Canada

HRDC: Human Resource Development Canada

A report based on a technical paper prepared by Dr. Kathryn Barker was published in March 2000 by Human Resources Development Canada entitled: Adult Literacy: Policies, Programs and Practices Lessons Learned Final Report.
(www11.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/pls/edd/ALPP.html)

In this report Barker provides an overview of some lessons learned from work in adult literacy in Canada over the last decade or so. Following are extracts from the report that are concerned with FCE:

“ There are some common elements that comprise good practice in adult literacy programs (Boivin, 1993; De Bruin Parecki, Paris and Seidenberg, 1996; Marshall and Selman, 1992; Ziegler, 1996). Among them are trained instructors; non-threatening learning environment; adult-oriented materials and approaches to teaching and evaluation; and individualized instruction. Quality literacy programs are flexible and able to accommodate different skill levels and personal goals. They provide support services and linkages to other service providers. Instruction is focused on the interests of the learners, emphasizing life skills and contextual skills. (bold added). In effective programs, issues of access, child care, transportation, community and cultural orientation, and personal meaningfulness are considered (De Bruin Parecki, Paris and Seidenberg, 1996). The strongest predictors of student retention and attendance are the presence of support services such as counseling, instruction during the day, and the type of learning environment – a learning lab or independent study in addition to classroom learning (Ziegler, 1996).

… Literacy instruction is often more effective when it is combined with teaching practical skills (Eisemore, Marble and Crawford, 1998). Teaching materials should reinforce all aspects of learners' experiences – home, work, community. Culturally relevant teaching and support materials should be used, and instructors should assess materials for cultural bias (Marshall and Selman, 1992). Context-specific reading materials – workplace reading tasks in workforce training, for example – are the most successful (Phillipi, 1987).”

CPHA: Canadian Public Health Association

Second Canadian Conference on Literacy and Health October 2004 Ottawa, Ontario
(www.cpha.ca/literacyandhealth/themes.html)

Best practices in literacy and health are programs, projects and policies that have been successful in improving the health of Canadians with low literacy skills.
Sample topics for this theme include best practices in:

• Building partnerships that integrate adult literacy and health;
• Building skills of learners and health consumers to find and use health information;
• Building skills of health professionals to communicate health information effectively;
• Providing family literacy programs to parents with low literacy skills and their young children;
• Working with youth who have dropped out of school;
• Working with seniors who have low literacy skills;
• Planning and providing services through community development and participatory approaches (involving learners, health consumers and practitioners);
• Improving the health of people with low literacy skills from distinct population groups. For example: people living with a common disease (e.g. diabetes, cancer, heart disease); people of the same background or culture (e.g. Aboriginal peoples, francophones, immigrants/New Canadians, ethnocultural groups).