Nine million working-age Canadians - or up to five out of ten people - do not have the minimum literacy skills for coping with everyday life, according to a new statement released by the Canadian Paediatric Society.

Among adult Canadians with low literacy, 15 per cent have serious problems dealing with any printed materials; an additional 27 per cent can only deal with simple reading tasks.

Low literacy is a serious challenge in every jurisdiction across Canada. Even in the highest performing provinces or territories, 3 out of 10 Canadians (16 yrs and over) struggle with very serious literacy challenges. They have difficulty with even the most basic written materials. In result, low literacy costs Canada up to 10 billion dollars per year.

The process for learning to read begins at birth, making low literacy a critical child health issue. Children who have little or no exposure to books at home often fail to learn to read and write as quickly or as well as other children. If these critical skills are not learned early on, children can suffer a lifetime of problems.

"Children who do not learn to read well in elementary school are more
likely to have significant health problems as adults, making early literacy an issue Canadians cannot afford to ignore," says Dr. Alyson Shaw, principal author of the position statement published in the November issue of Paediatrics & Child Health.