Importance of literacy for today’s society Essay

Therefore, it only goes to follow that the 11th grade is a great time to nurture this love for reading. According to Block (1997), Defining Literacy Up author Donald Block (1997), "today literacy is far more than the ability to sound out a few words of one syllable," further explaining, "it focuses not on recognizing basic words but on comprehension of the world around us." This implies that being literate helps determine a person's survival in society, as well as helps them understand, solve, and learn from problems. Once students realize that understanding a problem is the first step to solving it, they can then hone their skills in other aspects such as cultural and technical literacy to help them become more competitive as they grow older.
As Block adds, "Literacy is the foundation on which the solving of all social problems can be built," indicating that there are numerous instances when a person's meaning could be misconstrued and taken negatively, when in fact it is anything but. Therefore, being literate can help people improve themselves in both finding new and better opportunities to help them grow, as well as helping them connect better with people.
The idea that being literate helps people become more efficient problem solvers has often been discussed in literature. In a 1998 study, author of "Lacking Ability to Read Well" Erin Texeira quotes then National Institute for Literacy deputy director Carolyn Staley when the latter mentions how some people can read and understand simple paragraphs but cannot grasp the concepts of complex paragraphs. They also compared the level of understanding between college students and high school students, and surmised that college students were able to understand more complex subject matters in comparison with high school students.
A person's ability to read and write, therefore, goes hand-in-hand with problem solving. Once an individual is able hone and master these literacy skills, then they will be on their way to becoming better versions of themselves in terms of being adept at surviving in this ever evolving society.
Being able to read and write also goes above and beyond the necessities of reading simple instructions. A recent study conducted by Joe Morrisroe for the National Literacy Trust entitled "Literacy Changes Lives 2014 A new perspective on health, employment and crime" suggests that "people with good literacy skills are more likely to have a higher self-esteem, better health, better jobs and higher wages than those with poor literacy skills. They are more able to take advantage of the opportunities that life may offer them." The paper goes on to expound how literacy impacts five aspects of a person's life, specifically aspirations, civic/cultural engagement, economic well-being, family life, and health. The NLT goes on to say, "it presents overwhelming evidence that literacy has a significant relationship with a person's happiness and success. It gives a clear indication of the dangers of poor literacy and also the benefits of improving literacy for the individual, the community, the workforce, and the nation."