Why Literacy? Fact Sheet - Pi Beta Phi

Why Literacy? Fact Sheet

At Pi Beta Phi, we believe in the power of reading. We believe reading always has been -- and always will be -- a powerful step toward a life of enduring impact. We believe that when one out of four children cannot read, that is one too many.

We believe in inspiring readers, sparking imaginations and igniting the desire to learn. We believe that readers become leaders. And, we believe reading is the foundation of all that we can achieve in life.

For more than a century, we've committed ourselves to creating a more literate and productive society. We've changed with the times, but never shifted our vision. So at Pi Beta Phi, we honor the past while we build for the future ... One child ... one moment at a time ... one life changed forever

The impact of illiteracy is apparent:

? One in four children will grow up functionally illiterate.

? It is estimated that more than $2 billion is spent each year on students who repeat a grade because they have reading problems.

? Without intervention, they will become adult citizens with low literacy skills and poor economic potential.

? An estimated 30 million Americans over 16 years old cannot perform simple and everyday literacy activities.

? Adults with low literacy skills living in the United States have only a two-in-three chance of correctly reading an over-the-counter drug label or understanding their child's vaccination chart.

? Children and adults who are illiterate or have low literacy skills have poor educational, employment and health outlooks, perpetuating the cycles of poverty, crime and dependency.

? 60 percent of America's prison inmates are functionally illiterate and 85 percent of all juvenile offenders have reading problems.

? Low literacy's effects cost the U.S. $225 billion or more each year in non-productivity in the workforce, crime and loss of tax revenue due to unemployment.

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How literacy changes lives:

? According to the National Education Association, having kids read a lot is one of the crucial components of becoming a good reader. Young readers need to become practiced at recognizing letters and sounds. The only way to get good at it is to practice.

? The U.S. Department of Education found the more students read for fun on their own time, the higher their reading scores.

? Positive reading experiences (such as Pi Phi's Champions are Readers? program) encourage more reading. The more children read, the better they will read.

? Out-of-school reading habits of students has shown that even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose students to more than a million words of text in a year.

? Access to books, through organizations like First Book?, improves interest in reading, increases desire to learn, and boosts reading at home.

? The relationship between parent involvement for the school and reading comprehension levels is obvious, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Where involvement is high, classrooms score 28 points above the national average.

? Between 1973 and 2008, the share of jobs in the U.S. economy requiring postsecondary education increased from 28 percent to 59 percent. More than ever, students need advanced literacy skills to succeed in a fast-paced global economy.

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