Much of the data on literacy in Canada comes from the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey - IALSS - done in 2003. This survey tested for proficiency in four types of literacy - prose, document, numeracy, and problem solving. We also looked at traditional measured of basic literacy - namely grade nine education.
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Literacy
Basic Literacy
rudimentary reading, writing and numeracy skills, usually defined as achieving a grade 9 education
Prose Literacy
measured by IALSS, the knowledge and skills needed to understand and use information from texts
Document Literacy
measured by IALSS, the knowledge and skills required to locate and use information contained in various formats
Numeracy Literacy
measured by IALSS, the knowledge and skills required to effectively manage the mathematical demands of diverse situations
Problem Solving Literacy
measured by IALSS, involves goal-directed thinking and action in situations for which no routine solution is available
Low Literacy
defined as those who tested at levels 1 or 2 out of 5 for the 4 types of measured literacy in IALSS