By Saskatchewan Prevention Institute

Family Literacy Day

Jan 26, 2015 | 9:35 AM

Family Literacy Day is a National Awareness Day to increase early childhood literacy by creating literacy nurturing environments within the home. ABC Life Literacy Canada has spearheaded this initiative since 1999. Every January 27, this awareness day highlights the importance of engaging in literacy activities as a family. Please go to www.abclifeliteracy.ca for more information and programming activities.

When most people think of literacy, they define it as the ability to read and write. However, literacy is so much more than that.

Literacy includes being able to interpret and understand language, numbers, and symbols in a way that they can be used in our everyday life.

Spending 15 minutes a day reading and doing activities or crafts with a child will help:

• Develop the child’s love of reading and learning
• Build respect for the parent, who is now also the child’s teacher
• Strengthen the bond between parent and child
• Prepare the child to do well at school

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Family literacy activities do not have to just include reading together. There are many different things you can do with your children that increase literacy skills.

• Make up plays together as a family
• Plan a family trip and follow the route on a map
• Play games in the car together
• Describe road signs to one another
• Sing the ABCs or 123s
• Teach nursery rhymes
• Make up songs together
• Write a letter to an aunt, uncle, grandmother, or grandfather
• Talk to your baby and infant
• Ask children questions

Families can help their children develop literacy skills in many different ways. Some activities that help develop literacy skills are: playing word games, singing, reciting rhymes, writing letters, following recipes, playing memory games, making crafts, and making grocery lists. The development of basic socialization and communication skills are also part of developing literacy.

For more information, please contact 306-651-4300.