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Center for Literacy

Decent Essays

1.1 Overview
Literacy is important in our everyday lives. According to the Center for Literacy in the United States of America, “Literacy is a complex set of abilities needed to understand and use symbols and systems of a culture – alphabets, numbers, and visual icons – for personal and community development”. “The nature of these abilities, and the demand for them, vary from one context to another. These skills are clearly being found necessary in our everyday lives” (Center For Literacy, 2012). Several years ago, being literate meant being able to read and write a little. Now, being literate means being able to read and write at a level to be successful in today’s world and also being proficient at math, knowing how to use technology, and knowing how to solve problems and make decisions. The power of literacy lies not only in the ability to read and write but rather the individual’s capacity to put those skills in shaping the course of his or her life. Literacy is required for daily activities such as reading the post, filling in a job application, and helping children with their homework.

In many countries, illiteracy is a national problem. According to the National Adult Literacy Survey (Literacy Mid-South) approximately 44 million people in the United States cannot read well enough to fill out an application, read a food label, or read a simple story to a child (Literacy Mid-South). According to the Ghana Statistical Service, the literacy rate in Ghana currently

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