Twenty-two percent of Canadians have serious difficulties with any type of printed material. Twenty-six percent struggle with all but the most simple of reading and writing tasks. ( Statistics Canada 1996 ) International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) The most recent IALS survey was conducted in 1994 in eight industrialized countries: Canada, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. Reading the Future: A Portrait of Literacy in Canada This report, created by the National Literacy Secretariat (NLS), " ...synthesizes the results of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), for Canada." Highlights from Reading the Future: A Portrait of Literacy in Canada Approx. 15% of Atlantic Canadians function at the highest IALS literacy Levels 4 & 5. People at these levels are able to deal easily with complex materials, understanding, synthesizing and analyzing written information. Approx. 33% of Atlantic Canadians function at literacy Level 3. People at this level read well but might have difficulties with complex texts and tasks. Approx. 27% of Atlantic Canadians function at literacy Level 2. This means that they have limited literacy skills. They can read, but not very well. They can only deal with written materials if they are written simply and clearly laid out. They may also have trouble with many everyday reading and writing tasks. Approx. 25% of Atlantic Canadians function at literacy Level 1. This means that they have great difficulty reading and they have few of the essential literacy skills needed to understand and use written materials.