Thus ideas about life-long learning are not static but evolving; they vary according to context and various political, economic, social and cultural factors. Current statements on life-long learning are similar in that they go far beyond providing a second or third chance for at-risk adults. They generally define a broad set of beliefs, aims and strategies around the central tenet that learning opportunities available over the whole life span and accessible on a widespread basis should be key attributes of modern societies. They are based on the belief that everyone is able to learn, all must become motivated to learn, and should be actively encouraged to do so throughout the life span, whether this occurs in formal institutions of education and training or informally—at home, at work or in the wider community. This understanding of life-long learning is pervasive because it is not restricted to learning that is somehow intentional and structured, or that takes place in formal, institutional settings.
In some quarters there still lingers the idea that life-long learning only concerns adult education, defined as organized educational processes whereby persons regarded as adults by the society to which they belong engage in systematic and sustained educational activities. Others consider not only organized educational activities but also non-formal, self-directed and experiential forms of adult learning as expressions of life-long learning. For again another group, life-long learning is not confined to adults, but includes the full range of learning extending over the entire life course. This monograph endorses the latter view. It supports the notion that the settings for learning are both 'life-long' (referring to a process of individual learning and development across the entire life span, from cradle to grave) and 'life-wide' (referring inclusively to formal education in institutions but also to non-formal and informal learning at home, at work and in the wider community) and embrace social and individual development of all kinds.
Life-long learning presents an appropriate, inclusive framework for the building of a comprehensive policy strategy for improving literacy outcomes in North America. The emphasis on 'learning' rather than 'education' is highly significant because it reduces the traditional preoccupation with structures and institutions and instead focuses on the individual. In any sound strategy aimed at the building of a learning society for improving literacy outcomes, the first and foremost concern is with the young child.
In the perspective of life-long learning, the foundations assume new importance and meaning, as they are the basis for developing the ability and motivation to learn throughout adult life. Literacy builds early in life as children learn to communicate in a variety of contexts. These early years of language acquisition provide a critical foundation that affects children's school experience—and eventually, in the long run, their occupational careers and well-being. Not all children, however, develop at the same rate. By the time they reach compulsory school age there are significant differences in their verbal skills, including literacy proficiency. These differences are largely attributable to the effects of socialization, particularly within the family. Societies that are rich in human capital, as gauged by the literacy levels of their youth, achieve this wealth by enabling children from less advantaged backgrounds to be school ready and to achieve relatively high levels of literacy early on. Early childhood education and care programs are an important means to this end. Early childhood policies should therefore be considered not only as an element of life-long learning but also as a strategic concern for federal and state governments aiming to improve literacy outcomes in the long term.
Besides the effects of early socialization, particularly the "long arm of the family", education also plays a critical role in influencing literacy proficiency. In all countries surveyed, the IALS data reveal a very strong association between literacy proficiency and the received amount and quality of initial, formal education. Young adults who have completed high school score higher, on average, than those who have not and, in turn, in many countries those who have received some college or university education score still higher. Yet the data also reveal that there are differences between countries in the strength of the association between education and the literacy outcomes of youth. These differences are in part attributable to variation in the level of education of parents but also depend on the quality of education that children receive. Life-long learning is unattainable without high-quality foundation learning to ensure that all children of all walks of life become literate, numerate and confident individual learners.