45% of Canadians Are Functionally Illiterate

Originally Posted September 30, 2012

 My friend and favourite sage, Lani Donaldson, owner of Beacon Literacy, told me;  

“From Kindergarten to Grade 3 we learn to read, from Grade 4 and on we read to learn.” 

I had never thought about it in such definitive terms until I had kids of my own and watched as they began their reading journey. Sure enough grade 3 was the year during which the path turned a big corner and when spelling, grammar, comprehension and the love of reading took hold. They had the key to The Code.

At least that was what most of the kids were experiencing but there were a couple for whom the road to reading was riddled with land-mines and detours and frustration and despite that they were pushed ahead to the next grade when, inevitably and sadly, they would begin to fall behind.


That kids are allowed to move on without having mastered the skills necessary to read is unbelievable.  If  children are not proficient in "reading, writing and 'rithmetic" then what is the point?

How critical is grade three? Find out here
Does your child have reading difficulties? Find out here




Did you know? 

48% of Canadians do NOT have the literacy level needed to meet the demands of  everyday life and perform work-related tasks  source: here


      Literacy Levels 

• Level 1: The individual is unable to read a drug label in order to correctly determine the appropriate dose.
• Level 2: The individual has difficulty learning new occupational skills.
• Level 3: The individual is able to meet the demands of everyday life and perform work-related tasks (often associated with earning a secondary school diploma).
• Levels 4 and 5: The individual is able to process and analyze complex information (often associated with earning a bachelor’s or graduate degree).

      Literacy in Canada

• Among Canadians aged 16 and older, 48% or 12 million DO NOT reach Level 3 literacy.
• Canadians aged 26–35 are the most likely – at 66% – to reach or exceed Level 3 literacy.
• This percentage decreases with age, at only 18% for those aged 66 and over.
• Literacy levels are generally lower for Aboriginal people and Francophones.
• Yukon scores the best of all provinces and territories: 67% of residents reach or exceed Level 3 literacy.