Skills of Adults at Level 1

• Usually Can:
  Sign name
  Identify a country in a short article
  Locate one piece of information in a sports article
  Locate the expiration date information on a driver's license
  Total a bank deposit entry

• Usually Cannot:
  Locate eligibility from a table of employee benefits
  Locate intersection on a street map
  Locate two pieces of information in a sports article
  Identify and enter background information on a social security card application
  Calculate total costs of purchase from an order form

Most adults who read at level 1 are not "illiterate." They are able to perform a variety of literacy and other tasks that life requires of them. But the background data profiled in the original NALS report clearly demonstrates that these adults tend to be at great disadvantage in society. They do not have the full range of economic, social, and personal options that are open to Americans with higher levels of literacy skills. 43% of all adults in Level 1 live in poverty. This contrasts with only 4-8% of those at the two highest literacy levels.

Grade Levels For Everyday Functions