America's literacy ranking is 125/197

Today I came across an online article from World Atlas, claiming U.S.A. literacy at 125 out of 197 countries; links provided below. To be clear, the article is from 2018 and the data used to write it was published in 2016. 

Here's the rub for me. 

While I find it difficult to believe the U.S.A. is that far down the rabbit hole, I'm not completely disillusioned to the fact we have an extremely high illiteracy rate. Albeit, a large portion of the high ranking countries listed are part of the Eastern Block, which were one at one point a unified country not too long ago, I feel it akin as ranking each of our 50 states separately on this scale. I have to take the article at face value and see it as a reminder we are failing our education system. 

As a parent, professional administrator, and someone who worked their butt off in school this pains me to the core.

The general population is about instant gratification. They don't like to read. When I worked at a local community college, students (didn't matter the age) would glance through the computer application textbook images in the lesson and attempt the assignments, then ask for help when it didn't work. I was the hardass, and pointed to the book - ıt's in the steps, follow the steps, don't jump around. 

Didn't we have a sayin "The more you read, the more you know?"

Being in the trenches with kids, I impressed upon them the importance of reading: widens/improves vocabulary, comprehension, and opens our minds to new possibilities. 

Reading also takes patience, which is time, and that goes against their need for instant gratification. 

Low literacy is painfully evident reading blogs, online articles, personal and professional emails, social media comments, listening to conversations in public, hell - even memes have spelling and grammar errors, thus perpetuating the false belief it's unimportant. Then people like me are called out for being a 'grammar natzi'.

I feel grammar was thrown out the window years ago. 

Texting has created ıt's own language - adding fuel to the fire, everything is shortened or abbreviated (let's get it out in 120 characters or less), then carried over in real life: yes, I know I could have used IRL. 

As a matter of principal, I normally spell out everything, as if my teachers were going to grade and critique my effort. 

The improper use of words (seen vs. saw, to-too-two, there-they're-their), using words that aren't actually words "conversate" 🤯 (my skin literally crawls when I hear this).

WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. 

•Read to your children in the womb, as infants, through elementary school. Going slightly above their own reading levels. 

•Have them read to you at their reading level. 

•Encourage them to read to their siblings and other family members. 

•Start a tradition of reading to senior citizens: volunteer at senior centers, rehabilitation centers, to read to patients at the hospital, etc. This not only reinforces literacy, but connects them to older generations where they can learn about history in the first person. Teachers them to connect within their community. 

If we don't want to be a third world country we all have to know how to read, write, comprehend, and communicate. 

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Burton, James. (2018, September 14). List of Countries By Literacy Rate. Retrieved from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-highest-literacy-rates-in-the-world.html

WORLDATLAS, response to comment asking for the reference material used.  https://data.unicef.org/topic/education/literacy/