National Adult Literacy Database

This report uses data from the International Study of Reading Skills to describe in depth the reading abilities of the least-skilled adult readers in society and to identify the basic reading profiles of these adults, based on their strengths and needs in reading. The goal is to supply policy makers, researchers and practitioners with new information useful for making decisions about how to plan and deliver appropriate and efficient reading instruction for different adult learners.

This report consists of the following five chapters and a several annexes.
Chapter 1 - Purpose, theories and methods
Chapter 2 - Demographic profiles of Canadians with low literacy proficiency
Chapter 3 - Theoretical considerations underlying the reading components
Chapter 4 - The relationship between reading components and literacy proficiency
Chapter 5 - Conclusions and implications for public policy and instruction