HomeMy WebLinkAboutTLC ARPA Attachment D Importance of LiteracyCONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY Pathways to Literacy
(attachments to be publicly released only upon award of ARPA grant) The Learning Collabora�ve
Appendix D
The Cri�cal Importance of Proficiency in Reading, Wri�ng, and Mathema�cs
Increased proficiency in reading, wri�ng, and mathema�cs opens career and life-fulfillment
opportuni�es for people, making a tremendous impact in their lives across every experience.
Oshkosh benefits from its residents’ civic engagement, employability, and contribu�ons to the
community.
1. Employability and Economic Success – Employment opportuni�es are accessed more
readily. Many jobs require competency in these skills, and higher proficiency o�en translates
to beter career prospects, higher income, advancement, and increased job mobility.
2. Educa�onal Atainment – Strong founda�onal skills form the basis for learning in various
subjects and are cri�cal for pursuing higher educa�on which, in turn, opens up addi�onal
career opportuni�es. This can lead to con�nuous learning and more ready adapta�on to
new technologies and informa�on.
3. Effec�ve Communica�on – Rapid and mul�faceted informa�on exchange is a key aspect of
the 21st century; individuals need to understand, cri�cally analyze, and convey complex
writen informa�on.
4. Civic Engagement – An informed ci�zenry is essen�al for a thriving democracy. People need
the ability to effec�vely express ideas and opinions and to analyze data to make informed
decisions in various aspects of civic life. Individuals who are successful in these areas are
more likely to volunteer, par�cipate in local governance, and collaborate on community
ini�a�ves.
5. Posi�ve Personal Life – Important aspects of anyone’s life rely on core skills. These include
health literacy (informed decision-making; reading prescrip�on or follow up instruc�ons,
understanding nutri�onal informa�on, interpre�ng test results); financial literacy to manage
personal finances (budge�ng, financial statements, interest rates, investment op�ons,
taxes); and technical informa�on for cri�cal decisions (equipment instruc�ons, legal
documents, safety warnings, traffic and direc�onal signs).
6. Personal Resilience – Low proficiency in literacy can significantly impact self-esteem, which
can in turn affect one’s decision-making, mental health (including suicidal idea�on), and life
choices. Literacy is a core skill that can influence self-image, coping skills, and social
connectedness. Social connec�ons help protect people from COVID related stress and the
changing demands of life. The 2014 Literacy Changes Lives report from England
(htps://nlt.cdn.ngo/media/documents/2014_09_01_free_research_-
_literacy_changes_lives_2014.pdf.pdf) studied literacy impacts on life through the lenses of
physical and mental health, economic wellbeing, family life, civic engagement, and crime.
Among other findings, one surprising correla�on showed that people born into communi�es
with the most serious literacy challenges had some of the lowest life expectancies (by 26
years for men and 20.9 years for women).