There are an estimated 1.3 billion of them in the world today. They can¹t read the newspaper nor write a letter to a dear friend. They can¹t fill out their own forms nor read great plays by Shakespeare and novels by Dickens. They are illiterates.         Not being able to read or write would be a big problem in todays world. Almost everything we do involves some sort of reading or writing. Whether it be …showed first 75 words of 579 total…

…showed last 75 words of 579 total…really was. A person who can¹t read these days is going to have troubles doing many basic things from getting a job to buying groceries at a grocery store. The power of the printed word really is an extraordinary. We read for enjoyment, to attain facts, to retrieve information, to receive simple instructions and directions and function in an organized, fulfilled manner. All people should have the opportunity to be at least functionally literate.