It may seem obvious to many people why literacy is so important in our technologically advanced society. However, many parents may not fully realize the emotional pain and life-long damage illiteracy can cause their children. Literacy, the ability to read well, is the foundation of children's education.
If children can't read well, every subject they try to learn will frustrate them. If they can't read math, history, or science textbooks, if they stumble over the words, they will soon give up reading out of frustration. Asking children who are poor readers to study these subjects is like asking them to climb a rope with one arm.
Kids learn to read in their most formative years, which is why reading can profoundly affect their self-esteem. When children learn to read, they also start learning how to think abstractly, because words convey ideas and relationships between ideas. How well they read therefore affects children's feelings about their ability to learn. This in turn affects how kids feel about themselves generally whether a child thinks he or she is stupid or bright. Children who struggle with reading often blame themselves and feel ashamed of themselves.
As Donald L. Nathanson, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Jefferson Medical College noted: "First reading itself, and then the whole education process, becomes so imbued with, stuffed with, amplified, magnified by shame that children can develop an aversion to everything that is education."
Often, poor readers will struggle just to graduate from high school. They can lose general confidence in themselves, and therefore the confidence to try for college or pursue a career. Their job opportunities can dry up. Their poor reading skills and low self-confidence can strangle their ability to earn money. They can struggle financially their whole lives. If they marry and have children, they can struggle even more.
Life for illiterate adults can easily degenerate into misery, poverty, failure, and hopelessness. According to a 1992 study by the National Institute for Literacy, "43 % of Americans with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty and 70 % have no job or a part-time job. Only 5% of Americans with strong literacy skills live in poverty."
As Dr. Grover Whitehurst, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, said, "Reading is absolutely fundamental. It's almost trite to say that. But in our society, the inability to be fluent consigns children to failure in school and consigns adults to the lowest strata of job and life opportunities."
By the 1850s, before we had compulsory, government-controlled public schools, child and adult literacy rates averaged over 90 percent, making illiteracy rates less than 10 percent. By 1850, literacy rates in Massachusetts and other New England States, for both men and women, was close to 97 percent. This was before Massachusetts created the first compulsory public-school system in America in 1852. What is literacy like in our public schools today?
In 1995, a student teacher for a fifth-grade class in Minneapolis wrote the following letter to the local newspaper: ". . . I was told [that] children are not to be expected to spell the following words correctly: back, big, call, came, can, day, did, dog, down, get, good, if, in, is, it, have, he, home, like, little, man, morning, mother, my, night, off, out, over, people, play, ran, said, saw, she, some, soon, their, them, there, time, two, too, up, us, very, water, we, went, where, when, will, would, etc. Is this nuts?"
In 2002, the New York State Education Department's annual report on the latest reading and math scores for public school students found:
? 90 percent of middle schools failed to meet New York State minimum standards for math and English exam scores.
? 65 percent of elementary schools flunked the minimum standards.
? 84 percent of high schools failed to meet the minimum state standards.
? More than half of New York City's black and hispanic elementary school students failed the state's English and math exams. About 30 percent of white and asian-american students failed to achieve the minimum English test scores.
? The results for eighth grade students were even worse. Here, 75 percent of black and hispanic students flunked both the English and the math tests. About 50 percent of white and Asian-American eighth graders failed the tests. These illiteracy rates are now common in public schools across America, not just in New York City.
In short,as shown by the New York State Education Department's annual report and other studies, student illiteracy rates in many public schools range from 30 to 75 percent. This is an education horror story.
That is what illiteracy can mean, what it does mean for millions of public-school children who can barely read. Does any parent want this kind of future for his or her children? I argue in my book, "Public Schools, Public Menace" that our public school system is the primary cause of this tragic illiteracy, and one reason why these schools are a menace to our children.
A great movie to see that shows the tragic consequences of illiteracy is "Stanley and Iris" with Robert DeNiro and Jane Fonda. After you see this movie, you might think twice about keeping your children in public schools.
Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children."
Contact Information:
Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com,
Email: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com,
Phone: 718-447-7348.
Article Copyrighted ? 2005 by Joel Turtel
NOTE: You may post this Article on an Ezine, newsletter, or other website only if you include Joel Turtel's complete contact information, and set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel's email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com
There are many things to like about the television show... Read More
The wonderful adaptability of children in dealing with the challenges... Read More
"I don't know and I don't care."I've heard those words... Read More
Individualism is a common thing in today's modern society. Many... Read More
If you are a member of a stepfamily, you know... Read More
There has been much attention in the media of late... Read More
Just the other day my oldest son asked:"Daddy, am I... Read More
There's a new kind of fun and calm out there... Read More
Although it might seem pretty corny to a lot of... Read More
Often I have heard that leaders are born, not made.... Read More
IntroductionAs a parent who wants the best for your children,... Read More
Self esteem in an important quality for all children to... Read More
It was at that time when our marriage was falling... Read More
In the first premise, some films and video tapes which... Read More
Join a growing number of parents and teachers!Fact: Last year,... Read More
We all want to comfort our children after they suffer... Read More
One of the most difficult struggles in life for a... Read More
I've learned numerous, important lessons on life, motherhood and men... Read More
More and more kids these days are diagnosed ADD, ADHD,... Read More
As a parent you will be asked to assist with... Read More
Parents are in a unique position to "monitor" their children's... Read More
IntroductionChildren are the gifts of God to parents. That young... Read More
What a dreamer I am when thinking about parenthood. Most... Read More
Search for Assurance: The Power of BelongingThe job hunt is... Read More
The successful preschool idea behind many successful preschool learning centers... Read More
express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..Once your little boy/girl goes off to school, you may... Read More
1. They are leaders as well as parents. They don't... Read More
Parental Alienation Syndrome was probably first identified and codified by... Read More
Are men to blame for the divorce problem in this... Read More
10 Fun Things You Can Do With Your Children this... Read More
Volunteering together is a fantastic way to spend time as... Read More
You may think once your child has gone off to... Read More
I could nearly fund my children's future education if I... Read More
Do you want to create a deeper, more loving relationship... Read More
Q. I don't like my children spending so much time... Read More
Sex has a lot to answer for ? babies usually... Read More
What's new and effective in the treatment of Attention problems?... Read More
There is nothing quite like hiking with small children. The... Read More
All responsible parents would want to support their children, find... Read More
In his recent newsletter "Happy Kids", parenting expert Michael Grose... Read More
Life is comprised of pieces of time sprinkled with pivotal... Read More
All babies cry, but if yours cries a lot, isn't... Read More
Many times, we are so conditioned in how we speak... Read More
So you want to be a mum? Every time you... Read More
Public-school teaching is structured in such a way that it... Read More
What are we teaching our children about money? Hopefully something!I... Read More
How to Get Your Child to Love Reading was conceived... Read More
Even if your teenagers do not use drugs, you still... Read More
I was reading "A Modern Infant Armada", a humor column... Read More
Home-schooling removes children from public school. That alone makes home-schooling... Read More
Parenting |