23% Of Americans Are illiterate...

reply to post by tothetenthpower

I wish I could take a lot of my tax dollars and decide where they went. What a novel idea that is eh?

AMEN!!

How come we get that concept while much of the world wants to be told what to do and provided for????

Originally posted by SpearMint

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
This is more proof that American's school system is failing children and going to create a situation where nobody is qualified to run the country in 30 years.

I don't blame the school system, I blame whatever is stopping people from taking advantage of the school system.

I hate to say it, but there are some schools here in the US that just don't have much to take advantage of when it comes to education. A large portion are the very high student to teacher ratio schools that are severely underfunded.

I can easily blame the system when they hand my child at age 8 a book that is "deemed" at his level, but is a few words per page and a total of 20 pages. That isn't pushing a child; that is coddling and making sure the lowest denominator doesn't feel bad. Luckily I am a stickler when it comes to literacy and books and my children read far above their supposed grade level.

reply to post by seabag


People are still under the impression they need to be led by the nose.

I get why the system worked back in the day, most people were not educated, most people had no grasp of economics or foreign affairs or any kind of domestic policy.

But in today's world?

I carry a device in my pocket that can teach me everything, about almost anything in a matter of minutes.

And that technology is increasing at a rate that is hardly measurable anymore.

Why we aren't adjusting our social behavior and expectations of our governments according to the same exponential scale is insane.

~Tenth

reply to post by tothetenthpower


I can agree that teachers are in over their heads, but the fault still falls on the parents. If a majority of children are showing up to pre-k and are already behind where they should be, it takes time, precious time, to get those children caught up. My son, as I mentioned earlier, can already read and do math. While the rest of the kids in his class are learning their ABCs and 123s, things that their parents should have taught them years earlier, my son is there bored out of his mind. I may end up home schooling him. Not because I think the teachers are bad at their jobs, but because the system is designed to appease the weak link, something I've noticed a lot of here in NC. The number of people, adults even, that cannot read at an adult level is astonishing, and literacy is, I believe, up to parents, not teachers.

reply to post by Garkiniss


I dont' disagree.

School starts at home for sure.

I just didn't think that the unions and teachers could be the cause of such problems, before I watched that doc and a few others as of late.

It really lends a different perspectives.

~Tenth

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
reply to post by Bicent76

 

One doesn't really exist without the other, in most cases

.

You see, the problem is that nobody forced anybody to vote for who is in office. If you lacked another choice, well that's still the people's fault really.

So Americans, knowingly vote for a politician of their choice, probably knowing full well, that just like the last idiot in office, they would continue the same old tired policies.

If you take a look at nations who have properly educated citizens, you'll notice they have far less problems with government in general.

~Tenth

they have less population as well, comparing USA to Germany or UK or france is like comparing it to a state...

there are holes in that argument, if being illiterate was the reason we have the wrong people leading the country, then the supposed smart ones are the ones who elect our leaders ahem the electoral college..

this last election obama, won the popular vote by one percent.... I am sure there is a plus 1 minus 1 in there somewhere...

Its the attitude to blame, not necessarily being illiterate, or being an idiot...

not enough people truly illiterate to be making that much of a difference in politics.. Maybe just idiots thinking the world owes them something maybe...

Its the attitude...

Worthy argument...

Originally posted by Garkiniss
I agree. When my son began pre-school this year, he was the only one in his entire class that could read his own name. That's a disgrace. How can the teachers be failing our children, when most kids are failing before they even get to school? My son can already read most of his books cover to cover, and can already do basic math while the rest of the students in his Pre-K class are still learning their alphabet and numbers. Where does the blame fall? I've gotta say... it ain't the teachers.

This is a great example of what I was referring to. Your son could read his own name when he began preschool because his parents took the time to educate him in the early stages prior to ever entering the "education system".

My daughter is almost 2 years old. Her vocabulary astounds me, and is growing daily. She knows over a thousand words already, easily, maybe more (I've lost count). She can recognize and say all the numbers up to 10 and all the letters in the alphabet. This did not occur because she is brilliant (although, I am biased as her parent and I think she's brilliant), but because mom and dad have spent tons and tons of time talking with her and reading to her.

I'm not giving myself a pat on the back as a parent. In fact, I feel there's even more I could do if I didn't have to work so darn much. I'm doing what I think is best for her, and right now it's all about education prior to the world ever getting its hands on her precious little mind.

