Functional Reading In Everyday Life

With somewhat more than functional readings skills at my disposal I may not be wiser than I was yesterday but I am smarter. The article I was able to read advised me that I need to add a pinch of salt to the eight glasses of water that I drink a day in order to replace the electrolytes my body needs. Aside from that being an interesting fact, it could make a difference in my health too. But what if I, like so many others, was unable to read that article? Instead of seeing words that enlighten, what if I only saw black marks and scribbles across the page? According to an IALS study that is what it is like for 19% of Canadians today. More alarming is the fact that 47% in total cannot read well enough to function at an everyday level. What if you couldn’t read the instructions on a pill bottle to save your life (literally!)?

Functional reading is more than a gift of words that opens up the world to us, it is as basic as food and shelter. Being informed through reading not only opens up the wonder of fantasy, but also involves you in the workings of the world around you. The love of reading brings you into so many worlds that you didn’t know existed and helps you to become more well rounded in the subjects of life. It is important to be able to converse intelligently with your friends, family or co-workers around the proverbial water cooler. When I think about not being able to read, the way I wrap my head around it is to think about going to a foreign country and trying to read a book or menu in their language. If it is Spanish or French I might be able to figure out some of what they are saying but an Arabic or Japanese menu would be beyond me completely. Far too many people around the world struggle with this every day of their lives. They have to hide their lack of skills and basically fake their way through a good part of each day. Imagine being thrown into line with the Radio City Rockettes and, having never taken a dance lesson in your life, you are expected to do your part and keep up with them. Imagine the stress they would carry! Your job possibilities would be greatly limited leaving you with little or no opportunity to advance. It would be hard to keep going like that day after day.

We take reading skills for granted when learning and literacy are promoted in our homes. Most of us loved having our moms reading us books at bedtime. While we didn’t appreciate the significance of literacy, we were enthralled with the idea of reading by ourselves. While we didn’t know about literacy rates we did know that the marks in those books became words that meant something to us. One level of reading was a springboard for the next level. It seems bizarre to some of us that others don’t have this ability to read. It is unfair that they can’t partake of the wonder and excitement that changes those squiggle marks into thoughts and ideas and enlightenment. There is still opportunity for adults to learn to read through projects like Partners for Adult Literacy. Adults shouldn’t miss out on learning to read but how much more should it be offered to children? We grow up not even thinking of literacy because it is as natural to us as breathing. How can we make sure everyone gets the chance? There are more questions than answers with this problem but we must keep searching. Let’s be diligent in our efforts to put illiteracy alongside Polio and Rickets as unfortunate things of the past.

By: Rhonda Hoffman

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Rhonda Hoffman is a successful author and regular contributor to www.realpageturner.com