Handbook on best practice methods for Basic skills trainings Best practice handbook | Page 6

6
THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT
Understanding basic skills and key competencies

Literacy
Reading and Writing skills has traditionally been named as Literacy. Today literacy
normally include more than reading and writing, which explain why we have focus on reading
and writing as separate skills.
Reading is the ability to understand and employ printed information in daily activities at
home, at work and in the community. While Writing is the ability to communicate and express
yourself in a written way.
Reading and writing skills is needed in every occupation on a daily basis. In general
typical operations in need for reading and writing skills are:
 Read and understand operating instructions
 Read reports and write reports
 Provide written notice discrepancies
 Read and understand safety instructions and other instructions
 Look up and read professional content
 Writing and reading emails
 Read and fill out different forms
OECD define five levels of skills – from Level 1, ‘very poor skills’, through Level 3, ‘the
minimum for coping with everyday life’, to Levels 4 / 5, ‘command of higher - order information
processing skills.

Numeracy
Numeracy skills are basic mathematical skills that include a range of abilities
to understand and analyze numerical information and to make the right conclusions and
decisions. They also include the ability to express ideas and situations using numerical or
mathematical information.
Mathematics is a science with a key role for a career of the people who deal
with technology, finance, banking and engineering – all professions of the future. It can be
lucrative and interesting. But math also is everywhere in our daily life – in purchases, in
vacancy costs, in banking interests and taxes, in home rents and more….
Being numerate means being able to reason with numbers and other mathematical
concepts and to apply these in a range of contexts and to solve a variety of problems. Being
numerate is as much about thinking and reasoning logically as about 'doing sums'.
It means being able to: interpret data, charts and diagrams; process information; solve
problems; check answers; understand and explain solutions; make decisions based on logical
thinking and reasoning.