a few chapters here and there. Reading not only can make a person smarter but it can also help to broaden the mind. I hope that in the future, that we help those kids who are not able to read or attend school become literate and also spend more time in school reading.
I find it surprising how large the number of illiterate people there are in the world. I also found it surprising that a great portion of these people are younger. I would have guessed that because we are required to go to school, one would think that the younger population of people would be taught to read and write. Although these facts are surprising it does not surprise me that two-thirds of this group is women. This would most likely correlate back to history how women were not taught to read and write because they have “more important” things to do such as cooking, cleaning and taking care of children; I believe that would still play a factor today in this statistic. I think the most surprising thing throughout this picture of statistics is the fact that nineteen percent of the illiterate people are high school graduate. This is one thing that puzzles me the most. When I was younger, I read a lot of books. I would enjoy going to a library as a little girl, picking out as many books as what interested me, then going home to a quiet place where I would sit and read for hours upon hours. Even today, I find it enjoyable to go and purchase a book and read it when I have spare time. I believe I was self-motivated and fascinated to read along with my mom who read me bedtime stories often. One story I loved my mom to read for me over and over is “And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon” by Janet Stevens. I loved all the references to other children's nursery rhymes that were within the story such as Humpty Dumpty, Jack and the Beanstalk, and The Three Little Pigs. As I grew older, I enjoyed more complicated and a more detailed plotline such as in Harry Potter or The Tale of Despereaux.
Statistics can be powerful. These statistics on literacy surprised me, to say the least. I was completely unaware of the seven hundred and and fifty-seven million adults--fifteen years and older--who are unable to read or write a simple sentence. Living in the United States, it is hard to believe this because we are fortunate with our school systems and have the privilege of education that others do not have. Looking at the literacy map proves that the United States is truly fortunate. It surprised me that the illiterate population is spread across the world, not just contained to one or two areas. The last statistic, that nineteen percent of the illiterate adults in the United States are high school graduates, made me curious. How did these adults make it through high school? I cannot imagine the tough times they endured and the difficulty they faced to write or read a simple sentence. The majority of illiterate adults in the United States are the non-high school graduates, which makes me wonder if dropping out of high school should even be legal. If these adults had continued and graduated high school, my guess is that the number of illiterate adults would be less than it is. School is valuable and prepares people for their careers as adults.
I have become so amazingly, wonderfully literate due to my family, friends, and teachers.
Growing up, I attended the absolute best home daycare possible. It was basically pre-school, but I was having the time of my life at the same time. Barb Schuster, along with my parents, taught me how to read and write. Everyday at daycare we would do something different pertaining to literacy. This ranged from learning the alphabet and writing letters to eventually writing and speaking words. My elementary teachers and parents also helped to make me literate. Daily homework of writing and reading lead to literacy. Practice makes perfect. I also believe that listening to stories can improve a person's literacy. My third grade teacher, Mrs. Korbal, would read Little House on the Prairie to my class every single day. I can’t say that I have one specific author that made me even slightly more literate, but as a child, I read multiple Dr. Suess books adding to my literacy.
Gloege 1
In today’s world, it seems as if literature is everything. It is also everywhere around us. It will be very hard to obtain a job if you are unable to read, which would make life difficult. The info graphic states that in the United States of America, 14 percent of adults are unable to read. This is astonishing because it makes me wonder what they are doing with their lives. I do not understand how someone could be able to provide for themselves or for their families if they are unable to read. It also says that 124 million children attend school. I do not know how this is possible considering the fact that it is illegal not to attend a school if you are under the age of 18. I wonder what these children do with their days because I do not think they could get a job at that age without getting into some sort of trouble with the law for not attending school. I love to read and wrote, so I can not imagine if I was unable to do so. I have been reading since I was quite young, and I give most of the credit to my parents and teachers for helping me learn how. I think that students will not be willing to learn unless they are interested in the topic. This greatly helped me learn faster because I was enthusiastic about reading and writing. The info graphic states that 124 million children and adolescents do not know how to read, most likely due to the amount of the youth that are not attending school. When I was younger, I read many Junie B. Jones books, and those led me onto reading much larger books such as the Harry Potter series and The Great Gatsby. Without the ability to read and write, I would be nowhere near where I am at today.
Statistics are used all around the world. The statistics on literacy were surprising. Literacy is used everywhere around the world to communicate to different cultures. It was surprising the amount of adults that could not read in the United States: 32 million. 32 million is a lot people that can not communicate like us on a regular basis. Now's day and age it would be difficult to survive without reading. Every job has some sort of reading aspect them, and even communication as well. The hard thing to wrap my head around is the fact that 19% of the 32 million were high school graduates. How did they get through highschool and get their diploma without reading? How did students not go to school when it is against the law? I found it surprising that 12% of asia was illiterate because China and Japan are known as the brilliant workers and great at everything they do. It is amazing to see that 2/3rds of women can not read or write a simple sentence throughout the world. This is surprising in America but it makes sense when Africa, Mexico, and South America is added into the fact. These countries have breadwinners or the culture requires women to stay at home.
Mrs. Williams, my 1st grade teacher, read to us every single day on the “magic” carpet. She taught me how to read and write from the 1st day of class. But as I got older I had come to realize I had a hard time with speech which caused my reading to slow down. I was and still am a slow read compared to my other classmates. When I was younger, I read Junie B. Jones, The box car series, and Dr. Seuss. I still do not find reading “fun”. I do not like fantasy books, but I like historical books like Anne Frank type of books. I find those type of books very interesting and easy to comprehend. As I grow older, I hope to read more efficent and more complex texts.
These statistics presented are mind-grabbing. I would say for those of us attending school, there is something we all often take for granted--our education. It is discouraging to find that 124 million children do not attend school, most likely because they are not presented that opportunity, while the students (myself included) around here are not taking on school to the highest degree. Literacy is something that assumed to be a right, when in fact it is not at all. If everyone with an education realized they hold a great privilege in life that others are not receiving, education could reach full potential in those students. Pupils with the opportunity for education can be considered wasting it, while someone without the chance of education could be using it for the right purpose. Our world today revolves around literacy, so this topic poses a question for me. What would the world be like if everyone had the freedom of education? The earth we live in carries a number of tremendous things as a result of education, so I could only imagine what our world would be like today if education was able to fall in the hands of anyone who wanted to grasp it. As for myself, after reading these statistics it opened my eyes and I hope to be more grateful for my schooling. I have many people to thank for allowing me to become literate. I was not born with my knowledge, and I certainly could not have learned it all myself. My teachers, my parents, my grandparents, my babysitters, my older sister, books, and educational television shows are a few, out of many, resources that have given me a chance at being literate. When I was younger I had elders read to me as well as looking at books myself. Some of these resources included: the Magic Tree House series, Junie B. Jones, Little Critter stories, and I also owned a complete set of books that contained it’s own lesson on each individual letter of the alphabet. As of now, I will do my best to push myself further within my education to fully succeed. It is my duty to prosper so that I am not wasting a learning experience that could have gone to someone who would use it to full capacity.
Nelson 6
The ability to read is a great privilege that we take for granted. Seeing that statistics puts it all into perspective. I love to read and it is sad to know not everyone gets the same opportunity to do so. By looking at the map, there is a direct correlation between poverty and illiteracy. When I started reading the “Global Literacy Rates are Improving” section, I thought that eighty-five percent of adults who can read is not a bad percentage. But then I realized that leaves seven hundred and fifty seven MILLION that are still illiterate. That is truly saddening and scary because some adults must not even be able to read simple things like the directions of a medicine bottle. To not be able to read must be so frustrating and and intimidating that I cannot even begin to imagine. Reading is an exemplary way to expand your vocabulary and here in Brandon we have a whole orange book for us to study that we take for granted and complain about. Sure, we complain about school all the time, but we do not keep in mind the kids that wish so bad to be educated but are in a situation where they do not have the opportunity to learn. Within those one hundred and twenty four million kids, that are unable to reach their potential, could be the cure for cancer or the next Einstein. I remember when my love for reading began in school. In the first grade, the teacher always read to us "The Magic Tree House" series, and by the end of that year I had read those books so many times I knew them by heart. Of course I knew how to read before then but when I look back it was that book series that opened up a gateway to imagination and made me more literate. Now I believe that my literacy continues to grow as I study more vocab and even compose more and more essays.
In the beginning of the infographic I am happy because it says that literacy rates are improving. However as you scroll you can see that there is still a global problem with illiteracy. I do not find this fact pleasing at all. To me, reading and writing are two basic skills that are incredibly important and applicable in real life, for the rest of your life. How far can someone go without the skill to read? Even without the skill to write, the skill to read is still necessary. Not just talking about going to get a job, or applying to college, but reading in general. While trigonometry and integration may not be a tool we learn about and use daily, reading is very important. Having traveled to many foreign countries, one prominent difference you notice is that you cannot read any of the signs that are posted, and without someone who can read the language, you would quickly become lost. I think that this infographic illustrates also, the more and less developed countries of the world. Perhaps the first step in making the world a better place then, is not to solve world hunger or curing cancer (even though solving either of those things would be amazing), but to teach everybody how to read. Knowledge is power, knowledge is proof, and it all starts with a letter. Anyone can learn to read.
These ideals (that was my ‘soap box rant’. Sorry for getting so carried away there) and my own literacy are thanks to my parents, who encouraged me to read at a very young age. From the start I loved books. The Magic Tree House, The Last Apprentice, Inkheart, Deltora Quest and A to Z Mysteries are just a few of my numerous childhood favorites. Reading has always been a marvelous escape from reality, and as an only child, it is a wholesome and thoroughly entertaining solo activity. The massive amounts of reading I did as a child is the only reason I am as literate as I am today. When doing something fun, one does not notice how much they are practicing and how much work they are putting in, but now that I am older I see the trend. I practiced reading a lot, and therefore I consider myself more than moderately literate.
Shoot! October 12, 2015 at 9:24 PM is Haley Hammond, Pd 7 ^^^^
Reading the statistics from grammarly.com, astounds me. I cannot believe that thirty two million adults are not able to read, yet nineteen percent of them graduated high school!!! I do not understand how you are able to pass even the simplest elementary school class without knowing how to read, let alone graduating high school. They must have done something to allow the teachers to let them pass. I am also shocked at the fact that one hundred and twenty four million children do not go to school at all. Nine percent of which are six to eleven years old and seventeen percent are twelve to fifteen years old. Where do these children go? What do they do with all their time? There is a law that does not allow you to drop out of school until you are eighteen, so I do not understand how the government has not found out about them skipping school. I assume that those children are either homeless or have hardships that require them to work and make money instead of go to school. It saddens me greatly that those children are not able to go to school and have a childhood because every child deserves that. My peers and I all take our education for granted. We always talk about how we do not want to be at school and how we do not care. We should not take our education for granted like this because some children would do anything to go to school. As a child, I read many books. My parents would always force me to read before bed, even though I secretly enjoyed it. The main books I read were Junie B. Jones, Ramona and Beezus, and Magic Tree House. I found them so fun and interesting and I still do to this day. My parents and teachers were the main reasons I read books. The teachers had us read for AR points. If you got a certain number of points you would sometimes get prices so that would motivate me to read more books. My parents also had me read before bed every night as a child. I am glad they made me read before bed because I think it made me understand literature better and it also helped my grammar flourish.
7 Bose said…
Looking at the graphs and charts above I realize how many people in today's world do not have the ability to read or write properly or even at all. The numbers on these graphs frightens me. I will admit that I take advantage of having the ability to read and write. I do not realize how lucky I truly am. When I was younger I was one of those kids who had to receive extra attention and be taken out of my normal classes and was taught individually by a special teacher due to the fact that I was so far behind when it came to reading and writing. Today I am still a horrific speller but it is far better then when I was seven. The first book I ever read was “Hop on Pop” by Dr. Suess. As you may know Dr. Seuss's books consist of rhymes and words that are easy to comprehend by the child’s mind, but for me, this book seemed like I was reading something in a different language. Once I caught onto the whole idea of reading and how to interpret it, I became an excellent reader. When I was in my upper years of elementary school I became one of the “advanced readers” in my grade. I read books that were meant for upperclassmen. A book series that I started to read was “A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket. This was my favorite book series that consisted of thirteen books. These books were very intriguing. They discussed three siblings and how they became so called “orphans.” Mr. Snicket used very large words that I remember I would have to either ask my teacher what they meant or look them up in the dictionary. This series of books challenged me to use a broad and very diverse vocabulary and to help me get a better grasp on what a story plot is and other things like climaxes, conflicts, resolutions, and other things that help create amazing and detailed literature. I have come a long ways from when I was seven and couldn’t read the sentence: the cat ate or even spell my own name, but I also am still naive and have a long ways to go.
In this day and age, with all the leaps in technology and communication, one would think that all of the world would be literate. Upon reading through these illiteracy statistics however I have been awoken to the fact that this is not entirely true. Then I thought well the United States (considered to be one of the most progressive countries in the world) must have at least a 90% literacy rate...right? Wrong. 14% of the United States population can not read. That is 32 million adults, 19% being high school graduates. The highest illiteracy rates around the world are: south and west Asia at 51%, sub-saharan Africa at 25%, and east asia and the pacific at 12%. The question is: why are so many people unenlightened on one of the most basic skills? The answer is obvious, a lack of education. According to this “grammarly” website, 124 million children do not attend school. If children are not educated, when they become adults it will be even harder for them to learn then it was when they were younger. It also is much more unlikely that they will ever learn to read. Seeing that I have written 206 words up to this point, I am obviously literate. To this the first accreditation should be given to my elementary school teachers. These lovely ladies in my early years had the patience to deal with classrooms full of small humans without the ability to read or write. They read me hundreds of stories that influenced not only my ability to read, but my love for books and the wonders they hold. My father is probably the biggest factor in my current fluency in reading. He would read or tell me stories every night before I went to bed. It is my fondest memory as a child. It was something that made me look forward to bedtime. It was time with my daddy and time to listen to him read me tales of princesses and talking animals and far off lands. Specific books like Dr. Seuss, and any books involving animals or princesses were ones I adored. One I remember clearly was “The Kiss.” It was a tale my dad often read to me because he enjoyed the message. It is about a princess with a “kiss” (in the story it was represented as an orb of gold light so as a child I thought a kiss as a possession not a physical action), and she has many suitors but has to choose who is worthy of her kiss. It was a sweet tale that I still have in my closet to this day. Many things led to my current literacy, but storytime with my father is by far my favorite.
Literacy a key point of thriving in today’s society. It amazes me that there are still that many illiterate people in the world; it is even more astonishing that there is still a higher ratio of women who are illiterate. It is not surprising however, that America has one of the lowest illiteracy rate. However, 14% of America’s population is illiterate, a whopping 19% are high school graduates. I could not imagine not being able to read and passing high school, or forgetting how to read. I have become literate due to my parents and my sisters. I remember my mom would continuously bring me to story time each week while I was little; my dad would read me a book each night before I went to sleep. Books were all around me growing up. Some of the most common books my family read to me were the Bernstein Bears, Dr. Seuss books, and as a grew older, Moody Judy (Kristin’s favorite books). My sisters also influenced me to read, little did we know they would both grow up to be teachers themselves. My older sisters would read to me and help me read myself. Also, being the youngest, I wanted to be just like my older sisters and wanted to be a “big girl” just like them. As I grew up I found myself becoming much more drawn to writing and creating my own stories. I specifically remember sitting at my sister’s band concerts writing pages and pages of stories. Mrs. Pudwill, my fourth grade teacher, advanced my reading skills and open a new door to my interest in mysterious and morbid books. I vividly remember sitting underneath her desk and reading whenever we had time. I began reading at a higher level and longer books each day. I still love getting wrapped up in an unpredictable book or composing my own stories and thoughts.
Rowbotham pd 2
Literature is a really important part to education and pursuing your dreams and goals in life. May not seem like it but it used in almost everything we do. Writing and reading will be something one will have to do for the rest of their life. Reading the infographic really made me realize how much stuff is taken for granted. It should be looked as a privilege I get to go to school every day and receive an education so I can do my best to be successful in life. But instead every morning I wake up and hit snooze a bunch because I dread getting up in the morning and going to school. 124 million children do not attend school! To me that number is breath-taking and hard to believe. That many kids do not even have the chance to go to school, and I am dreading going to it everyday. I can not imagine how it would be not going to school, not having parents, and not knowing where your next meal is coming from. All this time I have been looking as writing my essays, and reading my books as a punishment when really it truly is a privilege. 757 million adults cannot read or write a simple sentence which is a revelation to me. I need to be more thankful for the education I am receiving.
