Skills for Success defines Reading as the ability to find, understand, and use information presented through words, symbols, and images.

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See how SFS Reading relates to CLB Reading          Play video for hearing impaired

Skills for Success (SFS) is a national framework that identifies nine key skills Canadians need for work, learning and life. The Language for Success framework uses the SFS definitions and levels as conceptualized by the Government of Canada. The number of levels varies by skill. SFS Reading is organized into five proficiency levels.

The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) describe communicative ability in English as a Second Language (ESL). The CLB organize 12 benchmarks into three stages of ability: Stage I (Basic), Stage II (Intermediate) and Stage III (Advanced).

The shading in the table shows how the SFS Reading levels relate to the CLB Reading benchmarks. Pre-SFS refers to benchmarks that fall below SFS Reading Level 1. The relationship was first established through a study led by the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks in 2005.

Table showing the correlation between the CLB and the Skills for success levels: CLB 1, 2 = Pre-SFS CLB 3, 4, 5 = SFS level 1 CLB 6 = SFS level 2 CLB 7, 8, 9 = SFS level 3 CLB 10 = SFS level 4 CLB 11, 12 = SFS level 5

Explore what a person can do at each Reading benchmark

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