There is little question that even in today’s technologically advanced environment, illiteracy still plagues American society. The US still has a secondary school drop-out rate that rivals that of any European nation. African Americans are twice as likely to drop out as whites, and American Hispanics are more than three times as likely. Even among those who do finish high school, there are many who cannot read above a bare minimum level. Illiteracy in the United States remains a dire problem, despite the best efforts of educators.
In order to see some real improvement in American literacy rates, teachers and parents must work together to instill a love of reading in children. The earlier kids are exposed to the written the word, the better chance they have of developing the skills the need to succeed at reading and expanding their vocabulary. Studies have shown that children who are read to as babies and toddlers read substantially earlier and better than their peers.
Some recent advances in the cause for literacy involve the cooperation of school and college sports and extracurricular activity programs. The era of star basketball players receiving unearned passing grades is long gone, and there is no question that our children have benefited from that change. Students who understand that they must maintain an adequate grade average in order to participate in these programs spend more time reading and studying than their peers. However, there is still much to be done. There are still a large number of children in our public school system who are failing, whether from lack of support, lack of desire to succeed, or external factors. Focusing our efforts on these children is the key to attaining real progress in the realm of American literacy within our generation. To say that the children are our future is not enough; we must also act in accordance.