Being Literate can be fun and entertaining. But I was not always literate growing up, and my parents really helped me throughout middle school. When the books Harry Potter and Ranger Apprentice were introduced to me I was immediately hooked and could not stop reading them. In my free time I would find myself perusing books and fell in love with them. I can thank my parents for helping get into reading and enjoying the books, because it really helps in the long run.
Arika Jacobson 6
Literacy is key to a fluent society. Our world depends on literacy, whether it be reading the newspaper, recording statistics, or simply reading the price of an item at the grocery store. To know that there are 115 million kids who can not read or let alone write a simple sentence, is mind-boggling. I complain so much about school and take the simple task of reading for granted. Kids in other countries would, and are dying, for the chance to go to school for one day.
Reading has always been a strong-suit for me, but by no means was I born a literate student. Thanks to my wonderful parents, I am capable of picking up any book and reading it. I will forever be indebted to them. I can vividly recall my dad sitting with me day after day reading through Dr. Seuss books with me. Green eggs and ham and Are You My Mother are forever some of my favorite books. My dad would also volunteer some of his time to help my first grade class and I learn how to read. When we would be assigned books and given certain times to read them, my dad would sit with me and make sure I spent the correct amount of time reading them. No matter how tedious that was or how annoyed I got, he would make me read them. I am now immensely grateful for that.
Today, I love reading and if it was not for my dad and mom making sure I read those books or for Dr. Seuss keeping me hooked, I don't think I would think twice about picking up a book. My love for reading drifted away from me for a time in middle school. But when 8th grade came around I usually always had a book in my hands. Reading is something I do to escape from reality; it helps relieve stress. Being literate can also help you be a better student. It helps with vocab because you have seen words used in books and it also helps you with spelling. It could even help you be a better writer by giving you visual examples of how to write certain sentences. Reading is a wonderful thing, and I think everyone should have the chance to become literate.
Hoffman 6
The statistics about the millions of adults, children or adolescents who can not read or write shocks me. Not only is the ability to read or write lacking for them but everyday sentences that people speak, such as a simple sentence, 757 million adults, years 15 and older, are unable to do. Out of these massive numbers, 19 percent did not graduate high school which would make sense with the number. I firmly do believe that if my parents would not have hammered down the law on me reading when I was younger that I would be quite an atrocious reader. I never did enjoy reading, still to this day I am not a tremendous fan of reading. When I was younger my parents would read to me Dr. Seuss and I also read a lot of his books on my own time along with Harry Potter. When reading about this article though and the massive number of people that are able to read and write, I wonder what percent of that is the older aged group; the men who fought for us in wars and the wives or single women who were unable to attend school. Men would often drop out of high school to help on the farms or to go into the military while the women were unable to follow through with schooling as well. The numbers hopefully will be diminishing as the years progress, not due to the older generation passing away but with the education system constantly growing, becoming more widespread around the world. I do not think I speak for myself when I say if I would have kept reading as much as I use to that composing would be effortless. My vocabulary unfortunately is exceptionally sad for a senior and I do not blame anyone but myself because I never chose to read when I had the time.
(Not part of the 300 words, just pondering the statistics)
Some of these statistic to seem flawed to me though. For the statistic that is noted at 757 million adults, ages 15 and up are unable to read or write a simple sentence I believe is an extreme stretch. If this is correct than that would mean for every 1 person who can read or write a simple sentence that 7 people cannot. Putting into the factor of the rough estimate of 26% of the world is under the age of 15, that leaves another 74% or 5.7 billion people. I could believe this website, not saying it is wrong by any means but now-a-days reading the internet is so flawed that finding correct information is quite slim. Overall, was quite an interesting read, made me do a little bit of elaborating on these numbers.
757 million people, fifteen years of age or older, are incapable or reading or writing a simple sentence. That sentence, is one of the saddest things I have come across. I was born into a life of education without even trying. I continually gripe about upcoming tests and essays, when there are children worldwide wishing to simply learn how to read. Literacy is important to the upcoming generations of the world; who we are today and our education reflects on the future society. The families who are incapable of reading or writing...how are they able to educate their children or their children's children? 115 million people, ages 15-24, are illiterate and 2/3 of those illiterate people are women. Women, in some countries, are still unable to work, or simply be educated. Women all throughout the world are forced to stay home and cook, clean, have children, and prepare those children, boys specifically, to begin working to help with financials. It saddens me to think of all the complaints everyone has said about going back to school after a long summer break, when some children are on a summer break all their lives. Their summer is not partying, sleepovers, games, or going to the beach. Their summer is working, cleaning, and cooking; every day of every year. To the people who are privileged with an education and simply waste it, shame on you. Others would dream of something so fortunate that you can just throw away simply like it is nothing. I am thankful every day to have the education privileges that I do. I hope to further my education not only in English, but expanded to Spanish as well.
Throughout my years my parents and my teachers have taught me everything I know, and for that I am forever indebted to them. Not only literature, but things such as how to play sports, write checks, politeness, bravery, and much more. I remember as a little girl, my mother would always read me Dr. Suess. One book particularly, "Are You My Mother," was read to me every time I asked. I am grateful for the education I have.
6 Thelen
I am truly astonished by the statistics of global literacy. I can not fathom the thought of not being able to read a book. The statistic that 32 million adults, 14 percent of the population, can not read. One of my cherished hobbies is reading a book. For example, I have read over ten books during the summer break. This particular vacation lasted around three months. I was able to read when I was on break at my job as a lifeguard. It took me by surprise when 19 percent of those are high school graduates. How does one make it to graduation and not be able to read. I am shocked and it makes me question how they will survive in the work force. Any career will require the necessity to read and write. As I examined the global map I noticed there were no percentages for the United States of America. It was relieving to see that there is no large percent of American populations that are illiterate. The farther down I scrolled, the more shocked I became. 124 million adolescent and children do not attend school. School has become ingrained in the everyday life in the United States. I see this statistic coming from the countries where it might be dangerous to go to school. It might be dangerous if the country is at war. It is also commonly seen that children do not attend school simply so they can join the workforce earlier and help support their family. Women have a higher illiteracy rate compared to men. Out of the 757 million adults that can not read or write a simple sentence, two-thirds are women. Over in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan women are not allowed to attend school. With countries that have the same values as Afghanistan raises the statistics of women being more illiterate. I am grateful that I do not fall under any of these statistics. I would give all the credit of being illiterate to my parents. When I was in elementary school they challenged my to read one simple book before I went to bed. They also push me with my AR goal. Their pushing lead to me advancing in reading and helped me find books that I enjoy reading. I specifically remember reading The Little House on the Prairie. I was fortunate enough to receive the whole collection as a gift on Christmas. My mom was the one who I received the gift from. My parents are solely responsible for helping advance in my reading and writing.
7 Nador
Thanks to the rapidly developing technology and the improving connection between people, global literacy is improving. Highly populated but economically struggling countries face problems though; they can not afford enough schools and education, which results in a large part of the nation remaining illiterate. This causes those people to miss out on opportunities, they probably will not find a job, and will have an extremely hard time trying to make a living and/or provide for their families. Due to the richer part of the world being kind and charitable, the problem is being worked on, and different solutions have been come up with to help. To be honest, it surprises me that 14% of America’s population is illiterate; I would have thought that number would be minimal because of the U.S.’s financial and social status. I would probably have voted Africa as the least literate part of the world, but it is South and West Asia/ India and the neighboring areas, which seems reasonable too.
My literacy results from my mom finding me an amazing school and teachers that first taught me to read and write in my first language, and then in a second language as well. I became multilingual in elementary, and all my gratitude goes to my mom and all my teachers in the first place who pushed me beyond my limits, and brought the best out of me. When I was young, I used to read countless novels, books, poems (a significant chunk of them was mandatory, but still, they count), which expanded my vocabulary and made me sound more educated. Some popular texts I have came across: The Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, 1984, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Oliver Twist, and Jane Eyre. I will continue to study and broaden my knowledge, because I feel like there is always more to learn.
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Andy Holmes 2
These facts regarding literacy were absolutely astonishing and sombering to me. I could not believe that 15 percent of the global population was illiterate. It saddens me that in most in cases, these people are illiterate due to their circumstances, and not because of their unwillingness. All people should have the opportunity and chance to learn to read and to write. From previous years in school, we talked about how girls in some countries (middle-eastern usually) were not allowed to learn to read and write. After looking at the facts it seems that this is not as prevalent and I am pleased with that. I was also very surprised with the United States literacy rate. It was shocking to me that 32 million of all the people living in the United States were illiterate. That is 14 percent of the population! 14 percent! I never would have thought that a “first world” country would have that many people who can not read or can not write.
I first started reading around the age of 4 from what my parents have told me. They were not large, complex books. I fondly remember reading all of the Berenstein Bear books. My mother and I would read them every day and I absolutely loved it. As a child, I read quite frequently. I eventually got to reading book series such as Harry Potter and A Series of Unfortunate Events. I read six of the Harry Potter books in 2nd grade; the last seventh book still had to come out, and I eagerly awaited for it. I really want to re-read the Harry Potter books because I do not think my second-grader mind fully comprehended what was going on. I think that reading plays a vital role in our world today. It helps out with nearly everything you do since you always have to read a recipe, a manual for a car, or even a legal document. Reading is everywhere, and I hope that the problem of illiteracy is eradicated within our lifetime.
Wardlow 6
It astonishes me that there is such a large percentage of the world population that is illiterate. I believe that all people should know how to read, I believe by being literate you can better contribute to society. Simply having the skill to read and write you become more useful in the workforce and other parts of society. I also believe being literate can help defend yourself and other people, an example of this would be if the government were trying to pass an unjust law, by being literate you may be able to realize that it is unfair and you can respond to it and fight it bettering society as a whole. If you are illiterate you can more easily be taken advantage of. I became literate through school, it all began in preschool with a song that all students know by heart, The ABC’s. By learning the alphabet this gave me a basis to all the words I would learn throughout my lifetime. My literacy can be credited to all my teachers and even books I have read throughout my life. I am constantly expanding my vocabulary not only through words I am learning in school for vocabulary tests, but also through literature that I read. It is amazing the number of words that you learn simply by reading books especially older books that have older english words in them. I have learned a multitude of vocabulary from reading the Bible. I believe that the Bible really has helped me with my literacy even from a young age. In elementary school I remember memorizing the Ten Commandments for Sunday school, I learned many new words, lust and covet are just a few of the words I learned along with thy, shall, and many other old english words. Of course nobody could possibly be literate without Dr. Suess. His quirky stories and rhyming patterns made reading as a young child a fun activity, more or less an adventure.
After reading this infographic, it dawned on me how fortunate I am to be able to attend school. Many children in different countries do not get the opportunity to learn in a school setting during their lifetime. After reading the statistics, it is heartbreaking to see that 757 million adults, ages 15 and older, cannot read nor write a complete sentence. Approximately 504 million of the 757 million illiterate adults are women. 124 million adolescents, ages 6-15 years old, do not attend school. Sometimes in life we take things for granted; we do not realize how lucky we are to be able to attend school on a daily basis. I know…you may be thinking why school? We often complain and do not want to go to school. In the winter, we wait by our cell phones anticipating a call from Dave Pappone that school will be canceled due to the weather. We take for granted that receiving an education in a school setting is a privilege. Being able to attend school could literally mean the world to children that do not get the experience or the opportunity. Receiving an education and being literate opens the doors for opportunity, success, and a future. It is sad to look at the regional map and see that from Latin America and the Caribbean to East Asia and the Pacific there are children and even adults that are illiterate and cannot write a single sentence. Statistics show that 32 million adults in the United States are illiterate. This is an alarming statistic when you think of the United States as the “land of opportunity.”
I would not classify myself as being amazingly literate. Reading is not something I really took a large interest in until I was guided by a librarian in sixth grade. I was in a hurry to check out a book to read in study hall and the librarian asked me if I knew what genre the book was that I was checking out. She was kind enough to guide me in the right direction to pick out a genre that I enjoyed reading-mystery books. Ever since then, I have been able to pick up a book and enjoy the act of reading. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Rist, knew how to get the class’ attention when the class would get a little rowdy and our attention span was short. She would pull out a Junie B. Jones book and read the book aloud with expression. The Junie B. Jones book series caught the attention of many of the first graders. As first graders, we enjoyed the books because Junie B. Jones was always doing adventurous things. To first graders, the books were so interesting and funny. I do recall becoming more engaged in literacy activities because Mrs. Rist would ask for volunteers to read a sentence or two of the book aloud to get the students interacting with the book. Growing up, Junie B. Jones was my favorite book series.
I think the major reason I am more literate than others in the world is because my parents put in a large amount of effort to educate me at a young age. They instilled in my mind that I need to strive for greatness, continue to pursue my goals, and never be satisfied. They cared about my ability to communicate and survive in a world run by language and conversation. These facts are very saddening that most of the world cannot even properly communicate with each other. One thing that really caught my eye in this survey was the fact that out of thirty two million Americans that are illiterate, nineteen percent of them graduated high school. I really do not understand how someone could graduate high school without being able to read. Another surprising fact from the infographic was the fact that males are more literate than females throughout the world. I would have actually made the opposite assumption do to the fact that females tend to more studious in a school and work setting. However, I do think the fact that women’s right came late in history, that that could have something to do with it. Communication is such a strong tool that many forget to cherish. Communication is the essence of human survival in the fast paced world with live in today. This may sound unoriginal, but do have to give a lot of my literacy credit to the dictionary and thesaurus. These texts have really helped me extending my knowledge of words. I honestly never read books, but when I was in middle school I was seriously addicted to reading the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. Something about the way she placed the words together make you fall into the story and feel everything the main characters felt throughout the novels.
Education to some is the greatest gift in life. Although it is implied as a gift, others dread the start of a new school day, and all the glory it sheds. From the day we are born, education starts at an early age. Most daycares and facilities start the building blocks of learning. The alphabet and number line both structure a child's education before pursuing kindergarten through senior year of high school. These statistics are hard to believe… it is very saddening that with all the government does for communities and school programs, we cannot offer this to other countries. We aid the islamic countries to rebuild the government and society. What about the 51 percent of illiterate population in south and west Asia. The fact that 32 million adults cannot read what so ever, and 19 percent of the 32 being a high school graduate, you must wonder how they perform daily functions. Whether it is reading signs on the side of the road, options on a lunch menu, or a text on your cell phone, reading goes hand in hand with life activities. How do these adults know how much their housing bills cost? Do they strictly rely on their children whether they be in the school system or not?
When it comes to my own literacy, I believe i am insufficient. Throughout my childhood, I have been almost forced to read books.. especially one I could never enjoy. When it comes to entertainment I would rather spark up the television than open up a dusty book. I believe I feel this way because of my family and surroundings. Both my parents alike do not enjoy the art of reading. They both struggled through schooling, caring more about the materials in life as a teenager. The belief of literacy and its importance is something I have always planned to do for myself. I would love to be able to read faster, expand my vocabulary, and be able to comprehend ideas faster. I hope this class helps me reach my goals and shoot past them.
Approximately a century ago, only the wealthy and noble could even attend a school; needless to say there was not an extensive amount of well educated people in existence. Then came along reformations in the workplace and workers’ rights. Along with the numerous improvements in the workplace came advancements in the educational system. This made a formal education immensely more affordable, which allowed the vast majority of people to become literate. Fast-forward to today, and I--as an educated student--know how to read and write. However, the school system only gave a helping hand in my progress as a literate man. The main source of my reading skills came from the books that my parents read to me. These books include children’s books with titles such as Stellaluna, Charlotte's Web, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Goodnight Moon, and Dr. Seuss’s many novels. For this, I will most certainly be eternally grateful to both of my parents as well as the multitude of teachers and helpers that I have had over the years.
Literacy is not only crucial in the sense of the individual and classroom, but in more worldly topics as well. Politics, for instance, simply cannot function properly without proper literacy. Politics cannot function without literacy because of the style in which politicians their literacy. The primary reason that literacy is imperative in politics is so politicians can use their powers of persuasion in order to obtain and meet their goals, as well as to aid other politicians reach their goals.
To me, literacy can occasionally be a nuisance, however that experience has proven to be useful later on in my life. I was able to use my literacy in important documents such as college applications and job applications. Both of these were able to supply me with a little extra money in my pocket for later use. By this logic, one may be able to say that literacy can lead to more money in one’s bank account.
