FAQs

• What is literacy?
  Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. defines adult literacy as the ability to read, write, and speak English proficiently, to compute and solve problems, and to use technology in order to become a life-long learner and to be effective in the family, in the workplace and in the community.

  We believe that the ability to read and write, to understand and be understood, is critical to personal freedom and the maintenance of a democratic society. We recognize literacy as an integral element in the broader goals of economic opportunity and security, social justice, and dignity.

• How is adult literacy measured?
  When literacy was simply a synonym for reading skill, it was typically measured in grade-level equivalents. In other words, an adult�s literacy skill was described as equivalent to reading at a grade in the kindergarten-12th grade system. A more complex, more realistic conception of literacy that emphasizes its uses in adult activities helped create momentum for new forms of literacy measurement. To determine the literacy skills of American adults, the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) used test items that resembled everyday life tasks involving prose, document, and quantitative skills. The NALS classified the results into five levels that are now commonly used to describe adults� literacy skills.

  Almost all adults in Level 1 can read a little but not well enough to fill out an application, read a food label, or read a simple story to a child. Adults in Level 2 usually can perform more complex tasks such as comparing, contrasting, or integrating pieces of information but usually not higher level reading and problem-solving skills. Adults in levels 3 through 5 usually can perform the same types of more complex tasks on increasingly lengthy and dense texts and documents. (Information provided courtesy of the National Institute for Literacy.)

• How literate is the adult population?
  Very few adults in the U.S. are truly illiterate. Rather, there are many adults with low literacy skills who lack the foundation they need to find and keep decent jobs, support their children�s education and participate actively in civic life. Between 21 and 23 percent of the adult population or approximately 44 million people, according to the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), scored in Level 1 (see description above). Another 25-28 percent of the adult population, or between 45 and 50 million people, scored in Level 2. Literacy experts believe that adults with skills at Levels 1 and 2 lack a sufficient foundation of basic skills to function successfully in our society.

  Many factors help to explain the relatively large number of adults in Level 1. Twenty-five percent of adults in Level 1 were immigrants who may have just been learning to speak English. More than 60 percent didn�t complete high school. More than 30 percent were over 65. More than 25 percent had physical or mental conditions that kept them from fully participating in work, school, housework, or other activities, and almost 20 percent had vision problems that affected their ability to read print. (Information provided courtesy of the National Institute for Literacy.)

• Where can I find out about literacy rates in my area?
  The National Institute for Literacy commissioned a study to apply the results of the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) to the state, county, and congressional district level. The study, called The State of Literacy in America, shows the percentage of Level 1 adults in each of these jurisdictions. (Information provided courtesy of the National Institute for Literacy.)

• When are National Literacy Day and International Literacy Day?
  Last year, the U.S. Congress designated July 2, 2000 as National Literacy Day. States, cities, and counties also occasionally pass laws declaring a literacy month or week in their own jurisdictions. However, there is no permanently established National Literacy Day.

  In 1965, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated September 8 as International Literacy Day. Each year, the UNESCO Secretary-General issues a statement, and four prizes are awarded. Local organizations often plan their own celebrations. (Information provided courtesy of the National Institute for Literacy.)

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