This catalogue, which is intended as a resource for literacy practitioners, contains information about program-based literacy materials produced by Ontario's (Canada) four desktop publishing centers for literacy programs. A total of 148 instructional materials (including materials developed by literacy learners), tutor/practitioner tools, and…

This document resulted from a project undertaken to develop a set of program-specific and occupationally relevant performance (learning) objectives for the Ontario Basic Skills/Formation de Base de l'Ontario (OBS/FBO) program. It describes project activities, including a literature review in three related areas: understanding what literacy means,…

The 3-year Literacy, Welfare, and Work Longitudinal Research Project explored the complex relationship between literacy and employment within the context of welfare reform in Manitoba, in an attempt to identify the barriers to education and employment that adult learners experience, as well as the policies, programs, and support services that best…

Canada's National Literacy Secretariat (NLS) develops innovative partnerships to involve voluntary and national organizations, governments, business, and labor in a national effort to make Canada a more literate society. The two main objectives of the NLS are to promote a variety of opportunities for people to improve their reading and writing…

This packet of materials for the adult literacy volunteer contains a booklet of information and accompanying reading selections meant to help a tutor get started with a new learner. The booklet covers these topics: initial assessment of learners with sample student interview form; informal assessment with assessment questions; observing the…

The Certificate in Literacy and Learning was developed by the Manitoba Literacy Office in response to requests from students in adult education programs who do not have specific goals, but would like some recognition of the progress they have made. Taking the certificate is purely optional and students should never be pressured to do so. This…

The November 1994 symposium on adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction and literacy brought together ESL, literacy, and adult education professionals to share perspectives. Two keynote addresses are summarized: "Facing the Facts of Life, Literacy, and Work" (Shirley Brice Heath), which looks at trends in the nature of work…

This resource document provides general information about literacy portfolio assessment, guidelines on using the technique, and a format for getting started. The first part discusses testing and assessment in adult literacy and basic education, alternative assessment, and literacy portfolios. The second part contains a list of questions and steps…

The problem of adult illiteracy in Canada is now accepted as socially significant, whether defined in terms of numbers, impact on the economy, or implications for the future. A reasonable estimate would be that one in five Canadian adults has a severe enough problem with reading, writing, or arithmetic that his or her functioning in society is to…

This booklet contains 29 articles about literacy that originally appeared in newspapers across Canada during September 1987. Many are based on the extensive findings of a national literacy survey of 2,398 Canadian adults commissioned by Southam Inc. The survey provided the first real statistics about the state of literacy in the country;…

This study uses data from the Canadian panel of the International Adult Literacy Survey to examine the relations between schooling, literacy and occupational assignment and to determine the extent to which returns to over- and under-education are in fact returns to literacy skills. Two measures of required training time for the job are used, both…

A study was conducted to determine what factors account for the wide Canada-Sweden literacy gap, and what lessons can be learned from such a comparison that may help reduce the incidence of low literacy skills in Canada. The study found that the incidence of low literacy skills (failing to exceed level 2 in all three literacy domains--prose,…

This document presents a total of 130 references and annotations of works that are related to the topic of adult learning through museums or through the arts in general. Although not all of the materials cited focus specifically on adult models or experiences, all pertain to education in and through museums, art education theory and practice,…

The "literacy.ca" newsletter is a vehicle for literacy workers and supporters to share information, ideas, resources and research on emerging literacy issues. This issue of "literacy.ca" contains the following sections: (1) Profiling Partnerships; (2) Research; (3) Research Spotlight; (4) Literacy and Disabilities; (5) Health…

According to this report, many Canadians lack basic skills of literacy and numeracy. As many as 6.9 million Canadian adults, or 1 of every 6 working Canadians, may require some literacy training. This paper outlines the extent of illiteracy and innumeracy in Canada and presents an overview of actions being taken alone or in partnerships by…