Statistics are always eye-opening for myself--global literacy stats are heart wrenching and partly unbelievable. Waking up every morning to attend school has been a everyday routine for almost fifteen years of my life. Worksheets, quizzes, and tests have been a weekly occurrence that never fails to bring along complaints and stress from procrastination. However, I have been taught from a young age that school (even with all its stresses) should not be taken for granted especially since one-hundred and twenty four million children and adolescents do not attend school. Adolescents that same age as my two younger sisters are not attending school and in turn seven-hundred and fifty-seven million adults fifteen years and older cannot read or write a simple sentence. At first the thought of not attending school sounds amazing; no classes equal endless opportunities of free time with friends and to basically do nothing. How could time to do whatever you wanted not sound fun? After thinking logically about the answer to that question, one will realize that not being able to read or write can hamper a life greatly...by not being able to read, driving would be almost impossible with all the road signs telling one where to go or how to obey road rules. Grocery lists of items needed at a house would never be if one could not write their own name. I consistently complain about school and forever will but I will always carry the knowledge of how lucky I am to have an education. I am grateful for school, Margaret Wise Brown, and Norman Bridwell. With help of Google, I was able to find the author of the books Big Red Barn and Clifford the Big Red Dog. The simplicity of the two children's books makes reading easy for new readers. These two books were my favorite as a child and my first pick at bedtime while babysitting. Myself and children I babysit can be granted great visions images from either of the Big Red books.
The amount of people who cannot read or write in this world is very stunning. With all the technology and instant sources available through the internet makes it very difficult to believe that such a large amount of the world left in the dark when it comes to being able to read or write. The overwhelming number of adolescents left who are illiterate is a very alarming statistic because they are the future leaders of the world. Being able to read is the key to being able to formulate one’s own thoughts and opinions, thus giving them freedom, but sadly this is not a freedom given to many young people. The fact that two-thirds of these adolescents are women most likely means that they were somehow stopped from finishing and basic education and learning to read and write. Most likely, these women were taken out of school because they needed to get a job to help support their family, were not seen as equals to men and therefore do not “need” an education, had a child or children of their own at a young age, or any combination of the three. Social norms of these countries with low literacy rates must change in order for these young women to get a chance to learn.
I, however, was fortunate enough to be born in the United States and get the best opportunities possible to become educated and learn to read and write. As a toddler, my parents read to me constantly and began to instill a love of reading in me. When I started school and learned the alphabet, I began reading small, simple books myself and began to want more. As I grew older the books slowly but surely became more complex and stretched into many genres and interests. Roald Dahl became my favorite author as a ten year old fourth grader. His imaginative books intrigued me and kept my interest until I had read a majority of his works. My favorite work of his was his memoir of his childhood titled, Boy: The Tales of Childhood. Kate Dicamillo’s work The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was also one of my favorite novels. This novel may have been meant for a young reader, but it’s principles and heart breaking climax are still burnt into my memory to this day.
The ability to read and write is an essential to our education. We feed off the words and understanding of writing to display our verbal communication. The fact that 757 million adults that are 15 years or older do not know how to read or write a simple sentence sickens me. How to we let this happen. Education is our main source to being successful. We get our jobs and provide for our families with this opportunity. Students including myself often take the educations when are provided for granted. We get the opportunity to learn new things everyday about our world for free when there are other people in this world to hope and pray to get the education that we get. The fact that 124 million children and do not attend school astonish me. Many individual do not even have an option to go to school. Countries do not have the money to make schools and provide the proper education that is needs. As a result of that 32 million adults do not know how to read. Mind-blowing.
I was not born as the literate child. I never really have been. But getting the help from my parents and the English education I have taken it has made me into a new literate. I can read with no problem and I have learned to write high strung essays with the help of my teachers and peers. As a child I used to read a lot of The Magic Tree house and Juny B. Jones as and young student these book helped me gain the interest in reading and made me want to encounter more learning sources. If I did not get the privilege of education that is given to me, I would not be able to read and write at the level I do today. I am truly blessed. No one should ever take this incredible learning resource for granted.
After reading the infographic, I was very shocked to see how many people are illiterate. Grammarly did a wonderful job at organizing the data so that it flowed smoothly and was easy to understand. The one concern I have with the infographic is that all of those poor illiterate will not be able to read this and understand how big of a deal this really is. Another sad part is too see how many young adults actually do not attend school. I believe it was around 65 million. To me probably the most shocking was to see that 19% of high school graduates still are illiterate. How in the world did they graduate if later on they can not even read or write. Speaking of being literate and illiterate, I can remember some books that I had read in my childhood and middle school years that, as a whole, improved my reading skills even the slightest. One such book was Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I read this book in middle school, and I remember having a tough time to understand some of the words and imagery created by the book. The storyline itself was quite intriguing. The premise was that in the future, humans were created in embryos, but at hundreds at a time. Imagine a whole workforce in a factory, and they were all twins. Everything created by one egg. I remember this story improving some of my vocabulary and teaching me a thing or two about a thing or two. A second book that I can recall reading is The Chase by Clive Cussler. I cannot recall when I exactly read this book but I remember it captivating my imagination and teaching me a new word or two along the way. Clive Cussler composes books to a little older audience than me, but I wanted to read this book because it had a locomotive sinking to the bottom of a lake on the front cover (I love trains). The story takes place in the early 1900s and there have been bank robberies in mining towns, but the robber never leaves a trace behind. Who better to call than Isaac Bell to work on the case. From there I guess you could say Isaac had to chase the robber down.
After reading these statistics I must admit I was quite shocked. One of the biggest reality checks for me was the stat on regional distribution of the illiterate population. Regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa are at 25%, and even worse South and West Asia are at a 51%. Whereas in the US and much of Russia is only at 1%. Setting my alarm clock every night, knowing that I have to get up and go to school in the morning is not always my favorite thought. However the keyword is have... living in the US we have to go to school until we are 18, and then after that it is our choose. Whereas in other countries (such as africa) they do not have that option. Many children in illiterate countries dream of being able to receive the education that we take for granted.
As for myself, I did not just suddenly become literate. Growing up my parents, siblings, or grandparents would constantly read to me. Although at the time I could hardly understand the concept, it was putting me on the road of literacy. As a little kid reading was very interesting to me. Going through elementary and middle school one of my favorite classes was reading. Being literate and able to read and enjoy books made a big impact on my life… and still does. I am grateful for my family that started me off on the right track by reading to be and sending me to school. I would not be typing this blog today if it was not for their great help. Also as much as I dread grammar; I am grateful to know how to use it. Being literate will get you many places in life without it there is little to achieve.
I am very humbled by this infographic. It makes me appreciate how many people helped me to be able to be literate. It also makes me appreciate how lucky I am to be able to just pick up a book and read it for the most part. In some cases my comprehension may not be enough for the book I’m reading. Like in the book The Four Agreements, I regularly have to read a page twice to fully comprehend the point that Don Miguel Ruiz is trying to make. On another note, I think the person who has helped me the most with my literacy would have to be my loving father. He used to read books like The Jungle Book, Narnia, and this other book that was a collection of 365 different short stories, one for every day of the year.
I used to be so fascinated with how easy it was for him to be able to piece those letters together in such a simple way that I would regularly ask to read and even though I would stutter and stumble through most stories I religiously asked and he would let me read whatever I wanted which did a lot for my confidence and my overall reading ability. Another aspect of my childhood that really helped me to become a better reader was the AR tests. If you did not know, you would read a book and then take a test over the material. It really made me read a lot of books and helped with my comprehension so I could answer the questions. Even though I complained about it in elementary school, I greatly appreciate it now. Without AR tests and my father I don’t think I would be near as good of a reader as I am now. I feel sorry for those who can’t read simply because they did not have the resources around them to become a better reader.
Upon reading this infographic, it allowed me to realise how grateful I should be for the learning opportunity I have been given and the spectacular school I am in that has taught me everything I know to this day. When I become aware that there are around 757 million fifteen years or older that cannot read or simply even write a single sentence I was awestruck. I was completely numb to the fact that if any of those 757 million had the chance to be in the position I am in, they would grasp that opportunity with white knuckles and hold on for dear life. Yet, most days I will find myself complaining about little things like tests, quizzes, and assignments that I have due or have to do the next day.
There are very minimal reasons why I am as literate as I am to this day, but I would not be nearly as literate as I am without the help of my parents. When I was a young adolescent, my parents introduced me to books such as Dr. Suess and Magic Treehouse books. Both of these books may not have been the most difficult books to comprehend, but it set the standard for what I know now. Another person I know I will have to thank sometime later in the year is Mr. Christensen. I am not saying this just because I want to get a good grade in this class, but because he is definitely the most literate person I have been able to meet and I know he will teach all of his students how to be as literate as he is to the best of his ability. I know that from only being in this Composition class for about 2 months that I have learned many ways from what he has provided to us and from his own knowledge how we students can become more literate.
When looking at the infographic, I feel extremely grateful that I have had the opportunity to have such great teachers, parents, and peers to advance me in the skills of reading and writing. It astounds me that in the world there are a total of five hundred and fifty seven million adults fifteen years and younger who can not read or write a simple sentence. When looking at what causes illiteracy, you see that one hundred and twenty-four million people do not attend school. Education comes as a chore to most kids in the United States, while children all over the world would be gratified at the opportunity to achieve an education. I have been going through school since I can remember and I would be nowhere in the educational aspect if I have not been able to attend school for as long as I have. This infographic truly makes me see how fortunate I am. One thing that bothers me in this infographer is that two thirds of the adults who can not read or write a simple sentence are women. This opens my mind to realize all the countries who deny women the right of an education. I do not fully understand that out of the thirty-two million adults who can not read, 19 percent are high school graduates. While going through elementary school, middle school, and high school; how can one not learn how to read? There is something wrong with the school systems if a student graduates without the ability to read. reading, once a difficult task to do, has been one of the most appreciable tools to have in life. Reading allows you to become more educated through each word you read. Past teachers and my parents helped me learn how to read and write at a young age. Once I accomplished the simple tasks of how to read a small book and write a simple story, the practice of more reading and writing is what really helped me perfect my ability to read and write. I believe the saying “practice makes perfect” is connected with reading and writing; the more I read and write the more literate I become.
6 Peterson
Reading the statistics...I was in complete disbelief. I never realized how much of our population was not educated in literacy. One statistic that left me heartbroken was that 124 million children and adolescents do not attend school. Since I have been given the great opportunity of education, this statistic certainly open my eyes. People are just given the opportunity to attend school, often do not appreciate the privilege that we receive (myself included). Countries that are in need do not have the money to give their children the experience of education that most of us, Americans receive. The part that blew my mind the most was that was that 19 percent of high school graduates are illiterate. This statistic doesn’t make sense to me…how did they graduate high school without be literate? Literacy is a key part to success—guiding us to a more fulfilled life. People with good literacy skills are more likely to have higher self-esteem, better health, and better jobs.
I was not bless with literacy as a child—still a work in progress. Able to read and write is a task I am able to accomplish. I am to give my greatest appreciation to my patient parents who have stood by me, guiding to me become literate. Also every single English teacher I have acquired has given me a profound sense of literacy. Lastly my peers have aided me too, for example they give me their opinions on how to improve my essays. The first book I remember that pushed my interest was The Magic Tree House. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Adams, would read it to us every day. Also another book that I recall is, Junie B. Jones. That book was the first chapter book I read independently and started my excitement for being able to read.
Statistics have always been so hard for me to comprehend just how extreme they can be. I was shocked to read that 757 million adults 15 years and older cannot read or write a simple sentence. Not only that, but 2/3 of them are women. I guess in some ways this fact makes sense, considering some countries do not allow their woman to be educated. It also was perplexing that 19% of the 32 million adults that cannot read are high school graduates. How can you even make it through high school, incompetent to read? I don’t understand how you could possibly even pass a class. After reading through these statistics, I became very fortunate. I am fortunate that I was born in a country where women are allowed and everyone is encouraged to become educated. I am thankful for my teachers, especially in elementary school, for giving me a solid foundation of reading and writing. I remember how they would set AR goals for us to read a certain amount of books in a set time. I would love reading the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. It taught me just how powerful a book can be to take us to another fictitious world. Even now, being urged and pushed out of my comfort zone to become an even better reader and writer is something I feel blessed to have. Lastly, I am thankful for my parents that made sure that reading was a part of my life growing up. They would read to me anytime of the day that I would ask. They would buy my sister’s and me books to encourage a positive habit of reading. It makes me somber at the thought of the grand number of those around the world who are illiterate. It makes me deeply appreciate the opportunities and education I have received. I guess we really don’t personally understand the true meaning of an issue until it’s knocking on our back door.
I find it fascinating that 757 million adults are illiterate because literacy plays such a big role in the culture of most Americans. In America, it is required to go to school until you are old enough to drop out, or have completed 8th grade(only for hutterites). But these people are taught how to read at a very young age and are literate to some degree. I am grateful to the teachers at Cornerstone School in Sioux Falls for my literacy. The teacher who taught for me my kindergarten, first, and second years of my schooling did a superb job in teaching me how to read and write. In comparison to my younger brother and sister's primary education through a public school, I am fully persuaded to believe that the best education for literacy is through private schooling. Therefore, I am very thankful to my parents for providing my young self the means to attend a private school for my first 3 years of education. As a young girl attending private school, I was required to read a certain amount of books each month. One of the books that I picked up was one from the Junie B. Jones series. I was instantly obsessed with the series. From reading so many of these books, I improved my reading skills and learned to read very fast and fluently. I read through these books very quickly and begged my mother to get the next ones from library for me. I also read the Cul-de-sac Kids" book series. I read these books in 3rd and 4th grade and used them to achieve my AR goal, which I always exceeded due to an overabundance of "Junie B Jones" and "Cul-de-sac Kid's" books. I credit most of my current reading skills off the passion for reading base that I built off of as a child.
Bender 6
I can specifically remember when I first began reading. My mother taught me to read. I have a vivid memory of me sitting by the indoor pool at Avera and she pushed me to read-through my begrudging disapproval-a children's book series called Bob Books. Bob is an awkward baby character and he has friends who are shapes. My mom said that I hated reading. The only way to get me to read was by bribing me. I had to read through 3 books before I could swim. They are creepy looking back at them now, but I credit them for teaching me how to read. Also, my mother deserves a large hug and a thank you card for everything she does; teaching me to read is one of those specific things. She encouraged me to sound it out words whenever I got hung up on them.
I also remember going to kindergarten clearly. Starting a firm foundation in reading through school is key to success. We learn a vast variety of important skills at young ages . We learned to read and spell in kindergarten. Learning to read inside and outside of class helped my literacy. Continuing in schooling and reading as I aged increases my intelligence. When I got a little older, I was a big fan of the Magic Tree House and Boxcar Children books. These books got me excited to read, always asking to go to the library to check out the next book in the series. Books have been my fascination since I finally got the hang of learning. Writing came shortly after learning to read. I am extremely thankful for the teachers and my mother who never gave up on me when I was not wanting to corporate. Learning to read is one of the most essential skills in life.
Beck 1
I remember back in third grade as a class we read the Little House on the Prairie series, in the beginning I would bring my own book to class and read along with my class, but pretty soon I started getting pages and pages ahead of my class, then I would get chapters ahead of my class and my teacher would allow me to sit outside of the classroom and read myself at my own pace, in the end I was around a book or two ahead of my entire class. From then on I really enjoyed reading, I would read as much as I could when I could. Now-a-days I am not able to read all that often I am to busy with school, working and everyday life.
One of the statistics I found out to be really interesting is that 32 million, 32 MILLION ADULTS can not read, that is 14% of the population. That is a crazy amount of a adults that are not able to read. I thought that a lot of people were able to read, I did not think that there was this many people that could not. There are 124 Million children and adolescents that do not attend school, that is a crazy amount, an amount that you can not imagine, you would think that it would only be a small amount like a couple 100 children do not. It is insane that people are not going to school. How is it that over 757 million adults the age 15 or older that cannot read or write a simple sentence. They can not write a simple sentence, that is completely crazy. People normally think that this world is a normal place and that everyone is perfect and that everyone can read and write. When in all honesty it is the exact opposite, people have issues, they are not able to read, they are not able to write, and there is even a lot that can not read and write. I feel as though that people need to get a better education and get their lives in a better place.
