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As advanced as Canada is, many still struggle with literacy

The Castor Advance - 1/29/2020

By Kevin J. Sabo

For the Advance

Being able to read is one of the anchors of our education system.

Children start learning to read at a young age, and in a perfect world keep growing their skills until they graduate. The problem is, while most Canadians can read two people in five don't read with enough skill to perform everyday tasks.

To combat low literacy in Canada ABC Life Literacy developed Family Literacy Day in 1999.

The program is a national strategy designed to bring families together and raise the importance of literacy.

In support of Family Literacy Day on Jan. 27th, 2020, Paintearth Community Adult Learning released a fill-in-the-blank short story which could be submitted to enter a draw.

The story is just one of many things that families can do to encourage literacy in children.

According to ABC Life Literacy, children spend five times more time out of the classroom than in it, and children of parents which actively read with them generally perform 10 points higher on tests than parents that don't.

Literacy is not just a childhood issue. According to ABC Life Literacy, many seniors in the country only read at an elementary school level.

In Canada, adult literacy can be assessed on a five-point scale, with the average person ranking on the low side of three.

One sector where literacy issues are very apparent is the criminal justice system.

Statistics provided by ABC Life Literacy show that offenders are three times more likely to have literacy problems.

An estimated 79 in 100 prisoners don't have a high school diploma, and in fact an estimated 65 in 100 prisoners have less than a Grade 8 education.

The news isn't all bad though, as studies show that prison literacy programs can reduce recidivism by 30 per cent, and prisoners who achieve a college degree reduce recidivism by nearly 100 per cent.

While not everyone who has a literacy problem will end up in jail, there is a definite correlation between the two, studies show.

With two in five having literacy issues the problem is significant, especially when coupled with many people who struggle hiding the issue from their family and friends.

What would it take to improve literacy in Canada?

Twenty minutes. Just twenty minutes a day reading with a child can vastly improve their literacy level, experts note.

For older learners, organizations such as local adult learning councils have a plethora of information and help, including English classes one-on-one support with language tutors.