National Adult Literacy Database

In this report, the authors discuss the cost and the importance of investing in literacy. They suggest that advanced literacy is the single most important tool that Canadians need to compete in the global economy and present estimates of the total cost of raising the literacy skill of the adult population to Level 3.

This report includes an executive summary and forward followed byfive chapters:
Chapter 1- Introduces the report and provides background on the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey and the International Survey of Reading Skills (ISRS) studies upon which analyses in the report are based.
Chapter 2 - Summarizes what was measured in the ISRS and what it means
Chapter 3 - Defines segments in the Canadian literacy market
Chapter 4 - Contains estimates of the costs and benefits of releasing Canada’s economic potential through literacy instruction
Chapter 5 - Summary and conclusions