Left Unread

At Calgary Public Library, we believe that every child has the right to reach their full potential. Developing strong literacy skills in early childhood opens doors to endless possibilities.  

The Left Unread campaign draws attention to research and statistics that show not all children have access to the early literacy supports they need to succeed. 

That’s why Calgary Public Library and Edmonton Public Library are supporting Left Unread along with many other individuals and community partners to raise awareness around the risk of low literacy in our communities.  

Did you know? 

• 1 in 6 Canadian children struggle with low literacy. 
• A 1% increase in adult literacy would create an economic benefit of $67 billion GDP annually.  
• 25% of Grade 3 children in Canada are not reading at grade level.  
• Fewer than 70% of Canadian children between three to five years of age are read to on a daily basis.   
• Pandemic disruption in children’s learning is forecast to cause a 30% increase in socioeconomic skills gaps.  
• The greatest amount of brain growth occurs between birth and age five. In fact, by age 3, roughly 85% of the brain’s core structure is formed. 
• It’s predicted that children who are read to at least once a day will hear 290,000 more words by age 5 than those who aren’t read to by a parent or caregiver. 
• Approximately 75% of children who do not overcome their reading difficulties by the end of Grade 3 continue to struggle throughout their school life. 

The Library will be working with community partners on a range of activities to amplify the message of Left Unread. In the meantime, you can learn more about Left Unread at leftunread.ca.