The Cariboo Chilcotin Partners For Literacy (CCPL) is reminding individuals of how important literacy is.
Bruce Mack, CCPL President says it is surprising how many individuals, regardless of age, experience some difficulty with literacy.
“It varies from day to day, but the numbers are really quite staggering,” he says. “The most recent studies show over 40% of British Columbians have difficulty meeting day to day requirements of literacy from reading a schedule to even just basic information, things like that.”
Mack adds that many individuals are reluctant to reach out for help.
“There are a lot of different reasons why people have difficulty, but the stigma of acknowledging it to come forward and say hi I need help with this is quite serious,” he says.”It’s something we spend on a lot of our energy on in overcoming that and helping people realize they’re not alone in this.”
The CCPL says families or individuals can strengthen their literacy skills by practicing for 15 minutes a day through reading, singing a song, or even following a recipe.
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