Stages - Frequently Asked Questions

The Certificate in Literacy & Learning is awarded by Manitoba Advanced Education and Training. The Certificate is only granted to residents of Manitoba.

• Which Certificate should I be doing?
• How much time do I have to complete a Certificate?
• How do I complete the Assignments?
• Which section should I do first?
• How will I be assessed?

Which Certificate should I be doing?

You can work toward a certificate at any stage. It is up to you and your tutor or instructor to decide which certificate is best for you. You do not need to complete Stage 1 if you are already a Stage 2 learner.

Each certificate has Assignments with tasks to complete. You may not know how to do those tasks when you begin to work on the certificate. The tasks help you develop as a reader and writer over time. If you can easily do all the Assignments in one stage of the Certificate, then you probably should try the next stage.

How much time do I have to complete a Certificate?

Take as much time as you need. You can take six months or six years to complete a Certificate! We recommend that you take at least three months to finish a Certificate.

Once you have completed all the Assignments and your tutor or instructor has signed them, you will be asked to evaluate your progress. An assessor from Manitoba Adult Learning and Literacy will interview you to examine your Record of Achievements and to discuss with you your opinion of the Certificate.

If you are successful, you will receive a Certificate of Literacy and Learning.

How do I complete the Assignments?

You and your tutor or instructor are free to choose the material to use as well as the ways to complete the Assignments. This symbol ? gives examples and suggestions of materials you can use. The reading and writing material should be something you would see in your daily life at home, work or in the community. Together, you and your tutor or instructor may decide on the best ways to learn and practice the skills and knowledge you acquire.

• Look for materials to use in your community. For example, you might look around your house for written instructions, pamphlets or notices that come in the mail. It is important that you think about how you use reading and writing in your everyday life.
• You need to provide evidence to show what you have done and that it has been assessed by your tutor or instructor. Over a period of time you will build up enough evidence to show that you have met the requirements for an assignment, then for a Section and finally for the Certificate.
• You and your tutor or instructor may choose to aim for one assignment at a time. You are likely to find, however, that in real life more than one assignment can be achieved in the same activity.

Which Section should I do first?

The Stages curriculum is not a series of rigid lessons to be taught by every tutor/instructor and followed by every learner. The skills in the Stages curriculum are basic building blocks. What is different is how you use these skills and what past experiences you bring to the learning situation. Each learner has his or her own set of priorities and needs, and this should be the starting point of your programme.

You can complete the Sections in any order you wish. You can skip from one Section to another or from one Assignment to another.

• Remember, you may take as long as you need to complete all the tasks and activities required.
• If you do not want to try all the Sections, the Assignment and Skills Checklists will be your Record of Achievements.

How will I be assessed?

• Your performance on each Assignment will be assessed by both you and your instructor or tutor.
• To get the Certificate you need to complete all the work in each Section of the Record of Achievements Manual. Each Section is divided into Assignments.
• Every time you complete an Assignment, you must meet certain criteria. These will be explained to you by your tutor or instructor before you begin each Assignment.
• When you complete any learning tasks in your regular classroom or tutoring work, you and your tutor or instructor can decide whether this piece of work will be part of the Certificate requirements. You will need to look at each Assignment in each Section to see if the regular work you are doing can 'fit in' to the requirements. This work then becomes a part of your Portfolio.
• You will need to show that the Certificate has been earned over time. So, do different Assignments on different days. Do not try to do the Assignments all at once. Each Assignment gives specific details on how it can be completed.