I'm not saying I'm a parenting role model at all; but in order to combat rising illiteracy rates in a first-world country, I think we definitely need more parents spending quality educational time with their children in the early stages of development.

Only 23% I think someone is being creative in their criteria for defining illiterate.

I can say the remedial level classes at the college I'm in are among the most heavily attended. 040 Math, Reading and English. Let's just say I know by math being a subject I really...really...dislike and an Algebra sounds like a type of dangerous bacteria. Gotta find a way to kill it. lol.... The reading in particular scares me though. The comprehension part of the entrance exam is, well, grade school level. 040 means you failed it, basically.

In fact, I understand there are some changes being considered at multiple schools about how low to accept due to the problems it's causing with people carrying unrealistic expectations as they go hopelessly into a debt that can never be escaped. The numbers are what get my attention though. So many...and young too. They're recently out of high school in a good %??

reply to post by Bicent76

they have less population as well, comparing USA to Germany or UK or france is like comparing it to a state...

Actually the amounts are proportional if you calculate per capita, which is what most of that data is based on.

Besides, the argument that the richest nation in the world is incapable of carrying out proper education, because of how many people live there is a bit silly.

there are holes in that argument, if being illiterate was the reason we have the wrong people leading the country, then the supposed smart ones are the ones who elect our leaders ahem the electoral college..

I fail to see how the electoral college is any different than your average American person. Just cause you have money doesn't make you smart, nor educated.

Its the attitude to blame, not necessarily being illiterate, or being an idiot...

Agreed, but where does the attitude COME from?

It's not born to you is it? It's something you learn over time. Apathy is like a parasite, infecting one after the other until it's become pandemic.

I would venture a guess that if we saw a rise in Americans who had college degrees, the TV ratings would and sales for useless crap would drop.

The problem is that Americans are too distracted by the bells and whistles to care about what's going on.

Having little to no education is a HUGE factor in determining how interested you are in how things work. If you don't understand the systems that govern you, how can you pull yourself out of them?

~Tenth

reply to post by tothetenthpower


It is a serious problem and that's not the only list we are no longer number one on. You'd think this might humble us but it doesn't. Liberals and progressives have been yammering on about it for a long while and most of them want to pay teachers a decent wage.

You remember in the Presidents speech he mentions giving children decent and affordable preschool options? It has been studied and proved, preschool educates children so they do better in school and don't drop out. In the long run the savings to society is tenfold.

This hasn't really been a priority lately (it is among the first entitlement programs Republicans go to cut) people thinking their tax dollars are just paying someones baby sitters, but this is for the children and for ourselves.

In the long haul this relatively small investment in 3, 4 and 5 year old kids saves society bundles later because the child is more likely to graduate, get a job and contribute rather than take away, leaving a trail of victims (some of whom might be ourselves) by turning to a life of crime. Invest in giving kids a decent start. We save a lot if the kids not only learn to read but graduate.

Originally posted by InTheFlesh1980

Originally posted by Garkiniss
I agree. When my son began pre-school this year, he was the only one in his entire class that could read his own name. That's a disgrace. How can the teachers be failing our children, when most kids are failing before they even get to school? My son can already read most of his books cover to cover, and can already do basic math while the rest of the students in his Pre-K class are still learning their alphabet and numbers. Where does the blame fall? I've gotta say... it ain't the teachers.

This is a great example of what I was referring to. Your son could read his own name when he began preschool because his parents took the time to educate him in the early stages prior to ever entering the "education system".

My daughter is almost 2 years old. Her vocabulary astounds me, and is growing daily. She knows over a thousand words already, easily, maybe more (I've lost count). She can recognize and say all the numbers up to 10 and all the letters in the alphabet. This did not occur because she is brilliant (although, I am biased as her parent and I think she's brilliant), but because mom and dad have spent tons and tons of time talking with her and reading to her.

I'm not giving myself a pat on the back as a parent. In fact, I feel there's even more I could do if I didn't have to work so darn much. I'm doing what I think is best for her, and right now it's all about education prior to the world ever getting its hands on her precious little mind.

I'm not saying I'm a parenting role model at all; but in order to combat rising illiteracy rates in a first-world country, I think we definitely need more parents spending quality educational time with their children in the early stages of development.