6 Sadler Jessica
After reading these statistics, I am deeply grateful for the education I have. I was baffled to see that 124 million children and adolescents do not attend school. So often we take for granted our ability to go to school and expand our minds. I am blessed with the privilege of having wonderful, educated parents who seek to educate me as well. Because my mother was a teacher, I learned to read early on. My mother took time to sit down and read with me. I remember my bookshelf next to my bed stocked with hundreds of crisp, unread books. Every night I would pick one out and read it to my mom. Not only did this help my reading abilities, but it granted me exciting dreams when I fell asleep. I do believe reading helps develop the imagination. As children, our imaginations run wild and free, but as we grow older we are taught to think of things more realistically. Reading can open up our minds and create new, exciting worlds in our heads. It saddened me to see that 14% of our population cannot read. As stated before, I owe it to my mother for teaching me how to read. One of my favorite books to read with my mom was called “You Read To Me, I Read To You.” In this book, there were two different colored texts. My mom would read one color and I was designated the other color. I was not so scared to read because I knew I was not alone. I also loved to read Dr. Seuss. It was a blast reading his crazy, rhyming (not so much) words. His books were catchy and some of my favorite reads. Literacy is something I am so happy to say I have. Literacy never stays stagnant. Everyday I learn new words, sentence styles, and punctuation. I look forward to being able to grow in my literary endeavors.
Reading this infographic really made me open my eyes to what other people in other countries are going through. Seeing that the United States is not even a major part of this literacy statistic also made me realize how lucky as a country we are. Many kids, including myself, often complain about school and think of it as a burden but in reality it is an opportunity that many kids across the world do not even have. From the day we are born we are already being taught to read and write in little ways that did do not realize. Many of us take going to school and being able to have and education given to us for free for granted. Many kids and adults never had the chance we did. They were not allowed to go to school as a kid and were not given the same opportunities we were. Many of the kids grew up in poverty and in cultures that did not support kids going to school. Instead they were forced to: work, clean, cook, have children, and provide money for the family. Reading that 757 million people, fifteen years of age or older, are incapable of reading or writing a simple sentence truly shocked me. I had no idea that many people were incapable of something that that we think is so utterly simple and basic. It was positive to see that the global literacy rate was improving though. I think we should continue to help less fortunate kids and adults in other countries to be able to have an education and to learn to read and write. Reading and writing are just basic fundamentals, without them it can be extremely hard to sustain a good, decent paying job for the rest of their lives in order to support a family.
After learning these statistics, I am very grateful that i have been able to have an education that has taught me to read and write. I owe it to my parents and teachers who have continued to encourage and pushed me to work diligently in school. At a young age my parents introduced me to a couple different book series such as The Hardy Boys and the Alex Rider Series. Reading these book greatly increased my reading level and sparked other interests. Reading at a young age can just seem like fun but it helps with the basic fundamentals that will stick with you the rest of your life. I am very grateful for the opportunities I have been able to have in the US.
Illiteracy rates are more surprising than we may think. The first statistic states than adults have a lower literacy rate than youth do. This might seem unusual to some people when they first look at it but it simply means that the literacy rates are improving with each generation. Why, then, do women have a lower literacy rate than men in the world? This could be explained by the culture of some countries. Some of the highest populated countries in the world have a more patriarchal society and often times the women do not obtain a full education as a result. Areas of the world such as southeastern Asia and the Middle East are at 12% and 51% illiteracy respectively. These areas of the world contain almost half of the entire world’s population; luckily, we are fortunate in the United States to have a good enough education system that teaches a large majority of the population to be able to read and write. My parents were actually the ones to teach me to read before I began to attend pre-school. They had me start on these interactive books where you plugged in a cartridge according to the book you were reading and it allowed you to touch words to hear how they were pronounced. I distinctly remember one day when I was tinkering along on one of these books and suddenly it clicked! I learned how to read the basic words contained in these books and started from there; working my way up from Dr. Suess to The Magic Tree-house series and X Y Z Mysteries. The first exposure I got to advanced terms (at my age level) was in 6th grade when we had a unit where we broke off into small groups to read different novels and my group chose Anne of Green Gables. Though learning these words were difficult it helped me be more ready for future grades.
Finch 1
This infographic is somewhat of an eye-opener for me. It makes me feel more appreciative and thankful that I was raised in a manner where literacy is almost expected of me, maybe to the point where it isn't even considered due to how commonplace it is. Reading this article, however, I see how fortunate I am, as well as how unfortunate some people are. I can only assume the fact that 2/3 of the 115 million people who cannot read or write a simple sentence are women is due in part to the persecution and oppression of women in areas like the middle east, where women are discriminated against regularly in the society. Additionally, I never knew such a large population of people were illiterate in general; it is truly a sad and pitiful circumstance. My family has always been very involved in literature, particularly reading science fiction, fantasy, and horror books. My dad has a huge stash of books from fiction authors like Orson Scott Card and Stephen King that he has amassed over the years, ranging in age from the 70s to the 90s. I grew up reading these old books, whether I knew all the words or not. I found these lengthy old from another time absolutely intriguing. When I was 10 I read "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien and when I was 11 I read "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card, both of which remain some of my favorite books. Jumping into these lengthy, advanced novels at somewhat of a young age helped to introduce me into a world of new vocabulary and well-developed writing styles. To this day, I still find myself enjoying almost all of the books my dad recommends to me. It was these books that shaped me into the type of reader and writer I am today (whatever kind of reader or writer that is) and it is these books that will continue to influence me and my taste in literature.
After reading through a lot of this, it came to my realization that I did not know that so many people were restricted of their literacy. I never knew that there was that many illiterate people in our world, and knowing that makes me upset and sorrowful. Literacy is obviously very greatly needed in order to obtain a bright successful future and everyone should have the privilege of being able to experience the use of it and how great it is. I suppose many of us do not realize that we are truly lucky to be able to go to school; many of us are sufficiently ungrateful. While we are complaining about being able to learn and become great people with superior knowledge, others who would actually love to be able to learn are not being allowed the opportunity; whether that be because of where they live, how they were raised, etc… There are 125 million children who are not attending school and having the ability to become successful illiterate human beings. Most of us think that going to school is just punishment. We really need to reevaluate our thoughts on school because while we are sitting in there in class wishing that it would just end, there are millions of people out there wishing that they were sitting in that same exact chair that you are. I believe that I truly enjoy school because I am able to see all of my friends and am able to learn and receive great knowledge from such great teachers; however, waking up at such an early hour makes it a little less pleasing. I am completely and entirely grateful for being able to obtain my literacy. Without the help of many of my teachers throughout the years, I would be greatly illiterate just like those 125 million. One of the many books that I have read throughout the years that I can point out and recall to helping me improve my literacy was The Harry Potter novels. They are obviously long reads but as a child those long books seemed quite interesting, so I tried them out. I turned out loving them and without the help of those various books, I wouldn’t be where I am today grammatically.
I am honestly shocked by the amount of people on the planet that are illiterate. I did not know the situation was that bad globally and I expected a lot less in the United States. I sort of new that not everyone around the world is literate and I knew that it is far worse in third world countries but I did not know it was this drastic. I expected a little more from american as well. This is a huge problem and I think everyone should get the opportunity to become literate and attend high school. As far as my own literacy, I owe it all to my parents and teachers throughout my schooling. My parents used to read my books like Curious George to put me to sleep most nights. They also encouraged me try to read before I went to school. My english and reading teachers I had in school taught me everything I know about reading. They also made me read books that I would have never read that I ended up enjoying like Night by Elie Wiesel and The Crucible by Arthur Miller. The books that really helped my literacy the most were probably the Cirque du Freak books by Darren Shan. These were the first books that actually pushed me to read harder books. They were harder than most books that I was reading before and they were interesting enough for me to read more and improve my reading skills. The Hatchet by Brian Paulsen had a similar effect on my reading skills. It was a harder read than most books I have read previously. However, the story was so captivating, I not only wanted to keep reading I had to. Books that make you want to read are the best for improving your reading skills because they are just the stories inside, not the assignments about them.
Though I am happy that literacy rates are on the rise, it saddens me that so many people still cannot read, write, and enjoy literature. As I realize that there are so many that cannot go to school I find that the place that seems like an education factory truly is a blessing and one that not enough people receive. Most of the people who are illiterate are in the southern hemisphere in, what tend to be, the poorer countries and though we send teachers to help there are simply too many people and too few teachers. The real travesty though is that the U.S has 32 million adults that can’t read and 19% have actually graduated high school. Reading is not something that you just do for pleasure. Reading is important such as reading what items you are buying at the store, reading important letters/emails about bills or banking statements or even ballots when voting. Reading is very important to me. I began my journey to literacy as a child my mother and father would read to my brother and I. What started off with mostly pictures quickly evolved to The Chronicles of Narnia and The Little House on the Prairie series. As I would listen to them read I eagerly longed for a point where I could read all by myself so I was constantly asking which exact word was the one they just read. My parents laid the foundation for my love of books from then on I was hooked. Throughout elementary and middle school I was never without a book I read my mother’s copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s These Happy Golden Years so many times it fell apart and is, to this day held together by tape. Ms. Bork, a now retired middle school librarian, fed my passion and let me help out in the middle school library. She opened my horizons and introduced me to historical fiction novels like In Mozart’s Shadow by Carolyn Meyer and historical novels like I Will Plant You a Lilac Tree by Laura Hillman. Thanks to all these people feeding my love of books I smile a little after being told to put my book away during class because it is something I had to work at to learn and something that not everyone has the opportunity to do.
Being illiterate is a big disadvantage to our society in this day and age. Being literate is very important in growing up and maturing into the person you want to be. Going to school and getting the necessary education should be a must for everyone. But it does not surprise me that such a big percentage of people are uneducated and can barely read. As society goes on I feel as though being literate and educated is going down the list of importance for people these days. Superficial things are becoming such an importance to people now that getting the right education and growing up and getting a career that is successful in your life is not a must for people when I think it should be. A lot of that can depend on how you are raised and the importance your parents put on that throughout school. If you grow up with parents who do not push you to do your best in school and focus on getting good grades and being successful then that is how you will act in school, you will not try nor will you succeed. If you grow up with parents that make education a huge importance from the beginning then you will act that way school and as you grow up and you will try your best to succeed. You also have to push yourself in life, it has to be an importance to you knowing that you are literate and educated. I do not consider myself very literate or I should say very amazingly illiterate. Not that I do not try to be must mostly because it can be difficult for me to learn all of it. I think a big person in my life that has helped me be literate is my father because he is always correcting me when i talk or write wrong. Like when I would say “me and Taylor” instead of “Taylor and I” and I think just simple acts like that stick with you and can really teach you a lot. The book The Hobbit has helped me a lot with being literate because of the way the book is written shows you the right way to speak and write to be correct and literate.
Ullom 7
In the United States, 32 million adults, or 14% of the adult population cannot read. The astonishing piece of information, however, that caught my eye, was the fact that 19% of those 32 millions adults were high school graduates. I fail to understand how 6,080,000 million people are unable to read after receiving their high school diploma. What happened? Who failed? Were they allowed to just “slide” through the system? What are we missing as a society? There are many answers to those questions. Unfortunately, in many school systems, the bottom line is to get kids “out on time” from the educational system. I’m sure to get this done, certain things need to be ignored. So “Johnny” can’t read. No big deal. He’s got decent math skills. He’ll be ok. He passed with all “D’s.” Moving on. Well, I disagree with that whole concept. Maybe it’s because I have a “privileged” existence in the Brandon Valley School District. We are lucky to have teachers and administrators that are just as invested in us as we should be invested in us. They care, they take the time for us, they show us how to improve and in all sense of the word, they create a trusting community where asking for help is actually a “norm,” not something you do out of sheer frustration.
In my house, Dr. Seuss was a staple. My mom and dad ordered every Dr. Seuss book for kids that existed and read them to me. Mom also bought my sister and I the Junie B. Jones series. Though I was not always fond of reading, today I appreciate it more. I still find reading uncomfortable and feel like I move through books slowly. Finding more enjoyment in reading has always been a goal of mine. Reflecting once again on the statistics I read, I find it disheartening that not all kids have the same luxury I have to learn at school. As was communicated literacy is not something you are born with. Perseverance and hard work in our public school system has helped me become the literate person I am. My only wish is that every young adult would have had the same opportunity.
Polasky 6
The amount of people that are not literate is quite alarming. When reading through the infographic, I was surprised that the percentage of females who are illiterate is bigger than the males percentage. Growing up in the US, we are grateful and have the opportunity to become educated enough to where we can read and write. Other countries/regions such as Africa and East Asia have a high percentage of people who are illiterate and that is because those areas do not have all the money or necessary tools to help children and adolescents become literate. The statistic that out of 32 million adults who are not literate, 19% are high school graduates is confusing. If you graduate high school you would think that they would be literate but like I mentioned earlier, these graduates probably did not have all the tools to help them become fully successful. I believe I have achieved this level of literacy because of my education and mentors throughout my life so far. Growing up my mom and dad taught me the basics I needed to go through preschool and kindergarten by reading easy level books such as “Goodnight Moon” and “The Foot Book” by Dr Seuss. Then those teachers of mine would use those books but also step it up a reading level. Using examples and breaking down things within these books helped me understand not just the words and meaning, but a deeper meaning and a way to connect a book to an experience in my life. Doing vocabulary lessons and have spelling tests every week helped me to work on the simple words I already knew. They also helped me to broaden my knowledge and to further into my education. Living in America, we have the opportunity to have free education. Both boys and girls can go to school and learn to read and write. Although at times we may not want to, we are lucky enough to have the education and knowledge to become literate.
I find it shocking that so many people do not even know how to write a single sentence or read. To me, education has always been my first priority--besides family, of course--and it comes to a surprise to me that even the basic reading and writing skills are either not available to some people or they choose not to learn it. It surprises me even more that fourteen percent of the United States population cannot read or write, nineteen percent of which are high school graduates! One must do their best at failing to achieve something like this! I think the main reason for such a high illiteracy rate is because of the environment people grow up in. Obviously, if children and teens do not have access to schools, it will be tough for them to learn how to read and write. Those who do have access to schools, though, and choose not to go I think is due to their parents. This is because if their parents never made them go to school, then they will think it is unimportant and not go. If the parent believes it is not important, the child will believe it is not important; if the parent believes it is important, then the child will believe it is important. This, especially, is true in my case. My parents strongly believed school and education to be important, therefore I believe it to be important. Without my parents pushing me to learn and do my best, I would have never become the diligent person I am today. I am truly grateful for them. Other than my parents, I would give considerable amounts of credit to my teachers as well. The compassionate teachers I have had helped me to become so astonishingly literate. I am truly grateful for them as well. In kindergarten the book I remember reading the most was Dr. Seuss. My dad would have me read the book to him after my half day at school. I do not recall which specific book, though, because I am sure I read more than one. I know for a fact, however, that reading these books in my early childhood helped me to be so literate in the coming years and through today.
We live in a very "small" bubble here in the United States of America. You may wonder why I say "small". With a population of 318 million citizens we are no small nation. The reason I tell you is that we as a city, state, and yes even nation, sometimes forget how many unsung blessings we truly have. We share a state of living where we don't have to worry about bare necessities such as clean water, shelter, and food. Yes, there are places in this nation, state, and even town where poverty exists. This poverty can lead to illiteracy but seems to be a very controlled problem to the states education offered. The places where immense illiteracy exists are states that experience extreme poverty throughout their nation. Literacy and education is difficult when you are worried about the next drop of water you are going to receive. Some even have to hold off the excruciating pain from their dry stomach with baked mud pies. With 13% of this world undernourished and living with hunger day in and day out it is very hard to have everyone literate. I believe to conquer this problem of illiteracy we have to start with the "basics". I believe that we are offered such a great opportunity here in the USA and so blessed for the systems that make this nation run. Refinement is a virtue that will only stop with hard work from the more fortunate parts of the world. The tool is in our hand to help others with various problems stated above. Problems don’t have to be committing your life or time going across seas to hand out packs of food. Problems can be solved by going through school. Problems get solved by getting an education to help apply yourself in a positive way to the community and maybe even world. If education stays on the rise, we should be solving problems continuously for this large world in time. The question seems to be, how can you apply yourself to help others? Just know that you have a purpose.
Personally I find this infographic to be utterly shocking. I am at a loss of words for this conglomeration of numerical values and percentages; is this truly the stage we are at as a literate--or illiterate--society? Being blatantly honest, given these calculations span internationally, I am impressed. While it may be that you and I have grown and developed in a society socially and intellectually dependent on the literacy of both children and adults, I must consider those who have not been so fortunate. Some--perhaps, many--are forced to grow and develop in scenarios not favoring nor even allowing for a chance at literacy in their population. Some are forced to grow and develop facing the perils of extreme poverty, wrenching hunger, and gruesome warfare. Some are forced to grow and develop constantly under the suppressive shoe of homelife, social status, or government, under conditions I cannot begin to imagine. However 91 percent of the human population is literate and there are people and organizations working tirelessly to increase that percentage, and for this I am impressed. For this I am proud. I am proud to be counted in this calculation of literacy; yet it is because I am literate that I am also skeptical. I must wonder about the accuracy of the given infographic, at least when it stands alone. No dates are listed, leading me to question how recent this study exists to be. Additionally, I am curious of how the source came to these conclusions, granted they have supplied no explanation in regards to how the study was carried out. That much aside, I, like presumably many others, must thank my mother for reading to me when I was very little and encouraging me in my path to literacy as well. Another spectacular influence in my literary development who comes to mind is my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Petree. I recall her gentle cheerleading as a tiny 8-year-old Alana stumbled through a Biscuit book, determined to discover the young pup’s latest shenanigans. A very pro-reading group of friends never hurt me, either. I’ve grown quite fond of literature over the years, thanks to these wonderful influences.
