Learning to read is like learning to drive a car. You take lessons and learn the mechanics of driving and rules of driving. Why do people put a major emphasis on learning to drive and such a minute one on learning to read? Illiteracy is growing at an alarming rate not only in the USA, but all over the globe. Illiteracy continues to be a critical problem, demanding enormous resources from local, state, and federal taxes. These resources should be spent more wisely so that we can cut back on some of our National Debt. Why does America have a reading problem? We are the most affluent and technologically advanced of all the industrial nations