More books at home during high school years linked to higher adult literacy @CTV News

More books at home during high school years linked to higher adult literacy

CTV News: 11.04.2014 by Brett Tarver

Parents take note, the more you expose your children to books, the greater their chances of obtaining the essential life skills that can lead to career success, according to a Statistics Canada study.

The study released Tuesday, concludes that the number of books in a person’s home during their high school years is linked to reading, writing, math and social skills later in life.

Based on an analysis of the literacy and numeracy of Canadian university graduates in 2012, Statistics Canada found that, of those who had less than 10 books at home when they were in high school, 31 per cent were in the lower range for literacy compared with just 9 per cent among those who reported having more than 200 books at home.

Study compares Canadian literacy in 2003 and 2012 

This graph compares the literacy levels of the population aged 16 to 65 in Canada in 2003 and 2012. (Statistics Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, and Council of Ministers of Education, Canada)

A similar pattern was identified between the number of books at home during high school and adult math skills.

The survey, led by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also revealed a stark contrast between the literacy and numeracy levels of university graduates with the high school dropouts.

The study found that while a quarter of university graduates in 2012 in Canada aged 25 to 65 had a literacy score at the second level or below (out of five levels), 88 per cent of individuals aged 25 to 65 who did not have a high school degree had literacy in the lower range.  READ MORE !