During the week of January 29 to February 2, TDSB EarlyON Child and Family Centres (previously Parenting and Family Literacy Centres) will be celebrating Family Literacy Day in honour of January 27, 2018, a National Family Literacy Day in Canada. This special day promotes the value of families reading and learning together.
This event focuses on the powerful role of parents and families in helping their children succeed in school. Literacy is the key that opens the door to success for all of our students. The parent/child relationship is the first and most important influence on literacy learning and families are encouraged to read in their first language.
The preschool years in the home are a critical period for literacy learning. In EarlyON Centres, reading begins at birth. These are free programs facilitated by qualified Early Childhood Educators where parents, grandparents and caregivers can attend with their babies and preschoolers. Readers from the local school community will be visiting the programs and participating in special events that highlight the many ways literacy and numeracy learning can be fun.
Family literacy can include telling a story or reading a book at bedtime. Taking time to read to a child is one of the most important things a parent can do to assist a child in becoming a lifelong reader. Playing word games, singing songs, drawing pictures, and writing letters, notes and shopping lists are all ways families can incorporate literacy into their daily lives.
The byline selected by ABC Life Literacy Canada this year is “Learn at Play Every Day.”
Below are links for ideas and information on how to support early reading: