The term functional illiteracy has been used this incapacity of people to use the reading and the writing, beyond carrying through basic calculations, in activities of the daily life that require such abilities. More recently, the scholars have preferred to work with the alfabetismo concept, taking it as complex phenomenon, that holds diverse degrees and dimensions. Many scholars have criticized the conception of reading as joint of generic abilities that, a time acquired can be applied to any situation; they have directed efforts to establish socially excellent task set libraries where if he uses written material e, from them, to dimensionar and to analyze degrees and types of alfabetismo that people or groups characterize. The ample use of the term functional illiteracy had it the UNESCO, used that it in the definition of alfabetizao adopted in 1978 aiming at to standardize static and to influence educative politics. In the ideological debate around the subject, the direction of the qualifying functionary was interpreted in such a way as a restriction of the alfabetizao the pragmatic ends, especially related to the professional qualification, how much as its approach to the interests of social sectors poor or oppressed and the projects of social transformation. Investment to learn more. Given the inevitable ambiguity of the concept, its mensurao and analysis need to be always referenciadas the specific contexts. INTRIGUING AND CURRENT REALITY For Moraes (2009), is not difficult coming across in them with people who exactly being ' ' alfabetizadas' ' they do not obtain to understand simple messages, as a letter, an acknowledgment, a periodical announcement. Or still, with colleges student of varied area-human beings, accurate, that declared texts or of questions in a test feel difficulties when interpreting, in competitions, takes what them to get resulted well below of the desired one. Understanding involves much more that decoding. Of the nothing it advances formulates to know it that it is used to decide definitive problem if it is not known as to solve it.