The Consequences of Reading Failure
Sebastian
Wren, Ph.D.
It is a common misconception that
we used to do a better job of teaching children to read in this country.
In fact, reading scores have not changed significantly in the past 35 years
(according to information from the National Center for Education Statistics),
and studies suggest that reading performance in the U.S. has not changed
since before World War II.
However, what has changed is the
importance of literacy. Adams (1991, p. 26) provides a compelling
argument for the absolutely crucial and essential need that people will
have for literacy in the future, and most would argue that proficient reading
skills already nearly essential for a reasonable quality of life in this
country.
Some have argued, however, that
the illiteracy problem in this country has been grossly overstated.
Jeff McQuillan, for example, in his book, "The Literacy Crisis: False Claims,
Real Solutions" argues that the statistics are misleading, and that we
have very little to worry about when it comes to literacy.
So what is the state of reading
education in this country? Consider these statistics and decide for
yourself:
One in five American adults is functionally
illiterate (Larrick, 1987), but 40% of minority youth is functionally illiterate
(Orton Dyslexia Society). Over 40 million Americans over the age
of 16 have significant literacy disabilities (National Adult Literacy Survey,
1991).
The U.S. Department of Education
estimates that at least ten million children have difficulty learning to
read. 10 to 15 percent of those children eventually drop out of high school,
and only 2 percent complete a four-year program of college.
According to the Orton Dyslexia
Society, "illiterate" is a term that can be used to describe 75% of unemployed
workers, 85% of juveniles who appear in court, and 60% of prison inmates.
Literacy is very strongly related to criminality and recidivism, access
to health care, employment, financial success, and even life-span.
Of the people who had to take a
basic competency exam for a entry-level employment at New York Telephone,
84% failed and were consequently denied employment (Perry, 1988).
While about 40% of students (especially
in the lower grades) perform at the "below basic" level on the National
Assessment of Educational Progress, only 5% of students fall in the "advanced"
category.
Half of the special education population
is comprised of children who did not learn to read, and 35% of children
in special education programs drop out of high-school. (National Institute
of child Health and Human Development, 1996)
43% of people with the lowest literacy
skills live below the poverty line (National Institute for Literacy).
Welfare recipients aged 17 to 21 read, on average, at the sixth grade level.
Almost half of the adults receiving welfare support do not have a GED or
high school diploma.
Contrary to what people like McQuillan
have argued, there is indeed a very real problem with illiteracy in this
country, and it is getting worse. Not so much because scores are
going down (although recent NAEP trends suggest that scores are in fact
going down for certain minority and high-poverty populations), but because
the need for literacy skills is greater than ever before.
Adams, M.J. (1991). Beginning to Read: Thinking
and Learning About Print. MIT Press. Cambridge.
Larrick, N. (1987). Illiteracy starts too
soon. Phi Delta Kappan, 69, 184-189
Perry, N.J. (1988). Saving the schools:
How business can help. Fortune, November 7, 42-56.
