National Adult Literacy Database

Series: International Adult Literacy Survey

Authors: J. Douglas Willms, T. Scott Murray

This study uses data from IALS and ALL to explore how Canada’s stock of literacy skill evolved over the nine year period from 1994 to 2003. It employs a synthetic cohort analysis to document net skill change for various demographic groups for Canada and the provinces and to explore the individual characteristics that influence whether a particular group has gained or lost skill on average over the nine year reference period.

The analysis reveals the presence of significant literacy skill loss in adulthood, loss that would seem to be concentrated in adults from lower socio- economic backgrounds. Given the influence that literacy skill appears to exert upon individual labour market success and the overall performance of the economy understanding what underlies the loss and what, if anything, should be done by individuals, institutions or governments to slow or reverse the process, should be a priority.

Added: 2007-08-10

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• Acquisition et perte de compétences en littératie au cours de la vie

Authors: J. Douglas Willms, Richard Chan, Teresa Tang

This report provides maps of adult literacy skills for each of Canada’s provinces and territories and for its three largest cities, based on data from the 2001 Canadian Census, and from the 2003 International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS), conducted by Statistics Canada and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The first section of the report outlines the mapping technique used for the project. Developed by the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy (CRISP), the mapping technique’s aim is to estimate a score for an outcome variable for all Canadian citizens, based on the best available information for each individual, and then display the resulting scores on provincial or local area maps.

In the second section, the authors explain the five literacy levels, while in the third section, they provide pointers for interpreting the maps.

The report uses three basic types of maps; maps showing the percentage of adults at particular levels of prose literacy; maps showing the number of adults at each level of prose literacy; and maps showing average scores on the prose literacy test.

This work represents the first attempt to map social outcomes on a large scale using Statistics Canada’s survey data, the authors note. It opens up possibilities for using data to map other social outcomes, including those related to health and early childhood.

Added: 2013-03-08

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• Répartition géographique des compétences en littératie des adultes au Canada selon les estimations locales

Series: The Monograph Series

Authors: J. Douglas Willms

This report suggests that youth in North America do not fare as well in their literacy skills as their European counterparts. The findings were based on data from the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) which was conducted in seven countries in 1994, and later extended to include 24 countries. Detailed analyses of the IALS data for Canada revealed that the literacy skills of youth in Quebec and the Prairie provinces were somewhat higher than those of youth in the other six provinces.
It suggests that youth in in Canada, and North America as a whole, do not fare as well in their literacy skills as their European counterparts. An important aspect of the findings was that inequalities along social-class lines were less pronounced in the provinces with higher levels of literacy skills; that is, youth from higher socio-economic backgrounds tended to perform well, whereas youth from disadvantaged backgrounds varied considerably in their skills. As well, this study examines whether this general finding also applies to states within the United States, not only with respect to the socio-economic background of American youth, but also with respect to their ethnicity.

This monograph begins with a brief outline of the background and theoretical framework of the study. The next chapter briefly describes the data and methods used in this study and is followed by a results chapter that has five parts, one for each of five research questions. The findings are then discussed in the context of relevant literature. The study concludes with a summary of the research and a discussion of its policy implications.

To order a copy of this document at a cost of $10, please contact: Statistics Canada, Operations and Integration Division, Circulation Management, 120 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1A 0T6, Tel. (613) 951-7277 or 1 800 700-1033, Fax (613) 951-1584 or 1 800 889-9734, E-mail : order@statcan.ca This report is also available online at the following address: http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/NLS/ials/inequal/cover.htm (99.11.17)

Added: 1999-11-17

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• Inégalités en matière de capacités de lecture chez les jeunes au Canada et aux États-Unis

Series: The Monograph Series

Authors: J. Douglas Willms, Elizabeth Sloat

This study examines the distribution of literacy skills of Canadian youth. Adults aged 16 to 25 can be described as "in transition" from completing their formal schooling to entering the labour market, so the data can be used to examine the effects of formal schooling on literacy levels. Provincial differences in literacy levels are also examined, as are differences in individuals of varying backgrounds and personal characteristics.

Added: 1997-01-01

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• Les capacités de lecture des jeunes Canadiens