European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 20, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Getting the right read on illiteracy David Whitfield she feels nauseous dizzy. As the july Sun be comes hotter she feels worse. She think perhaps it s the Chicago heat. She Calls he doctor who asks her to come in. When he doctor tells her she is pregnant she does t believe him. She assures the doctor that she d been taking the Pill. But during their conversation it is Dis covered that Diane not her real name had not taken the Pill orally because she could t read the directions on the package. Not Only is she embarrassed. She is also pregnant. According to a study conducted in 1988, Diane is one of More than 80 million american adults who cannot read these words. That s a bit More than one third of the american population. How can we be free if we cannot read and write we Are slaves of. Those who can. In his illiterate America Kozol talks about an Illustrator John not his real Nam who lives in new York gets up each morning showers shaves dresses in a dark Gray business suit goes downstairs and buys the new York times from the newsstand on the Corner of his Street. John folds it neatly catches his train and arrives at work at9 . He places the times next to the briefcase on his desk and starts work on graphic illustrations for his Adver Tising company. He conceals his functional illiteracy Send in your column plus photo of yourself to be our guest sunday Magazine the stars and stripes Apo a 09211 or Postrach 11 14 37, d-64278 Darmstadt Germany. If mailing disk save text in Asci and include printout. Columns Are edited for clarity and length. E 1994. Cartoonists i writ sync to by saying to his Boss run Over this with me just make sure i get the Gist of what you really  he does this daily but in such a Way that his Boss does t know that his Illustrator can read neither the newspapers he buys daily nor the written instructions Given him to do his Job. Here s where the definition of functional literacy becomes evident. The department of labor defines it As the ability to do real life tasks described in writ ing John is unable to do that yet he hides this daily. He is one of the More than 80 million who cannot read the front Page of a newspaper. Why do these conditions persist first Many Stu dents Are fast forwarded to grades for which they Are not qualified. Consequently we have conditions As revealed by one study in 1986 that showed 25 per cent of 7,000 High school graduates unable to read their diploma. Another study in 1988 showed that of. 117,000 High school graduates 115,000 were Able to do neither fifth Grade math nor sixth Grade English. Despite what researchers say about promoting Stu dents with their Peers if one cannot do math in the fifth Grade what assures us one can do it in the sixth v second Many parents Are either unable or unwilling to help their children with Homework. The aver age time a father spends with his children is three minutes daily according to one study. Third some teachers have so much to do that it precludes them from teaching effectively. Often the teacher has to be nurse Parent guardian baby sit Ter janitor entertainer disciplinarian manager psychologist investigator judge jury police arbitrator and eventually teacher. Since teachers Are unable to do that they Are paid to do teach we have citizens who can read Nei ther the word of god the Bible nor the word of Man the Bill of rights. This problem is spread across ethnic groups. The largest group of functionally illiterate adults is White. Proportionally to the population it is higher for Blacks and hispanics 16 percent of White adults 44 percent of Black adults and 56 percent of hispanic adults. What does functional illiteracy Cost the United states in dollars the Senate select committee on equal education Opportunity estimated a figure of $237 billion in unrealized lifetime earnings. Direct costs to business and taxpayers Are about $120 Bil lion annually. Now is that any of your business functional illiteracy is a serious problem for americans. We must Deal with it forthrightly. How can we As parents managers supervisors and communities help first parents should show interest in their Chil Dren s studies by asking teachers what can we do to help our children do better in school second Parent should schedule study time for their children each school Day and weekends if Nec Essary. While children Are doing Homework parents should be helping them or Reading something them selves. If parents Are watching television while their children Are trying to do Homework that can be quite distracting. Finally parents can try making it fun. Take history. Play a game similar to jeopardy or trivial Pur suit. If parents Are unable to help their children with Homework they should find someone who will help. In the organization supervisors and managers should merge Reading and writing into their training programs. This May be done by having participants describe in writing what they have Learned at the end of each training session. These writing samples can be assessed by the supervisor or someone who knows the language Well. After All one of the jobs of Man agers and supervisors is to help their people grow another approach for organizations is to have writ ing and Reading contests. That Way it can be More. What about the communities communities can have read and Tell contests. This might take the form of the Community providing a list of literary works and giving each participant five minute to Tell the Story orally. Or the communities could have Reading and writing contests with savings Bonds As rewards or other incentives. By All of us getting involved we will make functional illiteracy everyone s business arid help the teachers in the process. David Whitfield lives in Frankfurt Germany. Opening laugh 0 1994, cartoonist & writers syndic Sli really Howard you re just like your father contents from the cover the wait in Kuwait. 4-5 cop should hang pm High. Andy Rooney on the Pope s Book. Odds & ends. 10 Erma Bombeck on thanksgiving. In tune. 11 latest on Danson Jackson Presley Letterman. To fils week s films. 12-13 military circuit listings. Emch Down on Mary Shelley s Frankenstein. " television listings. 14-17 local Cable and satellite schedules. Home entertainment. 18 the puppets head for video. Voices. 20-21 waking up to men s habit. Joe Bob Briggs iils the rat pack.  22-23 Kenneth Branagh and Robert de Niro. Of Wai  Tony Konheiser sees Sonny Side of politics.�. Robert Mcfarlane on Iran Contra. On Parade. Arresting developments of David Caruso. 27 Dave Barry sees what s . Sunday is a weekly supplement of the stars and stripes editor. Bucky Fox cover Story design Peter Jaeger production Bernard Jensen editorial assistance Jim Hathcock Page 2 sunday november 20,1994