The Foundation

Cause

Literacy training is aimed at individuals experiencing serious difficulty with reading, writing or calculation. These minimum skills are necessary to function well in society, since they make it possible to enter the labour market, enhance one’s personal development and perform one’s social roles (as parents, citizens, consumers, etc.).

Source: Notions de base, Commission scolaire de l'Énergie, Shawinigan, 2002. [Our translation]

French language-literacy training helps adults whose mother tongue is not French and who cannot read or write in their mother tongue to acquire basic knowledge of oral and written French.

Offered by school boards and grassroots education organizations, early childhood literacy programs help reduce the risk of illiteracy in children whose parents have reading difficulties themselves. Intervenors and volunteers read children stories in order to foster their love of reading and writing. The programs can also help maintain the desire to read in children experiencing difficulty at school and help parents have a positive impact on their child’s acquisition of knowledge and skills in written communication.

Source: J'apprends avec mon enfant, Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys, Montreal, 2002. [Our translation]

Francization enables adults whose mother tongue is not French to acquire basic oral and written French skills and, in the case of non-French, non-English immigrants, to develop the attitudes required to integrate into Quebec society while preparing their transition to further studies or the job market.

Source: Overview of Educational Services for Adults in General Education in Quebec, Quebec Ministry of Education (MEQ), Quebec City, 2002.

Literacy is defined as the ability to understand and employ printed information in daily activities, at home, at work and in the community – to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.

Source: OECD, 1995.

Individuals with weak literacy skills who, in their mother tongue, have serious difficulty with reading, writing and calculating in everyday life if the text is not clear and familiar. They stand on the lowest rung (Level 1) of the reading ability ladder established in the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS).

Source: QUEBEC MINISTRY OF EDUCATION. L'alphabétisation au Québec - Rapport provincial déposé à la Conférence provinciale et territoriale en alphabétisation (Literacy in Quebec: Provincial report tabled with the Provincial/Territorial Literacy Conference), Quebec City, 2003, p. 6. [Our translation]