Conclusions and implications for public policy and instruction

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Based on the evidence collected in previous literacy surveys, it is widely accepted that literacy proficiency influences the employability, earnings, health, social engagement and access to future learning of individuals. The absence of notable change in literacy performance in Canada between 1994 (IALS) and 2003 (IALSS), and the observed variations in results between the provinces, have created an interest in how the literacy skills of adults might be improved. Differences in literacy performance between individuals, and regional economies, matter to Canada because they constrain our ability to compete with countries where the level of literacy skill is rising rapidly. Thus, literacy levels might influence future economic growth rates and, hence, living standards for Canadians.

Nearly 57 percent of all Canadians aged 16 to 65 years with proficiency at Level 1 on the IALSS prose scale, and 70 percent of those with literacy proficiency at Level 2, were employed at the time the data were collected. Their labour market prospects, and the life chances of the people with low literacy who are not in the labour force, can be greatly enhanced if literacy levels could be improved. Canada as a whole would greatly benefit as well. The findings presented in this report add considerably to our understanding of the nature of the adult literacy challenges and the appropriate ways in which these could be addressed.

• As predicted by theory and evidence, performance on the reading components was closely related to the emergence of fluid and automatic reading required for Level 3 and above prose literacy proficiency in English and in French. There was a direct relationship between the performance in the components tested in the ISRS and the scores achieved on the prose literacy assessment.

• The performance of those who took the reading component tests in French differed from those who took them in English, which reflected the linguistic and orthographic differences between the two languages. The differences were further affected by the fact that there were more non-native speakers taking the test in English than in French.

• In order to identify relatively homogeneous groups of learners that share common sets of literacy learning needs, the latent class analyses yielded four distinct groups, as shown in Table 4.10.

• The latent class analysis was based on testing the component competencies related to vocabulary, decoding and working memories which are essential for fluid reading and comprehension.

Latent class A had the lowest prose literacy scores at the lower end of Level 1. This is related to the respondents' low scores on the components, especially because they had not acquired the decoding ability necessary to be competent readers. In general, their literacy skills are so limited that it is very difficult for them to reliably gain new information from print.

Those in Latent class B are limited primarily by their lack of vocabulary. Their decoding abilities enable them to succeed at most Level 1 tasks but the tasks at Level 2 appear to require a higher level of vocabulary than they currently hold. The English Latent class B group is primary composed of non native speakers.

Respondents in Latent class C are more similar to people in class D than to individuals in class A and B. However adults in class C had lower scores on each component than those in class D. They are capable of coping with most Level 2 tasks and some of the easier Level 3 ones. The striking difference between class C and D is their use of literacy. People in class C are less likely to engage in regular reading thus they have less opportunity to improve vocabulary and decoding skill.

Adults in Latent class D have higher scores in all components, although their pattern of reading performance is similar to that of people described by Latent class C. Level 3 tasks are easily performed and even some tasks at Levels 4 and 5 are correctly executed. However a good proportion of people in that class are still classified at Level 2 (28%).

As mentioned in Chapter 4 the component skill analysis seem to demonstrate that people at level 1 and people at level 2 differ not only in their literacy ability but also in the configuration of their component skills. People at level 2 have more similar patterns of skill to the level 3 people then the people at level 1.

It is also important to point out that a large proportion of level 2 adults, (70% of those who took the test in English and 76% of those who did the test in French) are in class D. This finding implies that Class D adults have mastered the component skills but appear not to have acquired the reading strategies that would allow them to cope reliably with Level 3 tasks.

If the objective were to raise competencies for people that are at level 1 and 2 the component analysis suggest that the remedial approaches for each group should be adapted to their needs. The types of program interventions designed to support each of these classes have to be targeted to match the particular literacy learning needs of the different groups. Therefore, it would be helpful to know the distribution of learners across the classes. Table 4.12 presents this information separately for the French and English speaking population.

The two latent classes with the lowest component scores, classes A and B, represent a very small proportion (fewer than 4% in each class) of the Canadian population. There is a slightly higher percentage of the English population in Class C (16.5%) compared to the French population (13.1%).

Key implications for public policy and instruction

• Canada has very few people who could be termed "illiterate" who are non-readers, even when non native speakers in English and French are included. About 16% percent of adults with Levels 1 and 2 proficiency in French and in English have limited reading ability. Most of them possess some of the required component skills, albeit at a level below that required for Level 3 proficiency. Though interventions have to be intense and perhaps longer term, the total investment costs needed for raising the overall literacy level of the Canadian adult population might be significantly lower than first estimated because this group is small.

• Plain language initiatives18, while necessary and desirable, are unlikely to afford access to print information for three of the four classes. Proficiency in both decoding and vocabulary is required for even comprehension of simple text.

• The latent classes suggest that Level 2 adults differ from those at level 1, not just in their level of proficiency but also in the configuration of their component skills. Those at Level 2 have higher vocabulary and spelling scores. Despite their adequate vocabulary, their low decoding skills make Level 3 tasks too difficult. Therefore the interventions for those at Level 1 will have to be substantially different from those used for people at Level 2 proficiency. Those at Level 2 need to focus more on their decoding skills while maintaining their vocabulary.

• A large proportion of those in latent class A have low levels of education. There are, however, also many adults who have managed to complete their secondary schooling despite their reading difficulties. This will likely affect their future learning paths as well as their daily functioning in society. Ideally, standards at graduation from secondary school should ensure that Level 3 literacy proficiency is attained by all as a basis for functioning well in the global knowledge economy. This is because decoding skills in particular are gained during secondary education while vocabulary may continue to be gained through work, reading and future training to augment the basic level attained during such education.

• A significant proportion of adults in the three lowest latent classes are immigrants, particularly those whose first language is neither English nor French. For many, their current literacy proficiency is inadequate given the high levels demanded in the Canadian economy and society. The program interventions on offer in Canada today are often ill suited to empower them to increase their performance and to enable them to work and earn at their potential, given their levels of education.

• It is important, therefore, that those at the lower latent classes are given opportunities to participate in appropriate literacy training programs in order to benefit from future adult education and training.

Literacy is a key competence in a world where information, whether print or digital, is ubiquitous. The International Study of Reading Skills has provided valuable information about the patterns of reading abilities of the least-skilled adult readers in society. This information can now be put to good use in making decisions about how to plan and deliver appropriate and efficient reading instruction for different groups of adult learners. The new dataset should inform the development of better diagnostic systems for adults with low levels of literacy, tailoring the contents and modalities of literacy program interventions and instruction to their needs, and creating improved strategies to encourage active participation by adult learners.