International Literacy Day 2025: The Secret Codes of Everyday Life

The print is small, the ingredients unfamiliar, and you’re not sure which one to choose. Later, you’ll follow a set of coffee table assembly instructions that don’t quite match the picture, and later still, try to make sense of a text full of emojis from a teenage niece. These everyday moments all rely on the same quiet skill we often take for granted: literacy.

When we think of literacy, we often picture someone reading a novel, studying a textbook, or writing an essay. Literacy is more than that, though; it’s embedded into everyday life in ways we hardly notice. From scanning a restaurant menu to interpreting a street sign, from decoding emojis in a message to understanding an instruction manual, literacy helps us navigate the world.

Literacy is a fundamental human right that empowers people to learn, grow, and participate fully in society. It opens doors to new opportunities, promotes equality, and helps build a more just and peaceful world. Through literacy, people develop the skills and understanding necessary to respect diversity, promote fairness, and connect meaningfully with others.

According to a 2022 UNESCO report on literacy, there are still 754 million illiterate adults globally – at least one out of seven adults aged 15 and above, of which most are women. Additionally, 250 million children aged 6 to 18 are not attending school and are struggling to acquire reading, writing, and numeracy proficiency. 

The ability to read, understand, and apply information establishes how we interact, make decisions, and function in modern society. For those who struggle with reading and comprehension, everyday tasks that many take for granted can become significant barriers. Literacy is deeply ingrained in our daily lives, shaping how we make sense of the world around us.

Reading Beyond Words

Take symbols and signs, for example. You’re driving through town and spot a red octagon up ahead. You don’t read the word “stop”—you see it and your brain knows exactly what to do. Later, you’re hungry, and that familiar knife-and-fork symbol on a roadside board tells you a restaurant’s nearby. On your phone, a single sad-face emoji in a message instantly lets you know something’s not quite right. No words needed, just instinct and visual literacy doing their job.

Or consider the data we absorb without thinking twice. You glance at your weather app and pack an umbrella. You scroll through your fitness tracker and feel proud of hitting 10,000 steps. On the night of an election, coloured graphs and shifting bars keep you informed long before the final count is in. This kind of reading comes from recognising patterns, interpreting trends, and understanding information at a glance.

Then there’s the skill of finding your way, literally. Whether it’s using GPS to navigate to a new café, scanning a subway map, or figuring out which gate your flight leaves from, you’re relying on a mix of spatial awareness, symbol recognition, and quick reading. Those little coloured lines, icons, and numbers don’t mean much on their own, but together they tell you exactly where to go.

And think about digital spaces like the apps, websites, and settings we interact with daily. Tapping the right icon, managing your privacy settings, or even filling in an online form all require a type of literacy. You’re not just reading, you’re also predicting, interpreting, and navigating. Each button, dropdown, or progress bar asks you to read, not in sentences, but in actions.

These aren’t unusual or advanced skills. They’re things most of us do every day without realising. But they remind us that literacy isn’t only about books or essays. It’s about the ability to understand the world, whether that world is printed, visual, digital, or a little of everything at once.

The Literacy We Take for Granted

The ability to interpret everyday texts is so second nature that we rarely pause to think about it until something becomes confusing.

Imagine travelling to a country where you don’t speak the language. Suddenly, basic tasks like reading a menu, finding the right train, or understanding a medicine label become overwhelming. If you’ve ever struggled to assemble furniture without clear instructions, puzzled over the fine print on a contract, or tried to decipher complicated medical forms, you’ve experienced what it’s like to lack a certain type of literacy.

Similarly, legal and financial documents often feel like they’re written in a foreign language, even for fluent readers. Terms and conditions, mortgage agreements, and insurance policies are notorious for using jargon that requires another level of comprehension. In these cases, literacy is about breaking through language barriers, simplifying complex ideas, and making information accessible.

How Literacy is Evolving in the Digital Age

With technology advancing rapidly, literacy now includes understanding digital spaces, social media, and artificial intelligence.

• Social Media Literacy:  We scroll through headlines, captions, and comments daily, but literacy means recognising bias, spotting misinformation, and understanding how content is designed to capture attention.
• AI-Generated Content:  With chatbots and AI-created articles on the rise, literacy now includes evaluating sources, questioning authenticity, and detecting when information is fact-based or machine-generated.
• Search Engine Interpretation:  Searching for something online isn’t just about typing in keywords; it’s about choosing credible sources, filtering out ads, and understanding why certain results appear first.

Why Recognising Everyday Literacy Matters

On International Literacy Day, let’s redefine what it means to be literate. Reading, writing and functional comprehension are survival skills, tools for independence, and bridges to deeper understanding. Understanding the hidden literacy skills we use daily makes us more aware of how essential they are and how easily they can be taken for granted. It also helps us appreciate the challenges faced by those who struggle with reading comprehension, digital access, or complex language.

So the next time you successfully follow an online recipe, make sense of an airport map, or decode an emoji-filled text, take a moment to appreciate the invisible literacy that makes it all possible. Happy reading!

By Chantal Tarling