Schroeder pd 6
As I was looking through my fellow peers’ blog tasks, I had read that most of them are very shocked and surprised at these literacy rate statistics. Honestly, I would say I am not surprised by these numbers. 124 million children and adolescents not attending school saddens me, 59 million children aging from six to 11 years old, and 65 million adolescents which range from 12-15 years of age. Living in the United States we are so fortunate to have the buildings, teachers, funding for free education, or even the option of going to school everyday. 115 million individuals from the age of 15-24 cannot simply read or write a sentence, two-thirds of them being women. As a female, I am so fortunate to have the same opportunities of learning these tasks as males. 14% of the adult population cannot read, as I look at this statistic it makes me really confused on how 19% of them graduated high school. Then thinking it through, I think we can somewhat blame the program No Child Left Behind. Setting a minimum standard on learning potential I believe is responsible for this number to be increasingly high. Teachers no doubt in my mind pass students that should not be passed just so they can meet standards that are set, now this isn’t the case for all teachers, but it is probably more common than we think. Growing up and currently I do not enjoy reading, I was read to at a young age and also slowly taught to read myself. I remember sitting at my kitchen table with my mom practicing the alphabet on flashcards. Slowly working my way to books, Goodnight Moon sticks in the back of my mind when I think about books from my childhood. Every once in awhile I will pick up a book that catches my interest but not as often as I should.
Klumpp 1
Being literate is a huge part of advancing in today's society. To succeed in a job, school, or life in general being literate is very important and most times, necessary. I was truly surprised that 32 million adults can not read a simple sentence, and that 19% of them are high school graduates! I am truly saddened that many kids do not have the opportunity to go to school like I do. I believe everyone has the opportunity to excel and be literate if given a fighting chance. I am truly bothered by the number of college students that still do not know the difference between "to, too, and two." I think we should place more importance on literacy and grammar and not allow students to squeak by. I give credit to my mom and high school teachers for my strong sense of literacy. My mom took an immense amount of college English courses and has always been willing to help me. Also, my high school teachers have helped me along a lot over the years and I will always be thankful for them. The tools that helped me achieve the level of literacy were the multiple spelling sheets, vocab books, and AR books we had to read and learn from in elementary school. I have always enjoyed reading and tend to choose books that are a challenge to me. I believe choosing challenging books has helped me push myself in terms of my literacy. I am grateful for all the opportunities public school has given me, I believe that every human should have access to an education. Education is what keeps a society running smoothly, without it we would eventually destroy ourselves. With the absence of education: who would perform the surgeries? who would teach the youth? who would keep us safe? The world has the desire to advance, but we will never improve until we start teaching everyone to be a positive impact on society.
The statistic in this infographic that really caught my eye was that over three-quarters of a billion people can not read or write. That is mind-boggling to say the least and quite heart-wrenching that so many people are still incredibly illiterate. Which 115 million of that overwhelming number are ages 15-24 and I could not believe it because everyone I know has been reading and writing since around age five and six. It truly tells you that the world is unthinkably different everywhere and there are many countries around the world where education is considered unimportant. But to still read that 32 million adults in the U.S. still do not have the ability to read, astounded me. It dawned on me that the higher percentage of illiteracy resides in foriegn countries and there are many adequate reasons for this. Surely, the oppurtunities for an education in these foreign countries such as West and South Asia are uncomparably low. The rates for literacy are improving but there are still huge measures that need to be taken as a whole in order to reach a respectable level of literacy worldwide. I have to thank my school district for my level of literacy that I am at as of now. Brandon Valley High School may just have the best teaching and administrating staff around and they put nothing in front of the student's education. Each and every one of them care for the future of their students and this care is much needed if success wants to be reached. We have the best scores around and for that we owe all of it to the BV school district. I definitely leaned towards one series while my years in middle school and high school and it was none other than J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter", that changed my perspective on literacy. I believe I am a much more skilled reader and writer and spending so much time reading and going in depth with the seven Harry Potter books. They proved the most beneficial to my reading and writing skills and I will most likely continue to watch the movies or read the books till the end of my days.
Mixell Pd. 7
Literacy is one of the most important things when it comes to becoming a successful adult. I think literacy is something that we all take for granted at one point or another. I was astonished by the number of people who are illiterate and I cannot express how lucky I feel to be able to read and write. Ever since a young age, I was pushed into reading and writing. At school, teachers would start teaching us how to read as early as they could. At home, I was blessed to have parents that knew the importance of literacy and the basics of grammar. Luckily, I also enjoy reading when I have the spare time. I am obsessed with books by Stephen King and I always feel like I am learning more vocabulary from the novels. I also try to incorporate the type of style that Stephen King uses in his writing in my own writing. Back to the topic of literacy, I think it is a real shame as to how many people cannot even write a simple sentence. Some parts of the world are at such a disadvantage. I was also shocked at the amount of adolescents that do not attend school. I cannot imagine being in a situation where it is nearly impossible for me to attend school. A majority of people complain about school but I feel most of the time we really know how much good it does for us. Being educated is certainly the most important thing that many of us own. Being able to make strong choices comes from having such a strong education. At times, I feel the education system has flaws, but the system sure does a good job at challenging us and preparing us to make decisions on our own once we dive into the issues of the "real world."
Laycock 2
Statistics are a powerful way of proving a point. A clear example is this infographic. To think that there are 757,000,000 people who cannot do what I am doing at this moment is sad. I thought that the United States would have been one of those countries that would have a minuscule amount of illiterate adults; however, that is not the case. There are still 32,000,000 people who are not able to read what I am typing right now even if they wanted to. We are said to be the richest country in the world and we have a baffling 14% of Americans who cannot read, a dangerously high percentage. It is something that our world needs to fix. Fast.
After observing this picture, I now realize how truly blessed I am to be placed into the position I am in to be able to go to school everyday and become an intelligent individual into today's society. I have become such a gifted writer and reader due to the fantastic teachers and support that has surrounded me throughout me entire education. My parents have been there for me for my entire life, from reading me books as a kindergartner to reviewing and correcting my grammatical errors in my essays. As a young child, I read all of the Magic Tree House books, even when they changed from little short stories to longer novels. I believe that has helped me tremendously in my literacy journey. It was an easier transition to bigger books when I realized that I was too old for the little books and that I needed to start challenging myself with novels. Another set of books that I increased my literacy is The Hunger Games series. These are the last set of books that have really caught my interest enough to read them as fast as i could. After I finished the first book in the series, I woke up at 10:00 AM the next morning and finished the second book at 5:00 PM that same day. It made me realize that I need to go out and look for more interesting books to read. We live in a time period where we can increase our intelligence monumentally if we would just walk into the library once in a while.
In a life that is surrounded by words 24/7, it would be unbearably frustrating not being able to read any of them. It is so hard to comprehend that us American children dread to go to school every day whereas there are children all over the world who would give anything to gain an education. I believe that if a kid in high school sincerely does not want to participate academically, he should not waste teachers and fellow classmate’s time. It is a desk wasted to a child who chooses to not participate out of despite, or out of pure laziness. High school students should be given the option as to whether they would like to continue schooling or not. For the young adults who do not choose to continue high school can figure it out for themselves and should be replaced with others who are not given the opportunity; because they would not waste anyone’s time, and it is not a person’s education wasted. I propose this idea because the government pays for kids to go to school. Using this method, it would be no extra spending. Simply just replacing. Grades would be much higher and education would take a soaring leap for success.
As I remember, my mother would read to me a new book every night. Even if I did not know yet how to read, she would point to the words and spoke in soft, slow and fluid motion. At times, I would watch and read along as if I knew what the words read. In my generation, lily pads were invented. It was a really cool thing to have, but of course it was for educational purposes. It was hard to use if you did not know how to read. I was put in extracurricular reading glasses at a kindergarten level so I could advance faster than the other kids in my grade. Dr. Seuss was hard for me to read, but it was also fun. The challenge of the tongue twisting words was fun yet frustrating all at the same time. I specifically remember reading my favorite book, Brown Bear. “Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? I see a red bird looking at me. Red bird, red bird, what do you see? I see a polar bear looking at me.” It was something along the lines of that. Until this day, the book is still set on my shelf of meaningful things. I guarantee it will be on my grad party table for display, and will be kept until the day I decide to have kids of my own.
Literacy is a huge part of life in our country and todays main stream society. I say main stream because in some countries they do not have basic educational systems like we do in the United States. In the US we are lucky to have everything handed to us. Such as water, food, jobs, education, and shelter. These are just basic things we take for granted in the US. In many impoverished countries they are struggling to have all of these basic necessities and they are probably more worried about food and shelter than education. Yes, it is very important to be literate but in some countries working and surviving is more important than being able to read and write. I am honestly not surprised by these statistics because poverty plays a big role in education and education has a lot to do with literacy. Lots of americans do not realize the amount of poverty in the world because they are so caught up in there own world and only the things that have to do with them. There is poverty in the United States but there are programs to help people here and it is nothing compared to other countries around the world. I have been blessed with the opportunity to be able to have an education and be very literate. I have gone to school almost my whole life and throughout the years I have been growing and growing my vocabulary and knowledge of writing and reading. Things that have helped me grow my literacy are vocabulary tests. I have studied vocabulary words all throughout school. Another way that I have grown my literacy is reading. I have read countless books and articles. Both of these ways that I have increased my literacy are within the education system. So, you can say that without the education system I would not have much ability to read or write.
This infographic caused me to blink a couple times; I was not sure I was reading these numbers correctly. It is truly astounding that 124 million children and adolescents do not attend school. One of the only ways to become successful in life is to earn a high school degree. Recently, as said by a candidate during the democratic debate, college degrees have come to equal high school degrees in importance. Also surprising is that the largest percent of the illiterate population comes from South and West Asia. Although, upon further thought, it makes sense considering their large population and part of the region’s caste system. Education there is most likely considered a waste of time. Children probably have to care for their parents and work just to get by. I do not understand how nineteen percent of students that graduate high school cannot read. How would these students pass tests? This number is a reflection of our education system. A system that allows illiterate students to graduate should be revised, edited, and tossed.
I now count myself lucky for my literacy. At first, I found reading a dull and boring chore. Learning how to read came slowly to me, a person who does not have an endless supply of patience. However, reading became one of my favorite activities once my second grade teacher helped me find the right books. The series that first caught my interest was the Magic Treehouse series. This series was the first one to show me the power of a good book. Books are addicting. Even today, I neglect my homework and chores to finish reading a chapter in my latest novel. Sometimes, I like to narrate my life inside my head. Every action, thought, or idea is jotted down in an imaginary book. A goal of mine is to make my book fascinating; I would like to make my life something that someone would like to read. Another series that sparked my interest in reading was the Nancy Drew series. I still love mysteries, even though I can usually guess the ending. The best part is when the ending is something totally different than what you expected.
It is hard to wrap my brain around it that so many people cannot read or write a simply sentence. But in a way it almost makes sense because most of the people that cannot read are the ones that do not have the proper education or cannot attend school. Like girls in some countries they are not allowed to learn so they would either have to teach themselves or have someone teach them in secret. One big fact on the picture that really surprised me was that even some high school graduates do not know how to read. This to me is astonishing. If I were not able to read I would be lost. Reading is something you can do to just relax plus you need it for everyday use and if I did not know how to read I would be lost. I would say the biggest people to get me to read were my parents because every night we would read a book or two and once in got a little older they started having me try and read it to them. My favorite books to read when I was younger were definitely Dr.Seuss because there was always something new to read about with fun characters. I could not imagine not being able to read. You would not be able to text, read the newest book, newspapers, or even signs around town. Without reading I believe I would be a lot more stressed than I am. It is just a nice thing to sit and get lost in a book for a while. It makes going through life easier. These days I am reading The Hobbit and at first I found it not hard but different to understand because of the wording but I made it past the first part and now it is an easy read.
As I read through the literacy rate statistics, I was puzzled as to how 19% of illiterate adults were high school graduates. This is seemingly impossible and utter blasphemy. Many of my classmates seemed shocked by these numbers, however I was not. I am well aware and educated on the fact that in many third-world countries, females are forbidden to attend school. Our country's literacy rate is significantly higher than others such as Zimbabwe. The reason we are this way is simply for the fact that our society is much more economically advanced. Our country is overflowing with elementary schools, middle school, high schools, colleges, and medical schools. American citizens are taught at a very young age the importance of education--to succeed that is. It is our parents roles in most cases to provide shelter, food, and money for us, oppose to third-world countries where children are forced to aid in the fight for survival from the moment they can walk. In these circumstances, schooling is the least of their worries when the entire family hasn't eaten for two weeks. After perusing the statistics, I have realized how I take my education for granted; I should be gracious to be learning new things each day! Literacy seems to come rather easy to me. Vocabulary variety and sentence structure are important literary items I could improve on greatly, but I am capable of reading and writing. My intelligent mother is to thank for beginning to teach me how to speak at the age of one. Teachers in the Brandon Valley school district are the reason our school has such high test scores and graduate percentages! Without our teachers, I would be clueless on the topic of literacy. Daniel Handler is also one of the many people I owe my thanks to; his amazing works of art are one of the few that encouraged me to read. The Series of Unfortunate Events was the only series of books I ever completed! I must be honest; I despise reading. Exciting, fictional stories written by this amazing author caught my attention and, in my opinion, made me a better reader! We unconsciously take literacy and public schooling for granted and forget about those who are not at lucky as we are to be taught by hard working people for the betterment of society. So, at this moment Mr. Christensen, I would like to thank you. Thank you for caring about mine as well as my peers education and bright futures. Without people like you, the world would be incapable of advancing.
It is actually quite hard to believe that so many people in the world are not able to read and write. Reading and writing is something you just have to learn so it is almost impossible to believe that people don’t know how. Then I also read that nearly 124 million children do not attend school. Going to school is a necessity and when it says that many kids do not attend school, it makes you question what this world is really doing to improve our schools. It makes me sad to think that something I take for granted, the ability to read and write, while there are millions of children and adolescence that do not even attend a school.
There are many people and items that influence me to become so literate. One of the first people I can base my success on are my parents. Having me go to school at such a young age ultimately sent me down the right path for success. Not only did they just send me to school, but if I ever needed any help on an assignment I could always go to them for assistance.
Secondly, this group of people had the biggest impact on my literary career. My teachers. Not only did my teachers teach me sentence structure and all the ins and outs of literature, they also taught me how to write formally. To do anything in this world you have to know how to read and write. My teachers prepared me this much just so I can succeed in life.
Finally, a way I jumped to the next level in literacy is the amount of books I read. One particular series got me hooked on reading and I never looked back. This series would be The Magic Tree House. This was the first full book series that I read and that I believe really gave my reading and writing a boost. I always thought reading was awful until I found these books. This made reading fun and from then on out I enjoyed reading and writing so much.
Being literate can change your whole life. It can get you a job, also it can change the way people look at you. Being literate is something everyone should strive for in their lives.
After reading about these statistics on grammarly.com I learned a lot more than I ever knew. I had no idea that the literacy rate among the total population was 91% for years 15-24. That statistic was astonishing to me. I think that a major reasoning to why the literacy rate is so high for the youth is because they are taught at a young age on what literacy means and how it is used correctly. Learning to read and write is taught at such a young age. You will continue to read and write throughout your years of schooling before graduation. For some, continuing to college to get an education is a popular choice, for others they prefer to get a job instead. The ones who continue to get a job will not use literacy as much as they would in a school setting. That is why adults have a little bit of a lower percentage in the literacy rate population than the youth does. Another statistic that stood out to me was that 32 million adults cannot read, yet 19% of them graduated high school. Learning to read is not easy, especially right away when you are in kindergarten. As you get older reading becomes easier and easier. I automatically thought that the majority of adults knew how to read, mostly if they graduated high school. I apparently am wrong. It is sad to me that 124 million children and adolescents do not attend school. I think that every child should get an opportunity at least once in their life to experience what school is like. There are a lot of students today that do not take school for granted. There are plenty of other children out there that would love to take their place by being lucky enough to attend school every day and learn. I have become so amazingly, wonderfully literate because of my awesome teachers. I have gone to the Brandon Valley School District my whole life. I have learned so many things throughout the years. If I ever read or write anything incorrect, the teachers help me right away so I can gain more knowledge. Around the age of 10 or so, I read a lot of the Dr. Seuss books. I noticed how poetry was used and what words are able to fit in together to sound correct. I also thank Dr. Seuss for teaching me what I did not know before. I am excited to see where my knowledge in literacy will take me as I become older.
