How to Improve Literacy Rates in America

The best method the government can use to improve literacy rates in America is to advance the system of education and education technology. Of course advancing the education system isn't as simple as it sounds. Increasing the budget on education and education technology is a good start but without a proper plan then there is a possibility that the increased budget will only provide disappointing results. The first priority should be researching the effectiveness of schools when it comes to increasing literacy rates so that the government can find out if the teaching methods should be revised. There is also the possibility that some schools aren't accessible to the poor and that the government needs to provide financial support. This is the reason why thorough research is needed before advancing further into the plan. After adequate information is gathered, the Department of Education can devise a nationwide plan to enhance the education system.

The government isn't the only deciding factor when it comes to increasing literacy rates. Parents also have a huge hand in the battle against illiteracy. Encouraging children to read from a very young age can help them develop their reading and writing skills. If education starts at home then schools will have a much easier time teaching their students. Parents should also check on the progress of their children to make sure that they aren't lacking the required skills for reading and writing. It is important for parents to support their children if they have trouble comprehending the lessons they have in school.

People can also make good use of education and education technology to reduce the number of illiterates in America. The internet can be used as a great tool to promote learning since it has such a wide range. Almost everyone has access to the internet and if it is utilized properly, it can spread literacy advocacies like wildfire. This can be done quite easily by using the popularity of social networking websites to speed up the process of spreading information. If enough people are made aware of the literacy problems in America then it will make the task of improving literacy rates easily achievable.

Education and Education technology can also be improved by using state of the art teaching materials. Software programs can be created especially for the goal of making academic lessons easier. Since these programs can be given game like properties, they will be much more appealing and they can make learning a fun process. There are some schools that use high tech equipment to aid them in teaching. Researching whether the usage of such equipment has increased the efficiency of schools can contribute a lot to anti-illiteracy efforts. If it is found that high tech educational equipment's are effective then the Department of Education can provide these equipment to public schools; if the results show the contrary then another plan must be devised.

There are a lot of factors involved when it comes to the improvement of literacy rates. It is important to coordinate the plans and actions of the different groups involved to ensure the success of their endeavors. The Department of Education cannot provide a solution to this problem alone. Although the government can create a lot of programs that can help improve the literacy rates in America, if the people aren't involved then their efforts will just go to waste. Schools will also need to cooperate and even provide ideas regarding improving literacy rates. Researchers can also be a huge help if they can gather accurate and adequate information. If all of these groups coordinate and focus on the task at hand then it won't be long until illiteracy would be a thing of the past.

More Informationa and Help On Literacy

Adult Literacy
Literacy and Reading Comprehension in an Online World
  1. Barksdale Reading Institute
  2. Lindy Boggs National Center for Community Literacy
  3. National Center: Family Literacy
  4. Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF).
  5. Reading Rocket
  6. The Reading Comprehension Connection