Literacy in Canada

Important research information about literacy in Canada is derived from the IALS conducted by Statistics Canada in cooperation with the National Literacy Secretariat (NLS) in 1994-95. The IALS developed a scale for the purpose of measuring five broad literacy levels for use in a comparative analysis of literacy skills in twelve Organizations for Economic Co- operation and Development (OECD) countries.

• Level 1 literacy indicates very low literacy skills, where the individual may, for example, have difficulty identifying the correct amount of medicine to give to a child from the label information.
• Level 2 literacy identifies people who may have adapted their lower literacy skills to everyday life, but would have difficulty learning new job skills requiring a higher level of literacy. They can deal only with simple material, clearly laid out and not too complex.
• Level 3 is considered as the minimum desirable threshold in many countries but some occupations require higher skills.
• Levels 4 and 5 show increasingly higher literacy skills requiring the ability to integrate several sources of information or solve problems that are more complex.²

The IALS research provides important insights into issues related to literacy. For instance, this study found that 22% of Canadians possess level 1 literacy skills and 26% have literacy skills consistent with level 2 (Statistics Canada and NLS, 1994:1995). The proportion of Canadians with literacy skills at the lowest functional literacy levels is overwhelming, as virtually half of Canadians have difficulty with reading materials encountered in everyday life. They avoid reading except for materials that are relatively simple and familiar to them.

Perrin (1998) outlines some of the major IALS findings about literacy among Canadians:

• Literacy is a moving target. The Second IALS report indicates: “While most people can read, the real question is whether their reading and writing skills meet the challenge of living and working in today‘s...society.” As the demands of society change, so do the necessary literacy skills required to function (NLS, 1997).
• Literacy involves comprehension and under-standing, not only of the written word, but also of the spoken word. Literacy is the ability to understand and to be able to act upon verbal directions from health professionals. (NLS, 1997).

2. “In Manitoba, adult literacy programming is learner-centred. Curriculum is developed through individual goal setting. A learning program is therefore not driven by fixed outcomes. The learner, in collaboration with tutors and literacy instructors, determines outcomes. At the same time, literacy programs are not organized on grade levels (like school learning). Rather, students are identified through informal assessment as developmentally at stages of learning commensurate with the International Adult Literacy Survey complexity scales.” (emphasis added) (Quotes from the soon-to-be-released “Facilitator Guide” for the Stages curriculum. This Guide is being written by the Centre for Education and Work.)