Dr. Reder used sophisticated statistical modeling techniques to calculate synthetic estimates of adult literacy proficiency for these areas. As the world changes and the demands on individuals, families, and businesses increase, the definition of literacy also continues to shift. While concerns about inadequate literacy skills are not new, the nature of the concerns is evolving. In the past, literacy was considered the ability to read and use printed materials at an extremely basic level. Today, adults need higher levels of basic skills to function effectively in many areas of their lives, and literacy is defined more broadly to include problem-solving and higher level reasoning skills.
Literacy is a range of tools that help people help themselves - and their children.
It is not an end in itself, but a means to a better quality of life. NALS reflected this new concept of literacy. Each scale reflects a different type of real-life literacy task. Completing forms, such as a social security card application. Interpreting graphs and charts, such as a table of employee benefits.