Meyer pd 1
The information presented here is shocking. I have taken for granted the fact I am literate. There are so many kids who do not have the opportunity to go to school. Just imagine, if all of those kids had the opportunity? Would we have more advancement in science and technology? Reading is something that seems so common to me. It is hard to picture people or myself without this ability.
I need to thank my parents and teacher for my ability to read. First, in my earlier years of schooling my teachers taught the concepts and basics of reading to me, while showing patience when I didn’t understand or could not pronounce a word. Also, my parents played a huge part in literacy. Going above and beyond, my parents would go through flashcard, read to me, and make me read to improve my skills. I remember vividly my parents and I would read stories out loud alternating every page. After a while when we felt adventurous, we would read every other word out loud. We would go faster and faster untill we messed up. Through the help of my teachers and parents, I was able to learn to read!
There are many books that have a special place in my heart. Some of the first books I read were the children's books about monkeys jumping on a bed and the If You Give a Moose a Muffin series. Both of these books made me want to read more to figure out what happens. When I matured I gained literary insight from The Hunger Games. This book was one of the first novels I wanted to read, not something I had to read for school. I choose to read instead of doing some other activity like watching tv. This was a big step because I feel you can only learn as much as you want to and when reading The Hunger Games I wanted to keep learning.
Upon reading this infographic, I had no idea how many people are illiterate, or do not attend school. It’s deeply upsetting that 32 million adults are incapable of reading. Reading is a universal attribute that can help you in SO many ways. I don’t know what I would do without books. My parents read to me all the time when I was younger, so that is what sparked my love for reading. I cannot fathom the idea that there are millions who don’t get the chilling feeling after reading an amazing book series, such as Harry Potter. I was one of those rare people who didn’t see a single Harry Potter movie, or read any of the books—until last summer. I read the whole series in a summer…a summer. Harry Potter made me more literate, and I am thankful I read the series. J.K Rowling taught me to be fearless, stand up for what’s right, and stick true to your friends. The ability to read and write is something too many people (including myself) take for granted. I often complain about going to school, and having all these opportunities for knowledge when some kids my age will never have the opportunities I do. It’s even more upsetting that in some countries still, women are not allowed to have an education. I believe everyone should have the right to an education; it’s depressing that it doesn’t work that way. I hope someday the system will change, and those millions of people will have a chance to learn basic fundamentals of life. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, especially in those third world countries that don’t have even a school to learn at. Teaching underprivileged students would be the best, because they don’t take anything for granted. They would love to learn and appreciate knowledge, as some with substantiate more tools for learning just throw it away after high school.
Schwint pd. 1
What shocked me the most in that infographic was that in the U.S. 14% of the population cannot read and 19% of that are people that graduated high school. Another thing that shocked me was how 124 million children from the ages of 6-15 do not attend school. This is really surprising because you think of teenagers not going to school not children as young as six. Also, you never think of that many people not going to school so the fact that there are 124 million children that do not go is really shocking. The next really shocking thing that I read on that infographic was that 757 million adults cannot even read or write. Growing up in the U.S. you never really think of their being that many people who cannot read or write since the literacy rate in the U.S. is so high. What most people fail to realize is that not all countries have the luxuries that we in the U.S. have and it is hard for us to stop and think that many people in other countries do not have the things like reading and writing that we in the U.S. take for granted. I can thank my mom and my dad especially for my literacy. Both of my parents encouraged me to read, would never flinch if I asked them to buy me a book and would always make sure I had a fun time while reading. My parents knew that if I had good memories attached to reading I would want to continue reading. Also, my mother was my preschool teacher and she would always read Froggy books to me before i went to bed every night. I can thank my father because he introduced me to one of my favorite authors Dr. Seuss. Reading Dr. Seuss books not only helped my literacy but it also helped to develop my love for reading that I still have today.
Reading these statistics deeply saddened me. I am so thankful that I was able to read and understand these statistics, unlike many people around the world who can not. Seeing how many people can not read made me extremely frustrated. Being able to read is one of the most important things one can do. If one is not able to read, how are they going to be successful in life? How are they suppose to communicate with the world around them? How can one live in a society and not be able to read? We see the awful literacy rates, so why isn’t anybody helping them? We are simply being bystanders. I am so thankful I have been given the opportunity to read, write, and attend school. I have many people and books to thank for these opportunities. I remember as a young child, my two favorite books being Snowmen at Night and Never Talk to Strangers. These books were read to me almost every night by either my mom or dad. My parents helped me develop a love for books and reading. They taught me the importance of reading and helped me fall in love with books. Growing up, I wanted to read more than I wanted to go outside and play with my neighbors. I was in love with the fantasies and adventures that were in the children’s chapter books. Along with my parents being my literary influence, I also am grateful for my elementary teachers. In class I remember reading The Little House on the Prairie series most specifically. We did worksheets and projects on the books and even attended field trips. These books were long and sometimes difficult to read, but they definitely helped make me more literate. My teachers stressed the importance of reading and writing every day, and for that, I am forever grateful.
I would say all the years going through school has increasingly made me more literate. My parents always read me a lot of books as a kid. Another person that has helped me become more literate is my Grandma. She was a teacher for kids that were illiterate and was very helpful to me as a young child. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to go to school even though it is extremely stressful at times. Many girls around the world do not have the same opportunity to attend school like I do. I find it astonishing that there is still thirty-two million people in the U.S. that can not read. Or that globally there is 115 million young adults that can not read or write a simple sentence. The saddest part is that two-thirds of those young adults are girls. I think all girls that are in education should be grateful because it usually taken for granted. The information brought forth the idea that also sparked my interest was that many adolescents still do not attend school even in this century. Yet, still one hundred and twenty-four million children and adolescents still do not attend school. I wonder how this is possible when our world is so advanced with technology and richer countries are able to help poor ones. There are many books that have helped me become more literate. My all time favorite book the Magic Tree House series of books and the series of Junie B. Jones. As a young kid learning to read these books were very exciting and made reading fun which can be unusual for many kids. Another one of my favorite series to read was Lemony Snicket’s: A Series of Unfortunate Events. I read the entire series! I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to be literate and continue my education.
It amazing how blessed we are to be in the United States and even more so to be in the midwest. There is an abundance of opportunities for anyone who is willing to be able to learn and be successful. Yet we take this for granted and grumble and complain about all the work we have to do. Everyone does it and we do not realize that there are millions upon millions that would love to be in our shoes and have the opportunities we have. Honestly if you think about it we should be the most grateful people in the world. Yet the ones who are the most grateful are the ones who come to America and know how bad it could be. This is why I think it is a good idea that people travel to third world countries. You will come away with a completely different view on the stuff you have and the opportunities America has.
Now, there are many reasons why we are so literate in America but one of them is that we are engulfed by it when we are young. Our parents read us children books from the time we are infants. We are required to do AR reading in middle school which required a certain amount of books to be read. This helped me a lot to get started to with reading and start to enjoy it. At first it was viewed as a chore than I started to enjoy it. I started to choose the type of books I like. One book series that made me enjoy reading instead of it being like a chore would be the Kidnapped series written by Gordon Korman. I got into the series and just wanted to read the next book and the next. It became exciting and that helped me read more which helps with literacy.
Litt 2
Most of us people take the skill of reading for granted. Literacy in our society is an essential skill to be successful. The infographic that was presented was a shocking experience to read. The fact that seven hundred fifty seven million adults that can not read is unfathomable to me. It is crazy that in the present age that amount of people can go through life without what we perceive is a necessary skill. The article said that two thirds of those are women. This is not an acceptable thing that is going on in our world. During the last few years the issue of gender inequality has been brought up in front of the world. If the number of women that are illiterate is reduced, I believe that the gender inequality would possibly be lessened significantly. The fact that the place with the most illiteracy is the middle east is not surprising, the middle east is not as developed as the western nations. Therefore they place less importance on the issue of schooling. It said that nineteen percent of the thirty two million adults in the US that can not read are high school graduates. This fact boggles my mind, I do not understand how a person would be able to graduate high school without being able to read. I owe my literacy to my parents, they were very involved in my educational endeavors of reading. They read to me every night; they read me the entire novel The Hobbit when I was around the age of four. Nothing compares to my favorite book as a child though, The Cat in the Hat was a major part of my childhood. Every day I would have my parents read it to me many times and then go on to read it by myself even more. Books played an enormous role in my childhood and I am extremely grateful that I was taught the importance of literacy from a young age.
The fact that so many people cannot read is very saddening to me. The joy of reading is something that everyone should be able to enjoy. As a child, I read books all of the time. Primarily in Elementary and Middle school, I read in almost every class. One book series that I read all the time as a kid was The Magic Tree House. This book series was one of the big factors of my literacy I believe. I read this series constantly through 1st grade and on. My 1st grade teacher even gave me a book from the series because she knew I liked it so much. I have memories of her letting me read "The Magic Tree House" to the class during our reading times sometimes, and it's the little things like this that I believe contributed to my literacy. My teachers and my parents impacted me greatly in increasing my literacy, and it's because of them that I read so much as a child. I remember great memories of reading books like "The Magic Tree House", "A Series of Unfortunate Events", and "Harry Potter" growing up. I am also so happy that I became so literate so soon so I could enjoy just amazing books such as "The Hobbit" and "Ender's Game" later in life. I have found so much joy through reading throughout most of elementary and middle school, and I am so thankful for my gift of literacy. I loved books growing up, and it really saddens me to know that there are 124 million children who don't attend school, and don't get to read such amazing books. It truly is a problem that there are so many children that cannot read. I wish there was an easy solution to this problem, but sadly there is not. Regardless, I am very thankful for my gift of literacy, and wish that every child across the world could experience the joy of reading.
Literacy is a huge tool in everyday life, for Americans it is a something that is pushed so hard that kids may not have a choice. The rest of the world may not have an education system that makes it essential to read and write, in other words it is up to the kids to teach themselves. Education is the biggest gift anyone can give, it provides opportunities to a individual that they would not have before. I think the reason that so many people worldwide can not read or write because they are not focused on learning. Outside the United States the most important thing may be where their next meal is coming from, not what do the letters mean. It is these serious issues that have to improve before they can worry about a proper education. Although the literacy rate in tremendously improving it is still an issue that lingers over the world. How can we get it up to where almost everyone worldwide can get a proper education. I personally learned from teachers, but it was the books I read on my own that polished my skills and got me to where I am now. For example, I was a big fan of fiction series as a child, such as Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling made the books easy to read and they also were expressed in such detail that it honestly did not feel like you were reading a seven hundred page book. All of these things help improve literacy but the rate will not improve as a whole until education is pushed further in third world countries. I am thankful I was given and education at a young age and it is a priceless tool that I can use to take me far in life.
Illiteracy is something that our world will be dealing with forever. Yes literacy rates are going up, yet there is no absolute cure or solution for this tragic problem. There is a small percentage of people in the United States that do not possess the ability to read or write even the most simple of sentences. Yet the United States does not even possess one percent of the world's illiteracy rate. Whereas South and West Asia has over one half of the world’s illiterates. It is quite remarkable as to how different two countries can differ so much in today’s technological world.
My Dad was the one who started me off with reading and writing at a very young age. He had always been a huge reader throughout his youth and now into the second half of his life. The one series that I clearly remember reading with him was the “Hardy Boys”. These were books that were about two brothers who were always getting involved with crime investigations. This series really allowed me to in a sense, “click” with books. I then became very involved with books, it allowed me to almost escape from reality for a little while and be consumed by the book. Along with the Hardy Boys, my mom introduced me to the Harry Potter series. To this day, this series is hands down my favorite. I have never read anything else that was so well put together and had the ability to draw the reader in. You never wanted to put the book down and could easily read for hours without realizing it. Many late afternoons turned into incredibly late nights when reading this series. My mom and I used to stay up incredibly late trying to get as far as we possibly could until one or both of us were completely exhausted. Lots of times I would end up falling asleep mid story as she would read aloud. I could never say thank you enough to my Mom and Dad for introducing me to books and stories.
2 Knutson
After reading this info-graphic, I am greatly alarmed by the large number of those in this world that are not able to read or write a simple sentence. The literacy rate of the world should be at 100%, simple as that. Everyone deserves an education and the ability to get lost in a great book or be able to express how they feel through writing. The fact that 757 million adults (15 years and older) that can not read or write is quite stagnant, though is must be noted that 115 million of these people are age 15-24, a number that is much too large considering the times we now live in. If these numbers were not appalling enough, ⅔ of the 115 million are women. Literacy and education should be accessible to all people, regardless of gender and ethnicity.
I believe that I became so literate because of my upbringing of always reading. As a child my mother, who is a teacher, brought home reading assignments that her fellow co-workers assigned their students. I read stories from a textbook out loud to my mom and completed assignments that went along with the reading. Completing these assignments and reading from this textbook played a big role in my literacy. The older I became my love for reading increased and sophisticated to the Junie B. Jones series. I would read a chapter from a book from this series every night before I went to bed. Currently, I enjoy reading books that will soon be made into movies. I research what books are being filmed for the big screen and try to read them before the movie is released, this way I know what the movie is about and don’t waste my money on a movie that I know shouldn’t be ridiculous.
Literacy is an overly important knowledge to have in today’s society. It is used to allow people to communicate thoroughly with different cultures around the world, and without the ability to be literate, it would cause an excessive amount of difficulties in a massive amount of places. To have the knowledge of literacy is a blessing that is taught to the lucky ones by teachers at a young age, or any age in a person’s lifetime. Reading and writing has everything to do with communication and being able to understand what is in front of you on a daily basis. The statistics that are shown explain how many people are illiterate in the world today, and the numbers are completely mind-blowing. The people who are taught literacy could help an abundance of people throughout the entire world who are not given that privilege, but not enough people stand up to the challenge to offer their help in simple ways. I have become talented in literacy because of the help that I received over my lifetime. A series of books have been read to me, my teachers and parents have taught me the alphabet, and I have gone to speech classes in order to have the privilege to express my thoughts and opinions to the public. In elementary school we had to participate in AR Reading, which was a program that made us read a certain amount of books and take quizzes over them to receive points and grades. At the time I thought it was a waste of time and I despised reading back in those days, but now I am extremely grateful for all of the reading and learning I have went through in order to become how literate I am now. The ability to understand literacy will make me forever thankful to all the people in my life who have taught me from the ABC’s to writing prolonged and sophisticated essays.
There is a reason you spend a monumental portion of our lives in school; because you want a bright future. Some do not always find this out or grasp on to this right away. In elementary or middle school, one may hear from an older sibling or friend about college and the real world, but many still do not understand it. As I get older, I realize how monumental schooling really is. However, I have a lot of work to do. Some days I roll out of bed mumble under my breath something along the lines of not wanting to go to school. I say, “I have to go to school.” After reading how many people do not get education and are illiterate, I realized my perspective must change and will change. When I think about it, I am extremely appreciative of my schooling, but am I really? I realized I must now say that I want to go to school or that I have the important opportunity to go to school. Schooling is a blessing that some do not get to receive. Deeply sad, this article sparks me to help out in any way I can. Truly taking advantage of and appreciating my education will be a start. My parents have been important figures in my education. They started my journey by reading me books and the Bible before I could even understand them. My all time favorite book they read me was The Ant Bully. The book was given to us by my grandmother. Bible stories also were a great impact, not only on my literacy, but also my morals and personality. Allowing me to dig for a deeper meaning, these stories taught me to be thoughtful while reading. Time went by and I began absorbing what they were saying. Truly grateful am I that my parents helped me to be wonderfully literate. Along with this, my family has preached to me about how to take my education seriously and not waste my educational gift. Developing my personality, they always pointed out that school work was number one. Now that I am an uncle, I hope to instill the same determination into my nieces and nephews. Giving them knowledge and encouragement will help me to feel accomplished and will allow me to share what I have learned. This allows for me to not take my knowledge for granted.
