Family Literacy Day
Family Literacy Day is a national initiative that takes place every year on January 27 to encourage families to spend 15 minutes a day to read or practice a literacy activity together. Schools, libraries, literacy groups and community centres across the country take part in this initiative every year by hosting literacy-related events to support the literacy cause.
But did you know that literacy actually starts in the home? According to the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, children raised in literate households are likely to enter grade one with several thousand hours of one-to-one pre-reading experience behind them. This is why it’s especially important for parents to encourage literacy at an early age and to take time to show children that learning can be fun. Family Literacy Day offers the perfect opportunity for parents to do so!
Parents can engage their children in literacy with these fun tips and activities:
- Follow a recipe together – it’s a fun way to practise reading, math and comprehension.
- Surf the Internet to discover fun and educational sites.
- Make everyday tasks learning experiences. Ask your children to write out a shopping list, address an envelope or help make a calendar of weekly activities.
- Let children count out the change when making a purchase. Math is important in everyday life!
- Introduce a family board game night where everyone is encouraged to read instructions, spell words and keep score.
The theme for Family Literacy Day 2011 is ‘Play for Literacy’, which can include all types of play that encourage literacy and numeracy development.
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