These are the plights of a functionally illiterate adult. That's 40 million adults who cannot fill out a job application, write checks on their own, read a magazine, follow written instructions, or read to their children. Chances are you know some of them. Illiteracy is not a problem for just a select group of people. Though found in all classes, according to a study done by the Educational Testing Service, the majority are among the poor and those dependent on public financial support.
People are functionally illiterate for a variety of reasons.
Some dropped out of school. Others came to the U.S. from another country. Still others had ineffective teachers, or were not ready to learn reading when it was taught. The problem, however, does not begin at school, but in the home. The majority of children with illiterate parents become illiterate themselves.