Literacy Facts & Statistics
What is Literacy?
The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) defines literacy as “using printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.”
The 2003 NAAL was a task-based assessment, which used actual texts and documents to measure a person’s literacy level.
Results from the 2003 indicate that approximately 1 in 6 adults in Oklahoma perform at the most basic or below basic literacy levels.
A person functioning at “below basic” literacy would struggle to fill out a job application, read a prescription label, or locate an intersection on a map.
You may read more about the 2003 NAAL, on the National Center for Education Statistics website. The following are helpful links about literacy in Oklahoma:
For additional information about Oklahoma Literacy statistics and links to national literacy fact sheets, visit the Oklahoma Department of Libraries’ Literacy Resource Office webpage.
The National Institute for Literacy also has a wealth of information about national literacy statistics, including fact sheets on learning disabilities, health literacy, welfare and literacy, and family literacy.
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