ABSTRACT
The ever-changing global society in which we live has contributed to the expectation of functional literacy for productive citizens. However, data on literacy levels in American society indicate that one fourth of the adult population experiences serious reading difficulties (Murphy, 2004). Under the NCLB Act of 2001 (U.S. Department of Education, 2002), the nation’s schools and states are accountable for ensuring that all students reach or exceed proficiency in reading and mathematics by 2013–2014. Federal, state, and local governments have taken action to improve literacy education and increase educational standards more generally. Thus, schools are now placing more emphasis on information literacy (see chap. 5), and specifically on learning how to read.
