The graphic to the right is taken from stupidest.com. The caption is, “See how dangerous it can be when you replace an adjective with a verb?”

It’s supposed to be funny, but I see people posting signs like this all the time. I’ve seen it in stores and restaurants. I don’t read newspapers as much as I used to. It’s too maddening.

Why? The increasing amount of people who suffer from functional illiteracy.

What is even more scary are the young adults (and even some older ones) who can hardly put together an effective resume, let alone make it through the interview process coherently and with professionalism.

I never realized how bad it was until I worked at the book store. We’ve gone through the hiring process several times over the last year and it was an eye opener.

It’s not enough to know how to read and write. To function in our society, we require the ability to be proficient with language,

Comprehension and critical thinking skills are decreasing to the point where many job seekers need help to make a resume and then counseling to help them through the interview process because it isn’t enough to look good on paper – you have to back it up in person.

Whether we like it or not, we are judged on how effectively we can communicate. Through proper use of language, we instill confidence in others that we can understand and complete complex tasks, as well as capture and express ideas necessary for success.

Learning the mechanics is not enough. We must also learn to understand the context of what is read and how it applies to life, both personally and professionally. And we must start with our children.

Check out this study by RIF (Reading Is Fundamental).

The meta-analysis found that access to print materials:

• Improves children’s reading performance.
  Among the studies reviewed, kindergarten students showed the biggest increase in reading performance.
• Proves instrumental in helping children learn the basics of reading.
  Providing children with reading materials allows them to develop basic reading skills such as letter and word identification, phonemic awareness, and completion of sentences.
• Causes children to read more and for longer lengths of time.
  Giving children print materials leads to more shared reading between parents and children. Children receiving books also read more frequently and for longer periods of time.
• Produces improved attitudes toward reading and learning among children.
  Children with greater access to books and other print materials—through either borrowing books or receiving books to own—express more enjoyment of books, reading, and academics.

Children need as much access to printed material as they can get. Families need to build and maintain a diverse library. It should be one of the most visited and active parts of the home.

If there are children in your community who don’t have the means to build such a library, then check out organizations such as RIF and First Book. We all need to help each other and our children on the proper path to success.

It saddens me to think of what our society will be like if literacy skills are not improved. All it takes is allowing children to explore their world through print as much as they do through toys.