Kribell 6
This infographic is definitely shocking. I knew that millions could not read but I guess seeing it truly brings it to the forefront of your mind. I find this information rather depressing. Reading is such an important thing to know. Not only is it important, but it’s fun. I am, however, rather confused on how someone can graduate from high school, but still be illiterate. What kind of high school are they attending? That’s impossible. I honestly love reading. I know that makes me sort of a nerd but I enjoy reading for hours and staying up way later than I should to finish an intense book. My dad used to read to me and my brother when we were younger before bed sometimes. I love the way my dad reads, so monotone. My dad is actually not the most literate person I know. He’s a terrible speller and usually asks for help pronouncing words. Back then though, he was better than us at reading. He read countless books to us. We have a bookshelf in his office just dedicated to children’s books, that sadly nobody even looks at anymore because it’s buried. There are lots of books that he read, but one collection was the Froggy books. Written by Jonathan London, they were about as simple and childish as you could get. I am also grateful to my brother for my literacy level. As we grew up my brother really branched out into science and math and is now doing a double major in both physics and math with a minor in science. Basically, he’s a huge nerd. But he would find the most amazing books, usually series, and recommend them to me. We still do this today. We practically have our own unofficial book club. All of my favorite books, except one, were recommended to me by my brother. I undoubtedly credit my literacy level to reading.
It is incomprehensible how some adults are illiterate. Yet at the same time it is comprehensible that more children nowadays are literate, since there are more laws in place in today’s day and age making children go to school, then back when our grandparents and great grandparents were children. Thinking about my own life and how I am literate because of all of my teachers and my mother who taught me when I was in elementary school I am now able to write this blog task today. I am thankful to every teacher who took the time and effort to teach me on a one on one basis to help me with what I struggled with. And now thinking back on by life in elementary school, I remember reading The Little House on the Prairie, The Tale of Despereaux, James and the Giant Peach, and The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe in school. We would read individually, as a class popcorn balling it, or the teacher would read it out loud to us. And to help us be more into literature they would then let us watch the movie once we finished the book. And would give us bags of popcorn to eat while watching the movie. Although my all time favorite series was not something we read as a class in school. It was something I found on my own in the school's library the series is called The Magic Tree House books. I would read a book in the series for hours at a time. Never wanting to stop reading, always wanting to know more. And whenever I am at whether it is at church waiting for Sunday school to start, before piano lessons, or just to de-stress a book is always there with me. And so after all these years of being taught the thought of not knowing how to do my favorite pass time is incomprehensible.
Illiteracy is an unfathomable concept to me. I am fortunate to have grown up in a household that values the importance of education, and to have received a phenomenal education in a country that shares those same values. It amazes me that anyone in this country is remotely illiterate because i feel that it is almost impossible to survive in a world so dependent on the written word. If you are unable to read and you are in, for example, New York City, how are you going to find anything you need other than asking complete strangers. It makes even the simplest of tasks extremely difficult, such as ordering off a menu or locating a certain venue. It is terrifying to think that 14% of America’s adult population, whom the world views as perhaps the most powerful people to exist, cannot read at all. It makes me beg the question, how have 19% of those people graduated high school without learning to read? I have always thought of America’s educational system to be one of the best in the world, but how true can that be when we let millions of children slip through the cracks unable to perform a necessary skill for a successful life? As a country, we need to crack down on that issue, and harness it before it gets out of control. For the adults whose high school careers are over, a solution is to offer low cost or free classes to educate these people. It is never too late to change the life of another human being, and it starts with the United States. We are a country that is looked up to by the rest of the globe. If we begin doing this, other countries will proceed to do the same, and in turn, the world could be a much brighter place.
The book that I remember reading the most as a child was a set of short books about spiders and other bugs. I do not like spiders, so I do not know why I read these books so often, but I did. My mom had purchased these books from a book fair at my daycare facility and I looked at the pictures all day long. My mom would read them to me at night while I was fascinated by the vibrant pictures of the deadly arachnids.
Another book that I loved as a child was Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus. It was a short story about a tiger who was not very good at sports, or drawing, or any of the other games that the little tigers played in. But one day, Leo was suddenly great at all the games and could draw well, and he then fit in with the other tigers. I liked this book a lot because it made me feel happy when I got down about not being good at some things as a kid; It made me think that eventually I would bloom and become exceptional at everything that I want to do. I connected with Leo at times and it had a lasting effect on my life.
My mom reading to me has attributed greatly to my literacy, and I think my overall intelligence. I am extremely grateful for the time that my parents put into reading to me as a child. I always had a small bookshelf full of children’s books that my parents would read to me each night before bed. Reading to me at a young age gave a jump start compared to my peers because I could read in kindergarten and this was an advantage to other children.
This infographic makes me feel extremely lucky that I won the lottery to be born to loving parents who read to me, and could afford to buy books that I had constant access to. I never really think about how difficult it would be to operate in current times without the ability to read. I would not be able to drive, because I would not be able to read signs, or order food from a restaurant. 50% of people in the Middle East cannot read; that is appalling. The fact that females are still denied education in today’s world is startling. Everyone should have the right to an education. Everyone. And there are people in America who graduate high school and continue to adulthood without learning to read. This is willful ignorance and is disgusting that they would squander a great education while some people die trying to get an education.
7 Rasmussen
I believe that people need to become more literate, the people have inspired me to become literate are my past and current teachers along with my family. My mother has been one of those that has helped me literate. My mom had started my literacy expedition when I was a very young boy, hoping that it would lead to an love in literature. The main literature I read and listened to was the “Magic Treehouse” series, it is a series of books about these two young kids (one boy, one girl) go to magical foreign lands and help solve problems and adventure. They had alway interested me. The series also lead me to be more adventurous with my literature choices, trying to be like the characters in the books, as many little kids do. I was never one to really love to read even with my mom trying to teach me. I was the kid that loved to listen to the books and create my own picturesque settings and characters, creating my own little world without worrying about falling asleep while reading. But as I became older my mind became more independent and I was able to have that same picturesque setting and characters, but read it myself and not have the narration of my mom. In some ways reading a book myself will allow me to make my own story out of the given story. I can read the literature my own way in mood creating a different atmosphere than what I would have if the story was read to me. The ability to read will broaden your perspective on so many topics. Reading will allow you to imagine things that would not be able to be seen in your normal day life. Reading can put you places that you could have never imagined from dragon enchanted dungeons to the battlefields of World War II. People do not realize the powers of reading, but the power is endless.
All of the statistics on the info graphic are shocking and believable, besides one, which was that “there are 757 million adults who can not read or write a simple sentence” and “two thirds” of them are women. This statistic is obviously true. And it comes to no surprise to me. In many parts of the developing world, education is replaced by the responsibilities of motherhood and being a wife. Women face several disadvantages on the path to achieving literacy, from discrimination and social stigma, to care giving duties and household responsibilities. Often, girls who should be in school are forced to take on motherhood or expected to look after sick relatives. An education is simply not considered an important part of a woman’s life. Most drop out of school to help with housework, or to get a job and earn a living. Another huge reason is because parents prefer to invest in the education of their sons due to strong social norms. I'm a little disappointed with this part in the info graphic because the reason for the high numbers of illiteracy does not speak for itself. If prejudice against women were less engraved in this world, the stats would look much better.
I have had the fortuitous opportunity to be born in a developed country where--even as a woman-- I am expected to be literate. Though in my younger years I did not exactly feel thankful for my opportunity to learn to read and write. In elementary school, I felt loads of pressure to read books. This was due to the Accelerated Reading program that our school followed. Accelerated Reading was basically a point system to keep track of how many books a student reads, and the level that they read at. Each book was marked with a number of how many points it was worth, and each student was given an Accelerated Reading goal, which was usually set just above your average capability in order to challenge you. I suffered a lot of anxiety in elementary school with these allocated amounts of time to read a number of points. To me it was not about gaining reading skills; it was a competition, and a race, and I absolutely hated it! The system forced me to read myself out of anxiety and fear. By the end of fifth grade I was at an eleventh grade reading level, according to the school.
Out of hundreds of books that I read in elementary school, the ones I remember are always books that were worth very few points. One of them I will always remember is called The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. Published in 1922, it was basically an antique version of Toy Story. This book taught me compassion and it is very nostalgic to me when I remember the story. Pressure may be the reason I am literate, but if it were not for stories that touched my heart as a young girl, I do not think I would enjoy reading like I do today.
I am grateful for all of my teachers for informing me of all the rules and specifics of literacy and the art of writing sentences, but am most thankful towards my grandma. When I was three or four, I lived a house down from my grandma, right down by the river. Our houses were the only two houses for miles, and though I cannot remember the houses themselves, one of my clearest and most acute memory was of me walking to her house every day so she could read to me stories of all kinds. Every week she would drive me into the town, to the library, so that I could pick out a stack of books for the week, which we would finish and reread over the course of the week. We read so much, that before I was house-trained I was able to read. Reading was my passion for the rest of my childhood and most of my young adult life, in turn becoming a spiritual passage for my literacy to grow and sophisticate. A set of books I enjoyed reading (though I cannot remember the exact name) was the illustrated classics set I had in my household. This included great (though abridged) classical literary pieces such as “Moby Dick”, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, “Tom Sawyer”, “Dracula”, “Frankenstein”, and many others as well. These stories helped my analytic and scientific mindset (or perhaps my lack thereof). The novels of renowned artist J. K. Rowling also helped me (in a way) because I read them so often, trying to notice different aspects or details of the story every read, that I started noticing small details and nuances in other stories. Using this, I subliminally started using these in my own sentences, and started somehow becoming a better writer.
It is really quite sad the amount of people in the world that cannot read or write. Literacy is a very important aspect of the life we live today. I believe the reason why two-thirds of the 757 million adults that can not read are women is because of the religious traditions in some of the middle eastern countries. These countries are in an extremely Islamic part of the world. In Islam women are basically stuck in the house and have no way of learning the ways of writing and reading. I also believe it is sad that seventeen percent of adolescents do not attend school. School is a vital part of a child’s growth to an adult. School is not only where a person can learn how to read and write but it is also where a person makes friends and grows into who they will become when they are an adult. If kids are not involved in school then they may not discover certain talents. They could be a really amazing author or a great musician but they will never know because they did not have the chance to grow in those talents. I on the other hand am extremely blessed to have gotten to grow up in an amazing school district and with a family that has pushed me to excel in my education and literacy. I especially am grateful for my mom who has played a pivotal role in helping me become an extremely literate person. Even if i did not agree with what she was doing while she was doing it I am extremely happy she did it now. In late elementary school early middle school she made me read books like The Little House on the Prairie, even if I may not have wanted to. Not only were all of the The Little House on the Prairie books a good read, they also helped me grow in the ways of the English language. Books like Harry Potter, Hatchet, and many more have helped me become the reader and the writer that I am today.
It is quite a surprise on how many people in the world can not read or write simple forms of text or even write their own name. Many of the people who cannot read are right are located in lesser countries and less governed countries. Most of the people who can not read or right live in countries where great poverty and lack of jobs are located. One of the biggest reasons for this illiteracy is the world are the need for kids at a young age to start working and making money to help their own impoverished families. Most of the time if kids do not help by working and making money for their family the family will not be able to eat or support itself and will become ill with a lack of nourishment. Also a big factor is a lot of the families are big and the mother need help caring for the other children, so the older kids will often help their families by taking care of the younger siblings all day. Luckily for me I live in a well off family and am able to go to school and learn about reading and writing and so much more and I am grateful for that. I am also grateful for my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Nancy who taught me the write way to read and write when i was young and own a lot of what I know today to her. Even though I was only in kindergarten at the time I feel like at that age that is when the new information is the freshest and most easily taken in by the young brain of the child and will forever be used no matter what the age.
Klumpp 2
Being literate is a huge part of being successful in life and helps us as a society advance greatly. These statistics are deeply saddening because they are not able to perform at the best of their abilities and most of people who are illiterate live in poverty. The tough thing is since these people who are living in poverty usually cant afford school or even attend because they have to stay home and work to provide basic needs for themselves and most importantly their families. Also, even if illiterate people are working it is most likely not for good pay because nowadays you need to be literate, especially in America. It is so shocking how many adults are not able to read in our country, how are they ever suppose to live a life America has been known to provide. The children affected is a huge concern to me because these children are our future and they have so much potential that is not being used to the best of their ability. They should be able to grow up knowing they can be whatever they want instead of working at a minimum wage job because they weren’t provided the necessities they needed and all children should be provided to explore those opportunities.
I thank my parents and elementary teachers for helping be literate because they were my first teachers and they knew how important it was for myself to have that skill to be successful in life. I am forever grateful to be provided with that gift that so many of us now overlook. I think the America and the world need to start providing incentives for school and help out those who cannot attend due to work. This is a problem that should not be happening in the twenty-first century and I hope to see a huge change in those statistics.
Oren 2
The statistics shown are surprising and also slightly disturbing. The part that sticks out to me the most is that 757 million adults cannot read. There are roughly 300 million people in America, so that really puts it into perspective. Figuratively speaking, that would mean that America times two and one-half cannot read or even write a simple sentence. Growing up in South Dakota, or even the U.S. in general, the thought that there are those who cannot read seems like an utter blasphemy. We definitely take school for granted. Many students, myself included, would groan and gripe about being assigned to read a book or write an essay. There are those who would love to do so but simply cannot, I think that is what gets me the most about this. I can only credit my current literacy to my family and the school system. My family has always valued education very highly for me and my siblings. I cannot remember a time when books where absent from my life. When I was a little squirt, the colorful world of Dr. Seuss taught me my ABC's and 123's. In early elementary school I was fascinated by Rebecca Estel's parade of unwanted pumpkins in Linda White's delightful story, "Too Many Pumpkins." In later elementary school I live vicariously through the crazy world of Junie B. Jones; the "B" stand for Beatrice but she doesn't like Beatrice so it is just "B" of course. In middle school I was enthralled by the thrilling series of books by Ally Carter about a young female spy named Cameron Morgan; she goes to a private school for female spies learning about both lip gloss and lethal weapons. Nowadays I read what ever book grabs my attention at Barns & Nobles. I am currently engaged in a helpful book entitled, "Adulting: How To Be a Grown-Up if 468 Easy(ish) Steps," it is proving to be both humorous and helpful. I plan to continue reading throughout my life so as not to loose my literacy. After high school I plan to go to college to become an elementary school teach, maybe I can help change those literacy statistics.
Quite a bit of the information on the infographic is not unfamiliar. It should be common knowledge, really. If someone knows anything about the culture of the south and west Asia they should know that women are far from equal there. In countries where it is illegal for a woman to show her ankle or even step out of the home without a man, how would they get an education? This area is what I believe is raising the illiteracy of women percentage. Fifty-one percent is illiterate, women are more than likely forty-nine percent of that. The only statistic that stands out to me is that thirty-two million adults in the U.S. cannot read and nineteen percent of whom are high school graduates. I cannot imagine how a person is able to get through elementary, let alone high school! You think someone would have noticed.
I never truly thought about how I became literate. It is expected and everyone above the age of six is able to read and create coherent sentences. I am not sure exactly at what age I was able to read, but it was always difficult. I remember my first A.R. (accelerated reading) test. I was in the first grade at Brandon Elementary and I completely failed it. I never really enjoyed reading after that, until I was in about eighth grade. The middle school library always gave away the old books that were of no use to the school, whatever reason it may be, I had looked through the options and came across one that sparked my interest. It was Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer. It was a book about the future queen, taking place in her childhood. After finishing it, I looked more into books about princesses, fiction or nonfiction. My love for princesses quickly transformed into a love of historical accuracy, from the Renaissance to the modern age, the American colonies to the islands of Asia. History is magical, but princesses are the true magicians in my eyes.
Having been literate most of our lives, this statistic may seem horrible to most of my fellow classmates, but this is a promising statistic. It is easy to forget that about sixty years ago there was only about a fifty-six percent for global literacy rate. I consider a literacy rate of nearly ninety percent as not only good but amazing. I understand that not everyone would agree with this point of view, but I feel that expecting everyone to be literate is blatant ignorant of reality.
Also, I would like to point out that the highest percentage of illiterate are in third-world countries. Though everyone should have the ability to be literate, many of these people are not concerned about reading and writing, because they are too worried about living... no, not living but being able to survive for a few seconds longer. These people probably have gone through events that would make anyone with a heart tremble. To these kinds of people, teaching them to be literate would be a slap in the face. They need education of skills that can get them food, shelter, and security. As educated and literate people, it is not only our ability to help such individuals but our duty. The 757 million should be taught and given opportunities to rise from their situations by the more than six billion more fortunate souls.
