Family Literacy Day on January 27 Encourages Talking, Playing, or Reading with Children
Written by admin, January 23, 2014
January 23, 2014 – Free Special Event on January 25 at Peterborough Square Open to All Families
Talk is not cheap when it comes to helping children develop strong literacy skills like reading and writing.
Family Literacy Day is Monday, January 27 and in the lead up to the event, Peterborough Public Health and the local Preschool Speech and Language Program are encouraging parents and grandparents to talk, listen, play and read with their children to help promote better literacy skills.
“Practising literacy together every day has tremendous benefits for children,” says Leisa Baker, a Public Health Nurse with Public Health and member of the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge Preschool Speech and Language Program. “Not only are strong literacy skills essential for children to reach their full potential, but they also contribute to healthy growth and development, improved speech and language, an interest in lifelong learning and future success in school.”
Baker says there are a variety of ways families can encourage literacy skills, including reading a book at bedtime, visiting the library, singing rhymes, playing a board game together, telling jokes, or reading a recipe together.
“Spending just 15 minutes a day talking and reading together can dramatically increase a child’s development and literacy,” she says.
In Peterborough, a Family Literacy Day event is planned for Saturday, January 25, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at Peterborough Square. All families are welcomed to take part in this free community event featuring children’s crafts and activities, literacy displays, raffle draws and a free book to take home. Click here or visit the KidTalk website at www.kidtalk.on.ca to learn more about the celebration.
To help celebrate Family Literacy Day, families can check with their local library or Ontario Early Years Centre to see if there are special events planned or visit ABC Life Literacy Canada (www.abclifeliteracy.ca) for resources and ideas on how to celebrate literacy at home.
Baker points to grocery shopping as an example. “Get your child to help you write a grocery list, then look for letters or words on signs in the supermarket,” she says.
For more ideas on speech and language development, visit the Preschool Speech and Language Program website Kidtalk (www.kidtalk.on.ca).
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For further information, please contact:
Laura Murray
Children’s Library Services
Peterborough Public Library
705-745-5382, ext. 2362