Literacy is simply a way of communicating across space and time. Words and numbers are just symbols on paper and reading is the process of recognising the symbols and applying the accepted meaning to them. Illiterate people are not ignorant - they have many skills and are knowledgeable about many things. Many have survived quite comfortably without literacy and may see no need to change. However, the need to read and write has become increasingly important in the modern world and literacy is the first step in improving financial management skills.