Interviewer instructions
To ascertain whether women are literate or not, you will be showing the women interview cards with pre-printed sentences on them, and ask women to read them. Note that this question will be asked to only women who have not attended school, or did not attend beyond primary school. We assume that women who have attended secondary school or higher are literate. However, it is also known that some women who have attended or even completed primary school may be functionally illiterate. Therefore, we need to ask this question to such women.
Based on your knowledge of the respondent, choose the card with the language in which the respondent is likely to be able to read if she is literate. Show the first sentence on the card to the respondent. Give the respondent enough time to read the sentence; do not rush her. If the respondent cannot read the whole sentence, probe: "Can you read part of the sentence to me?"
Record whether the respondent was not able to read the sentence at all, was able to read only parts of the sentence, or was able to read the whole sentence. If the respondent asks for the sentences in another language and you were provided a card with sentences in that language, show the respondent the appropriate card. If there is no card with sentences in the language required, circle '4', and specify the language. If the respondent is blind/mute or visually/speech impaired, circle '5'.
It is important to avoid the problem of having other respondents in the household overhear the sentence being read. Subsequent respondents in the household might be able to repeat the sentence when they are interviewed, even if they are unable to read. If there is a second eligible woman in the household, show her the second sentence on the card. Show the third respondent the third sentence on the card, and the fourth respondent the fourth sentence. If there are more than five respondents, start again with the first sentence on the card.