I would be lying if I did not say that the main reason that I am literate is that I am advantage by being born into a wonderful family in an great country. My first-grade year was when I began to read. I loved to read adventure novels that created the feeling of awe and endless possibilities. Aspects which had sparked my childhood interest of reading and lead to me becoming more literate. I remember when I first attempted to read Harry Potter. I had been reading for about a year and could not understand a few of the words, like muggles, but I had read about ten pages into it. To me the book was boring, with only a little bit of action, so I stopped reading it until about four years later. I would say that memory has given me a desire to become better, not only at reading, but at understanding what I see and hear around me. It is possibly one of the reasons I have achieved all that I have done.
I have been reading since before I entered elementary school. I still recall my mom, dad, and older siblings helping me to learn specific words. My sisters actually made a set of flashcards because they wanted to help me learn. I remember in elementary school they really pushed reading as all schools should. I remember reading and loving everything that had to do with mystery. Other students and teachers would say they loved the puzzle and loved trying to figure out what happened at the end, and I completely just loved mystery for the story. The puzzle had nothing to do with nor did guessing who did the crime or whatever was being solved. Just following the characters while they unravelled different clues was incredibly entertaining for my early elementary life. Encyclopedia Brown and A to Z Mysteries are big ones that I can remember. In late high school my older sisters (who have a great impact on what I do especially when I was younger) were reading harry potter, and because I wanted to be like them, I also started reading Harry Potter. This was the first time I read any book or series that took longer than a few days to finish. In fact I probably spent a week or two on each book, but I was able to knock out all seven books within the fourth grade year. I cannot recall if this is a feat worth noting, but I do believe strongly that it is a large milestone in my reading timeline. After elementary school, I read the hatchet. I loved that book and realized that Gary Paulsen had wrote many other books. I tried a second by him, I am unsure of the name of this book, and loved it. I read all the books by him that were within the library. Around this time I also read the book by Louis Sachar called “Holes.” This book is still one of my favorite’s that I have ever read. After this time I started to get into a series about a teenage spy named Alex Rider. This series I do not think helped me a whole lot other than to get my mind stimulated by a series following a kid my age doing really cool things. These books did not challenge me like some of the others I have listed, but it probably the book that I had the most fun reading. Of all these books I would say that JK Rowling, Gary Paulsen, and Louis Sachar are the main authors in my early life that I have to thank, but when you get to my older self, where I like to think I am more advanced, the main and almost only reading I do at school.
I intend to read more, because I am an avid supporter of reading and believe that it is incredibly important to better your mind and self. I always say, “I’ll start reading tomorrow.” One of these days I will just pick up the book I’m attempting to finish right now and actually get done with it. Currently I am quite early in the book by John Steinbeck called “To a God Unknown,” and I really like it so far.
Reading this info graphic could be inspirational to a highly educated critic of world injustices. However, my question is: What about the regions/cultures/people groups that do not require literacy--or our understanding of literacy--to be successful in their way of life. Tell me, does a child in a remote tribe need to understand how to write well when he can communicate just fine in his community and live a productive life in his own culture? We say literacy is a privilege, which it can be when enjoyed in the right context, but is this yet another example of white man’s burden? We put it upon ourselves to educate the world of our ways to bring them up to our standards. Who are we to say what is better or best? It is not to say that we should keep our knowledge and advancement to ourselves; instead, the approach and attitude needs to change. Giving the gift of being able to read written text and write it can be empowering but we are not the empowers. We do not give them that power we simply introduce a pathway to it much like the idea behind the Christian faith. We as Christ followers do not possess the ability to save anyone; we simply possess directions to salvation. That being said, I do believe I am incredibly blessed with excellent literacy, comprehension, and writing skills. This occurred due to a wonderful, insatiable childhood fascination with fictional realms and the feeling of being so absorbed in the author’s creation that my own reality quite literally fades from my awareness. My mother was my biggest supporter in my literary adventures, buying me book after book from the seasonal book fairs that would attend my school. Encouraging my quest for knowledge, she would often have me read to her out loud for the entertainment of both of us. To my elementary school I also owe gratitude. Being in a small class, I was given plenty of individual attention including tests of my reading comprehension and challenges for points awarded by novels read and quizzed over. Specifically, my first memory of a book I proudly recited was of the title “Arthur’s New Puppy.“ Another is “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” My very favorite author as a youngling was Eric Carle. A few more advanced series of novels I endlessly enjoyed include: The Magic Tree House, Junie B. Jones, Warriors, The Olympians, The Underland Series, and (of course) The Magic School Bus. I would lose sleep getting lost in these other lands. The biggest thing I have gained from reading incessantly as a child is my ability to understand words based on context. I often read works above my reading level and would come across terms I did not understand yet being so deep into the story I fully comprehend the feeling of the situation around the unidentified word.
Those statistics are so surprising. I guess I have not really thought about how much i take reading a writing for granted until just now when i saw how many people, some of which are high school graduates, can not read or write. I struggle to understand how someone can go through life and not be able to read and write. I seems that since I was old enough to even hold a book my parents, teachers, and other adults have always been wanting me to read more and more and more advanced and more literate. I remember writing stories in first grade and striving to always want to have perfect grammer. To think that some people may never be able to enjoy the stories from Dr. Suess or the stories of Juna B. Jones is actually almost sad. The enjoyment of reading, or having your parents read to you is something that all children should have the opportunity to enjoy and experience. As a child the Fudge mania, Diary of a wimpy kid, and Magic Treehouse books were always a personal favorite of mine. My first and fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Poppinga was the reason that I fell in love with Magic Treehouse books. We always read them in class and that gave me an opportunity to fall in love with that series. Everyone, especially children, should have at least one person, if not many, encouraging them to read and write as often as possible. Encouraging kids to read can get them to learn so much more about other topics. Reading can open so many more doors for people, you can read about literally any topic. The scary although true statistics about how many people can not read or write should be a goal of everybody to change. Although it is nice that literacy rates are going up, they are not improving at a fast enough rate.
Komatsubara 7
We are so blessed. Many Americans are born to be surrounded by good environment. If we pay attention our possibilities to learn starting with literacy seems unlimited. We have educational opportunity flowing around us so much it is the norm to complain about it. Then there those who never have seen such opportunities for potential. No legitimate individual would argue that this contemporary situation is right. We have an obligation to care for others in some way; we have to remind ourselves that those who seek aid are not as far as we believe. 94
Writing. It feels so unique, so mysterious even when it is so common and so essential. Writing is a symbol and milestone of human intelligence. The reason for so many advancements: historical analogy, mathematical advancement, and computer technology. Although it is not a necessary factor, Earth is full of civilizations thanks to this method of recording and preserving old knowledge. The fact that some societies have advanced so much in literacy rates that it becomes a problem that others are left behind is melancholic in a way. Nevertheless the lucky fractions of the human race must aid in those that are not as lucky in educational opportunity. 107
I may be just have to be more thankful than others for being raised bilingual. Not only do I know how to read and write, I can analyze diverse expression methods in multiple languages. Like many people of my generation, I could not ignore the Wizarding World of Harry Potter; not only that, I am in love with it. When reading the original British text and the Japanese translation, I see, I know that simply inserting counterparts of the vocabulary in another language is not necessarily the best translation method. Learning literacy is understanding more than individual words; it is understanding cultural development, or differing philosophies. Even in nonfiction, I have come across so many mind blowing papers at each stage of my still short life. Writing exists because of the natural desire to understand the world; for every human being to be literate is essential in solving many of the world’s massive issues.
With the infographic you can see the big differences with being able to read. With working at a clothing store it is very common to have shoppers ask what the price is on an item or have to speak to the cashier through their child. I find it very alarming how many people actually walk in and has to ask, while pointing at the price tag, and ask how much the item costs. Illiteracy within the U.S. is higher than I could ever expect it to be. With myself, I would say that I am moderately literate. No I'm not saying that I don't understand english or can't read well, I'm mainly referring to english skills. There are hundreds of rules that can contribute to someone being good at english. Being that I have attended school for the required fourteen years including pre-k and kinder garden. I have never necessarily been understanding with english rules especially within writing. Personally with being grateful for literacy... I have never been a fan of reading. I have only read childhood books in elementary and the few required books for classes. If I were to say that I am grateful from a literacy aspect, I would have to say Arthur Conan Doyle with his wonderful compositions of Sherlock Holmes. Even without being much of a reader, I have read all volumes of Sherlock Holmes a plethora of times. Within Sherlock Holmes, I wouldn't say that it made me more literate but, more open to ways of writing. I very much dislike writing unless it is something that I know inside and out or personally want to know about. Sherlock Holmes brings out the inner mystery within me. I love having to search for the answers and the reasons behind something. I am unsure if there is a specific way of writing that he specifically uses but, if there is and I were to find out, I would use it in every thing that I write.
Peltier 1
Literacy is a major factor that affects our everyday life. It is a necessity that allows up to succeed and advance throughout our life. When looking at all the statistics is mind blowing. Seeing all the results from the research done really puts into perspective the amount of people that are not literate. It also makes me feel bad for those children unable to attend a school, therefore causing them to not be literate, and it is not their choice. I credit my literate ability to me teachers and parents. We do not come out of the womb with the ability to read novels written by the most exotic authors. It takes time to be able to learn the simplest and be able to process what you are looking at then being able to regurgitate the words to others through speaking. Teachers have a major impact on all their students literate ability. This is extremely relevant to teachers of younger grades because they are the ones teaching kids the basics of being able to read. My parents also played a factor because they are the ones that raised me and they had to teach me the absolute basic parts of being literate. They did this by reading the baby books that you see with the detachable parts and fuzzy pages. By doing this they implanted the very basic parts in my head, because as babies are minds are easily molded. Therefore reading the books to me exposed me the concept of being literate making it easier for me to pick up at a later age. Growing up reading is an important way to perfect and learn how to read.I grew up reading small chapter books, like The Magic Tree House and Junie B Jones. I strongly believe that reading these books at a young age was a major factor that helped perfect my literate ability. It allowed me to practice and be to be exposed to new things that challenged me ultimately made me better.
To be literate is to be empowered. Literacy helps people not only learn about the world surrounding them, but about themselves as well. The infographic displayed showed the areas where illiteracy is most prevalent. 25% of the world’s illiterate population lives in Central and Southern Africa. An astonishing 51% of the illiterate population dwells in South-Central Asia; the equivalent of approximately 379 million people. In both of these regions, there is extreme poverty as well as civil unrest. Africa has extreme droughts from poor irrigation methods and civil wars because of political corruption. South-Central Asia also lives in poverty due to overpopulation. There is tension between many of the countries in this region, specifically between India and Pakistan. Both regions need to change their course in history with revolutions through enlightenment. The American Revolution was led by wealthy, educated men. The vast majority of these regions do not have these people, and have even fewer that want to change their homeland for the better. With knowledge of fair government systems and of proper farming techniques, their worlds will change.
I have not always been the eccentric enlightened human that you may know and love today. Like all people. I was once a child with simple dreams and thought of the world as a beautiful place. A novel that helped improve my literacy was The Tale of Two Cities. The novel expanded my vocabulary and my knowledge of the horrors people had to endure French Revolution in 1789 (there have been multiple revolutions). Sydney Carton’s selfless actions in the book helped me learn what a seamstress is (a person that sows for a living). Also, the novel helped me learn about the importance of taxation with representation. A second example of a book series that helped me become more literate is the Magic Treehouse series. In elementary school, the books helped me expand both my vocabulary and my knowledge of historic events.
This infographic is quite compelling to me. I view literacy as a key to success in any subject in life. Without literacy it becomes incredibly difficult to communicate and organize groups of people. The fact that there are still hundreds of millions of people who are unable to read and write is a huge problem in my eyes. The key to alleviating the ills of poverty is to first educate the poverty-stricken populations and lead them to liberating themselves and their families. I personally never really remember not being able to read, but I do remember in kindergarten reading several of the magic tree house books a day. Those books helped me extraordinarily in the expansion of my vocabulary and in the development of my literacy. The first really difficult books I read however was the Eragon series. I read that series in the beginning of first grade and then moved on to the Harry Potter series. I loved getting lost in the fantastical worlds they portrayed and the imaginativity of the whole genre really got me hooked and helped my to read quicker and more accurately. The fact that a large portion of the world could never experience that. A portion of the world would see the pages as line of gibberish is disheartening to say the least. Books were so important in my growing up that I could never imagine doing it without them. In the few years of homeschooling I did, sometimes I would decide I didn’t want to do any school that day, so I would just make it a reading day where I would read all day. I would have to make up my schoolwork later, but it was worth it and those school days often lasted from early in the morning late into the night. I believe that books are a great way to exercise your brain and teach it to think more efficiently while having fun and using your imagination.
Simply put, literacy is amazing. Without this valuable skill one can not even read this comment. Yes it is a pain in the butt to learn, especially if you put it off more and more, but in today’s world it is almost as essential as breathing and eating. I have learned this skill extremly well in my opinion but not mastered. Reading is something I enjoy very much, and it saddens me that many millions of people will not learn how Harry Potter is not the perfect character that the movies portray him as, or how Katniss Everdeen became the spark of a revolution. I will not say however I am lucky to possess this ability to write and read. Am I grateful? Yes, immensely so, but not lucky. Luck is something that happens out of the ordinary, and with the high rates of literacy, being literate is normal. Those that cannot read or write are the unlucky ones in this respect. I owe my gratitude to my teachers in elementary school who made sure I did not procrastinate on learning, as I have a procrastination problem. They read books to the classes outloud and even during recess. The Old Willis Place, Gossamer, The Tale of Despereaux, Ghost stories, tales to tell by the campfires, adventures and even one about dreams. It was those books and teachers that filled my dreams of the wonders of the written word. Writing the written word is where my problems lie. I have made so many tales and stories in my head but my grammar and plot are not simply up to telling them. And if I, merely one person who is literate, can come up with those, just imagine all the books and novels and works of literature would exist if merely a fraction of the illiterate became literate. I am not lucky, just eternally grateful.
Isaiah Blok 7
Illiteracy is one of the most unfortunate things facing the human race. The fact that these statistics are true makes me feel extremely lucky to have the ability to read and write. I think that if we could teach everyone these basic skills then the world would be a better place. We would have the ability to communicate worldwide and we would have so many more opinions in circulation. I feel that the world has the ability to do this task. The only thing holding us back is ourselves. We could so easily accomplish this feat if we all put our brains together, and used the abilities of people all around the world as one and make the world become literate. The richer countries need to use their affluence to help the impoverished learn these skills. We are so close to achieving this, we just need to look outside of ourselves and use our resources to better the world. That is the overall problem with people in general. We are too concerned with number one, and feel as though we are the only ones that matter in this world. We could have cured world hunger, fixed the illiteracy problem, and made everyone feel important. Also we need to solve the gender problem. Out of the illiterate people in the world 2/3rds of them are women. This is because of gender biased traditions in countries. The fact that women are not educated makes me sad because women can have very valid opinions also. They just need to know how to express them. Women have just as much ability to change the world as men do so why not give them the same rights as men. Literacy would be a huge step in the right direction for women in gender biased countries, because it would give women a way to express their ideas and better the world.
Upon reading these statistics, I had almost felt appalled and greatly distraught… almost. As some of my classmates have been saddened by scanning their eyes upon these numbers, I think some of them forget our history, and forget what we once were. It is always important to take pride in the little things. Take pride in any accomplishment, but also be critical for the sake of self improvement. I ponder on what these numbers would have read a century ago, or even a half a century ago. These numbers are a reminder, exemplifying the progress we have made over the years. It is quite indubitable that humans have made unbounded progress, but all successful people will ask themselves,”Where can we improve?”
It should be noted that only under specific circumstances, do things occur simultaneously. As a nation, we just simply excelled to the modern literacy standard, sooner than other countries. I have faith in those who may be coming behind us in the great race. The fact that I was fortunate enough to receive optimal success in the genetic lottery is a contributor to my optimism. I was born in a good neighborhood, in a great country, surrounded by great people… simply by chance. Those who share this same scenario should always have gratitude, for being able to live the fortunate lifestyles they do. The American education system is not awful by any means.The competitive nature of letter rankings is the reason I enjoy to succeed. I made a significant spike in literacy my fifth grade year, reading non stop simply to read more than fellow classmates. I remember reading the Twilight series in fifth grade. As sad as it is to admit that, the books were fairly challenging for my reading level, and larger in length for what I was used too. These books were my main catalyst to further readings. After the Twilight Series, followed the DaVinci Code series, bounds leaps harder than the twilight series. I’d like to thank those educators who encouraged me to read more than what I should of been capable of. A very wise teacher once told me, “Those who read more, generally are smarter.” Though this quote is not poetically elegant, I have taken it to heart, and truly believe that those who seek more knowledge shall find it.
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