PETITION TO MANITOBA GOVERNMENT

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Access to evidence-based literacy instruction: A fundamental right for children in Manitoba

Literacy is a fundamental human right and an important social determinant of health. Low literacy has multiple implications on one’s well-being and has been linked to poorer general health (1, 2), increased and inappropriate use of health care services particularly emergency rooms (1, 3), mental health issues (2, 4), substance use (2) and incarceration (5). Data across Canada show that literacy rates are low and are not improving. A staggering 42% of Canadians between the ages of 16 and 65 fail to attain a level of reading proficiency typically required for high school completion (6).

In Manitoba, as of a 2005-2006 Ministry of Education report, almost 2 out of every 5 Grade 3 students in Manitoba failed to meet Grade 3 expectations for reading comprehension (7). Newer data from 2010- 2014 show that 25-28% of students in the English stream need help to meet Grade 3 expectations in reading and another 12-15% need ongoing help to meet expectations (8).

The scientific evidence supporting phonics-based approaches to reading instruction is well established (9). However, evidence-based methods of screening for, assessing and intervening with reading problems are not universally implemented. There is broad use of reading programs in schools across Manitoba, and more broadly Canada, that have been shown to be ineffective (10). At present, struggling readers and those who have been diagnosed with a specific learning disability in reading (e.g. dyslexia) do not have consistent access to reading instruction that has been shown to be effective in aiding struggling readers. Many families are forced to seek out extra instruction and tutoring privately. This is costly and all families simply do not have the ability to fund this privately.

This is a public health problem that has been identified by Humans Right Commissions in other provinces (11, 12). A similar inquiry is currently in progress by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission.

As pediatricians, it is our objective to advocate for systemic change within Manitoban public education to ensure that evidence-based approaches to screening, instruction and intervention are available to ALL learners. We advocate for systemic implementation of evidence-based methods for teaching fundamental literacy skills across all school divisions. At baseline, all students should be instructed using phonics-based structured literacy methods that teach decoding, fluency and comprehension skills. All schools should use evidence-based UNIVERSAL screening of ALL students to identify struggling readers. Once issues are identified, targeted interventions should be evidence-based to ensure that readers with challenges are best supported. This is an issue not only of education, but of optimizing the health of all Canadians. Literacy is a fundamental, basic human right and all children have the right to be taught how to read effectively in a publicly-funded education system.

 

Authored By: Jina Pagura MA MD FRCPC
Endorsed By: Manitoba Pediatric Society

 

References:
(1) Seccomb K, Lockwood R, Reder S. Literacy: Influence on access and use of the health care system. Res Sociol Health Care 2005; 23: 27-95.

(2) DeWalt DA, Berkman ND, Sheridan S, et al. Literacy and health outcomes: A systematic review of the literature. J Gen Intern Med 2004; 19(12): 1228-1239.
(3) Rootman I, Ronson B. Literacy and health research in Canada: Where have we been and where should we go? Can J Public Health 2005; 96(Suppl 2): S62-76.
(4) Maughan B, Carroll J. Literacy and mental disorders. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2006; 19(4): 350-354.
(5) Greenberg E, Dunleavy E, Kutner, M. Literacy Behind Bars: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy Prison Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2007.
(6) Statistics Canada and the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development. Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2005. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED496564
(7) Manitoba Ministry of Education. Provincial report 2005-2006. Grade 3 assessment in reading, "lecture” and numeracy and grade 4 assessment in French immersion “lecture.”
www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/assess/gr3/gr3_prov_report_05-06.pdf (Version current at October 26, 2006).
(8) A Profile of Student Learning and Performance in Manitoba 2010-2014. Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning 2015. Government of Manitoba.
(9) Castles A, Rastle K and Nation K. Ending the Reading Wars: Reading Acquisition from Novice to Expert. Psychological Sciences in the Public Interest 2018; Vol. 19 (1), 5-51.
(10) Chapman JW & Tunmer WE. Reading Recovery: Does it work? Perspectives on Language and Literacy 2011; 37(4), 21–24.
(11) Ontario Human Rights Commission, “Right to Read: Public inquiry into human rights issues affecting students with reading disabilities. Executive Summary.” Government of Ontario. February 2022.
(12) Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, “Equitable Education for Students with Reading Disabilities in Saskatchewan’s K to 12 Schools: A Systematic Investigation Report,” Systemic Initiatives, Saskatoon, SK, 2023.