Summary
Literacy is being able to read and write usually with critical thinking skills. It is an essential skill that allows people to read, understand, and interact with written language. literacy goes beyond just knowing how to read and write, literacy includes comprehending, analyzing, and critically interacting with written material. I found that I have a pretty accurate understanding of literacy and how vast it is. John Trischitti's TEDxTALK speaks about the importance of literacy. I find myself being grateful to have been taught the importance of literacy at such a young age. Trischitti speaks on how vast literacy is from computer, health, financial and media literacy. Trischitti also touches on how he believes that literacy can eliminate or even stop the spread of hunger, poverty and crime, stating it's a tool to break harsh social circles. He showed the statistics about students who exist in fourth grade, have a 78% chance of not ever catching up and 95% of welfare recipients are either high school dropouts or illiterate and 85% of individuals that interface with a juvenile court system. Trischitti said that “ literacy is the answer” and I agree that teaching certain communities and ethnic groups can help lower the % of illiteracy in the US.
