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Literacy Awareness in Ontario
Literacy A lifelong journey

• (? add local host info see notes)

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What is literacy?

• Literacy is the ability to understand and use
  printed information in daily activities at home,
  at work, and in the community

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People with literacy skills

• have more choices about their lives, and more
  control over those choices
• are more likely to lead healthier lives, earn
  more money and help their children grow to be the
  best they can be

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What do literacy skills do?

• Literacy skills help people
• - find information
• - set goals
• - work with others
• - solve problems
• - make decisions

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What do you know about literacy?

• What can you do with literacy skills?
• If you did not have literacy skills, how do you
  think it would affect you in your everyday life?

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Literacy skills mean you can

• Read to your child
• Write a grocery list
• Apply for a job
• Find a street
• Order from a menu
• Use a bank machine
• Travel

• Read your birthday card
• Follow a recipe
• Apply for a license
• Help with school work
• Write a love letter

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Why is it important to promote literacy in
Ontario?

• In Ontario, 1.4 million people are not able to
  read well enough to carry out daily tasks
• Only 10 of Ontarians are getting the literacy
  help they need

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Why is it important to promote literacy in
Ontario?
Remaining competitive in the knowledge-based
economy is essential for Ontarios economic
success. Having said that

• In Ontario, over 50 of adults have poor numeracy
  performance and 42 have poor literacy
  performance
• 65.1 of people with low literacy skills are of
  prime working age (22-65).

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Why is literacy important in our community?

• ? (See notes)

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A Personal Journey

• ? (See notes)

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Did you know?Literacy touches work!

• Literacy levels affect the kind of jobs people
  find, how much they earn and how easy it is for
  them to upgrade their work skills
• A 2005 C.D. Howe Institute Report, stated that a
  1 increase in literacy skills would result in a
  1.5 increase in income and a 2.5 increase in
  permanent productivity

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Did you know?Literacy touches families!

• Caregivers are a childs first teacher and
  influence their attitudes towards school and
  learning more generally
• Caregivers use literacy skills to help their
  children learn at home and to help them do well
  at school

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Did you know?Literacy touches health!

• People need literacy skills to
• Read a prescription
• Understand what a doctor or nurse tells them
• Understand why exercise, diet and eating well is
  important

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Did you know?Literacy touches crime!

• On average, offenders have lower literacy skills
  than the general population
• Literacy programs can help those at risk have
  more opportunities for education and employment
  and thus become less likely to offend

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About Us
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Literacy Programs
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About the OLC

• We are partnering with the Ontario Literacy
  Coalition (OLC) on this campaign
• The OLC is a membership-based organization that
  supports all levels of Anglophone literacy in
  Ontario
• The OLCs membership is made up of literacy
  programs and networks, individuals, and other
  organizations interested in literacy
• www.on.literacy.ca

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Thank you!
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Literacy A lifelong journey

• Keeping the momentum going
• What can you do to support literacy in our
  community?