At the Literacy Access Network, we often get calls from people who are calling for or about someone who they believe has a literacy problem. Often, we ask why do you think this person has a literacy problem? And why has it become important now to do something about it?

A lot of the folklore around literacy reinforces the idea that people who have reading problems are ashamed, and go to great lengths to hide their “illiteracy”. This may be true in some cases, although people more often try to hide reading problems for much more practical reasons than shame. They may be afraid of losing something important — a job, a chance at retraining, or access to services.

Of course, in today’s society, literacy skills are increasingly necessary, and low literacy skills are increasingly becoming barriers to training or employment.

People who lack confidence in their literacy skills may be unwilling to pursue opportunities for professional development. In the workplace, they may refuse to take on additional responsibilities, or even turn down promotions. In their personal life, they may have difficulties with official forms and documents, or with understanding their children’s report cards or notices from school.

Identify literacy needs before pursuing skills training
Intermediaries often become aware of their clients’ literacy needs when clients have to fill out forms on their own. There may be numerous misspellings. Information may be in the wrong places, or the wrong information may be supplied (for example, if the form asks, “How many hours a week did you work?’ and the client fills in the company’s name). Important places on the form may be left blank.

Because clients are often encouraged to enter skills training programs, or clients express interest in a program, intermediaries should be aware if someone has literacy issues before that person attempts a program that requires good reading skills.

Previous unsuccessful attempts at training programs may actually be a signal that an individual has trouble reading. For example, if a training program accepts people without any entrance requirements, people could easily get into the program and then be frustrated and disappointed because they can’t read well enough to keep up. Or, someone may have applied to a program that does require some kind of entry assessment, and failed to get in.

Ask about previous school experience
Level of education may or may not be an indication of literacy, or of someone’s readiness to go into a training program. If you ask people about their experience in school, you may get some idea if they have literacy issues that will interfere with further education.

People who left school early out of frustration because they weren’t doing well may have problems with literacy and other basic skills. They will probably express some reluctance about going back to school, either for high school credits or skills training, because they know they don’t have the basic skills necessary to do well. A Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) program will help prepare them to go on. If they are currently employed, they may want to go to a community based literacy program for one-to-one tutoring, so they can improve their literacy while working around their schedule.

Other people may have left school early, even though they were doing well, for other reasons — employment, pregnancy, lack of money (especially if they are from a country where high school isn’t free). If they left school very early — before starting high school, perhaps — they may need an LBS program. However, many people in this situation actually have good literacy skills, and may have educated themselves over the years. They may be ready for high school credit programs, the GED examinations for a high school equivalency certificate, or an Academic and Career Entrance Certificate program offered either at one of Ontario’s Community Colleges or in partnership with a community based organization. They may also be ready to enter skills training programs, or join post-secondary programs as mature students.

Do they say they were “pushed through” high school?
There are other people who have finished high school who will show reluctance to go on to further education. These people have recognized that, while they have a high school diploma, they did not acquire strong literacy skills along the way. They may have, in the past, attempted college or training courses and not done well. They may tell you, often with some bitterness, that they were “pushed through” school and “didn’t really learn anything”.

People may say, “I never did well in school. I think I must have a learning disability, but the teachers didn’t know about that back then.” Some people who say they have — or think they have — a learning disability, may actually be having problems with literacy. Whether or not a learning disability is the issue, the previous difficult school experience can be a warning that an LBS program may be necessary before skills training.

Following up
Literacy problems may also be indicated by how someone handles everyday written and printed material. If someone always needs help with filling out forms, writing down addresses and phone numbers, or following written instructions, there may be a literacy problem. (See below for things to notice around paperwork.)

It’s important for concerned intermediaries or friends to know where people can go for help, so that literacy issues no longer get in the way of the pursuit of other goals. Literacy and Basic Skills programs are available for adults who want to improve their reading and writing. Adult learners enter programs with different levels of literacy, and a range of educational experience. It is difficult to determine how long adults will have to stay in a literacy program, before they achieve their literacy goals. Entering a program is the first step in the right direction.

Casey is the Literacy Access Network Coordinator with MTML.