23% Of America Is Illiterate & The State Of The Union Is... Dumber

SEE3772's Avatar
One in five Americans lacks the basic reading skills beyond a 4th grade level.



How the linguistic standard of the presidential address has declined
Using the Flesch-Kincaid readability test the Guardian has tracked the reading level of every state of the union.




Is Congress Getting Dumber, Or Just More Plainspoken? Congress Speaks At 10th Grade Level
First, the illiteracy level is closer to 50% than it is to 25%. The concept of "reading at grade level" was invented to hide the fact that "see-speak" didn't actually teach kids to read. Children who learned to read using phonics can read ANY word, from CAT to TRINITROTOLUENE. (They may have a bit of trouble with the pronunciation, but they can read the word, and they know how to look it up in a dictionary.)

Second, it was not that many years ago that we had >90% literacy, FOR REAL, in the United States.

When Alexis de Tocqueville came over, to see this new nation, he encountered something that shocked him right to the core of his being. EVERY person he met, LITERALLY *EVERY* man Jack, woman, and child, could read. And did, routinely. 100%. At that time, that level of literacy was unheard of, back in the "civilized world" of France and Europe. It was routine here.
Chica Chaser's Avatar
Bakersfield is the least literate city in the US? Hahaha, that I can believe.
I B Hankering's Avatar
First, the illiteracy level is closer to 50% than it is to 25%. The concept of "reading at grade level" was invented to hide the fact that "see-speak" didn't actually teach kids to read. Children who learned to read using phonics can read ANY word, from CAT to TRINITROTOLUENE. (They may have a bit of trouble with the pronunciation, but they can read the word, and they know how to look it up in a dictionary.)

Second, it was not that many years ago that we had >90% literacy, FOR REAL, in the United States.

When Alexis de Tocqueville came over, to see this new nation, he encountered something that shocked him right to the core of his being. EVERY person he met, LITERALLY *EVERY* man Jack, woman, and child, could read. And did, routinely. 100%. At that time, that level of literacy was unheard of, back in the "civilized world" of France and Europe. It was routine here. Originally Posted by Sidewinder
+1
JCM800's Avatar
I wonder what the lack of common sense percentage would be?
Reading at a 4th grade level doesn't mean you're illiterate. Illiterate means not being able to read and write. Posting that 23% of the US population is illiterate is an outright fabrication.

Regarding the "good old days" when Tocquevelle was wandering the continent, I would suspect that today's 4th grade reading level would have been viewed as literate.

So, the sky is not falling, literacy levels have generally increased around the world and in the US and this post is bullshit. Should we strive to do better? Absolutely. Is 23% of the US illiterate? Nonsense.
EXTXOILMAN's Avatar
I wonder what the lack of common sense percentage would be? Originally Posted by JCM800
50.4% per the last election...
EXTXOILMAN's Avatar
Reading at a 4th grade level doesn't mean you're illiterate. Illiterate means not being able to read and write. Posting that 23% of the US population is illiterate is an outright fabrication.

Regarding the "good old days" when Tocquevelle was wandering the continent, I would suspect that today's 4th grade reading level would have been viewed as literate.

So, the sky is not falling, literacy levels have generally increased around the world and in the US and this post is bullshit. Should we strive to do better? Absolutely. Is 23% of the US illiterate? Nonsense. Originally Posted by timpage
What if O'Blunder said it...would you believe it then?? Of course you would. Maybe the term functionally illiterate" sounds better to you. Anything to make excuses for our failing education system. As Dr. Benjamin Carson said at last weeks' National Prayer Breakfast, "An Uneducated Populace Will Fall For Anything". And that's just the way you libtards want it.

Now stick your fingers back in your ears and repeat after me, "lalalalalalalala".
Funny, we were just talking about 4th grade reading comprehension....and here you are....


What if O'Blunder said it...would you believe it then?? Of course you would. Now stick your fingers back in your ears and repeat after me, "lalalalalalalala". Originally Posted by EXTXOILMAN
EXTXOILMAN's Avatar
Funny, we were just talking about 4th grade reading comprehension....and here you are.... Originally Posted by timpage
Wrong again, TP. Can you say Summa cum laude?? Look it up.
You should request a refund on your tuition.....didn't know ITT Tech did the summa thing. But congratz.

Wrong again, TP. Can you say Summa cum laude?? Look it up. Originally Posted by EXTXOILMAN
EXTXOILMAN's Avatar
You should request a refund on your tuition.....didn't know ITT Tech did the summa thing. But congratz. Originally Posted by timpage
Nope. I'll just wait until O'Blunder finishes completely crashing the economy, then what's left will be forgiven, right??
Yssup Rider's Avatar
Beating your own drum again, are you LapDog?

I don't think anybody here would guess you went to school, let alone learned how to spell Summa...

You are our shining star!
EXTXOILMAN's Avatar
Beating your own drum again, are you LapDog?

I don't think anybody here would guess you went to school, let alone learned how to spell Summa...

You are our shining star! Originally Posted by Yssup Rider
Thanks, Assup, aka DSOY. It's disturbing to see you stopped beating your own COCK to take the time to post on one of my comments again. Stalk much...??
Seedy's Avatar
  • Seedy
  • 02-14-2013, 03:44 PM
Thanks, Assup, aka DSOY. It's disturbing to see you stopped beating your own COCK to take the time to post on one of my comments again. Stalk much...?? Originally Posted by EXTXOILMAN
Nah, he just wants your salami. Lol