Star for being a parenting role model.
Too few "parents" these days take the time to educate their own children, to instill morals, or a will to learn. When my son was two, he couldn't even talk yet (or I should say, he wouldn't talk), but he would point; point at signs, point at letters and numbers, point at everything, and my wife and I would simply read what it was he was pointing at. Eventually, he taught himself to read and to count.
Teaching young children isn't hard. Kids are very smart. They go from knowing nothing, to learning a language from scratch in just over a year. They're little info sponges just waiting to absorb any fragment of knowledge they can. They're insatiable when it comes to learning: "What is this?", "What is that?", "Why?", "Why?", "Why?"
All they need are parents willing to spend a few hours a day teaching them, talking to them, parenting them.
Again, thanks for being a good parent.

reply to post by tothetenthpower

Interesting...

and I always assumed that Americans refused to read the signs of time ...
Now I know they were simply unable to read them.

What about arithmetic?
I wouldn't be surprised if the real reason for U.S. ignorance about numbers is just dyscalculia?

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Look at the 4th graphic down. That is not where Bakersfield is located. It's like a little test in something that discusses a persons ability to comprehend how to "read maps" and "notice the time of a meeting." Either it was done purposefully, or perhaps the individual who labeled the map needs to aquire some map reading skills themselves.

Originally posted by opethPA
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

It doesn't surprise me at all.
I am 39 and read for enjoyment often going to the Library to take out books. I mentioned that to my sister and a group of her friends and I swear one of her friends said , "what is a library"

I really didn't know how to respond to that , just shook my head and walked away.

FACEPALM. You aren't illiterate, but you are an embarrassment.

reply to post by fuzzydreads


I don't' really think that was supposed to be to scale or anything, but good point

Any one who thinks or expects that the school system is going to educate your child, is a fool. The schools are only going to teach your children the very basics, if you want your children to be educated you are going to have to do most of the educating yourself at home.

The worst mistake that most parents make is that they send their children to school for 8 hours a day and expect that after 12 years their child will be fully and adequately educated.

Both of my children are grown now but back when they were kids and they started school I knew how bad the education system was even then. I knew that if my wife and I didn`t step in and do a lot of at home schooling,to make up for the crappy public education, that they wouldn`t have much of a chance in the world when they finally did graduate.

Both of our daughters were honor roll students for their entire 12 years of public education. Our youngest daughter was valedictorian of her high school graduating class.The teachers and the school system deserve little to no credit for my daughters educational success.

Should parents have to provide the bulk of their child`s education? no that`s why we pay taxes to provide and support an education system,but if you don`t help to educate your child they will suffer for it in the long run.
This assembly line education system we have in america panders to the lowest common denominator in the classroom ( the dumbest kids) and is the major contributor to the dumbing down of america.

"No child left behind" is a failure and has caused a lot of american kids to be left behind the rest of the world.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Its still an unfair comparison, comparing a better infrastructure, better attitude less corruption on so many scales, not to mention domestic and historic instincts that are just that ignorant... Check US history for further insight...

You can throw all the money you want at it.. its an attitude.... I still have to say because the population is higher you will find more corruption.. Or laziness or dysfunction there are generations of families in America, their dysfunction alters society as a whole in America. Read up on some American sociology studies.....

now to 2nd rebuttal

electoral college is electoral college, they factor in who leads average american, they are the ones who are suppose to be the smart ones, or decide who get the votes in that region based off of votes in precincts..

your third rebuttal

eloquent idealism, widespread... I will give you an example of the attitude of Americans,

we have kids teens hell maybe even young adults, who can use a iphone, computer facebook etc,

Yet, they cannot tie their own shoes...

You see, we can go on and on about this that, and its this, that, that or this, blah blah blah,

yet we are all born equal, yet most of us, thru the years, lose the focus, we all have what it takes to lead, be smart, read, write etc, etc, most just lose focus, integrity, desire for the little things...


Its called laziness...

Your reflecting. I am not sure if your going to see that America, your looking back at again Tenth...

sorry bout typos mispelling etc, I am typing inthe dark like a boss..


worthy argument..


allot of american families look like this... en.wikipedia.org... most americans, grew up like this.... In the past few decades....

A much deeper problem..

Yup us Americans aint that good at no book learning but we sure can shoot some guns real good

.

Originally posted by SpaDe_

Originally posted by SpearMint

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
This is more proof that American's school system is failing children and going to create a situation where nobody is qualified to run the country in 30 years.

I don't blame the school system, I blame whatever is stopping people from taking advantage of the school system.

I hate to say it, but there are some schools here in the US that just don't have much to take advantage of when it comes to education. A large portion are the very high student to teacher ratio schools that are severely underfunded.

Student to teacher ratio could be a bit of a problem but you don't need much at all to teach someone to read and write.