Introduction:
International Literacy Day originated with the aid of UNESCO in 1967, is an annual consciousness day that marks the significance of literacy to all international locations and cultures. Since 1967, International Literacy Day (ILD) celebrations have taken vicinity yearly around the globe to remind the general public of the significance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights, and to improve the literacy schedule toward an extraordinarily literate and sustainable society.

Despite development occurred, literacy-demanding situations persist with at least 773 million young people and adults lacking basic literacy skills today. Although great progress has been made in enhancing literacy rates in the more than fifty years since the first International Literacy Day, illiteracy still prevails as a global problem.
Literacy as a Wealth:
Literacy is crucial for suitable social and personal human development. Basic literacy abilities equip individuals to convert their lives through enhancing their general widespread standard of living, and in other means stimulate the same old style for wondrous communities. When Sir Francis Bacon first posted in his work, Meditations Sacra (1597), the saying: “recognition itself is power”, he most likely wanted to transmit the idea that having and sharing knowledge is the cornerstone of reputation and influence, and therefore power; all achievements emanate from this.
Literacy strengthens a significant role in eliminating gender, race, nationality, and religious inequality that favors one group over another, that is called as discrimination, in access to education, property, employment, health care, legal, and civic participation. Literacy magnifies “lifelong learning” and builds skills.

Types of Literacy:
Types of literacy are of following categories:
- Media literacy.
- Cultural literacy.
- Financial literacy.
- Scientific literacy.
- Information literacy.
- Critical literacy.
The Lowest Literacy Rate Countries:
The countries with the lowest literacy rate, defined as the ability to read and write at a specified age. The figures given are from 2015, the last year in which UNESCO did a global analysis.
Lowest Literacy Rates.
1. | South Sudan | 27.0% |
2. | Afghanistan | 28.1 |
3. | Niger | 28.7 |
4. | Burkina Faso | 28.7 |
5. | Mali | 33.4 |

Why is Literacy Important in Early Childhood?
Having a strong basis in early literacy capabilities is essential to children`s future studying performance. Early literacy improvement starts within the first three years of child’s existence and helps their future language improvement, studying, writing, and typical learning. If a child can’t read, they can’t learn.
Learning to read in the first years of primary school is critical for reservation and success in future grades. Literacy is the cornerstone of development. It leads to better health, better employment opportunities, safer and more stable societies. Literacy is the cornerstone of improvement. It ends in higher health and higher employment remarkably.
21st Century Literacy Skills:
21st Century Literacy skills can be explained as “literacy skills increasingly reflect technology use and the abilities essential to problem-solve, collaborate, and present information through multimedia.”
Three Domains of Early Literacy:
These domains include listening comprehension, oral language, and phonological awareness.
Traditions of the Literacy Day:
Literacy is a blessing regularly taken for granted. Reading is critical in our everyday lives. Navigating via the globe without being capable of examining or writing is hard and is a blockade for experiencing such a lot of things. On International Literacy Day, institutions and people take charge and use their literacy to inspire and help groups that are dealing with problems on the way to examine and write.

Students and hired human beings volunteer to coach children within the community, books are generously donated to libraries, and a student`s training and mastering are subsidized to release their long-lasting success.
Institutions and government- and global corporations marketing campaign for literacy on the grassroots level, in addition to host think tanks and dialogue boards to strategize and put into effect the fine rules for the eradication of illiteracy. They additionally host fundraisers for the cause. A topic is decided about International Literacy Day each year, that’s used as a manner to construct awareness around unique issues.