Encouraging Literacy for the Whole Family

Every year in Canada we celebrate Family Literacy Day in January. The kids come home from school with bookmarks and maybe a free little book. They have an assembly to discuss reading or maybe have an author come in to speak. There is no disputing that literacy is important and that it should be encouraged in kids, but what exactly does it mean and what are the lifelong benefits of encouraging literacy in children?

 

Literacy isn’t just about being able to sit down and read a 1000 page novel. It’s important to remember that any kind of reading benefits children and adults. Comic books, graphic novels, magazines, recipes, or instructions on the screen of a video game all help to develop reading skills. Reading street signs or storefront signs is a great way for kids to start to recognize words. It all helps to challenge the brain and build up vocabulary, concentration, and focus. Children learn social skills through reading as well as problem solving skills and grammar. It helps to open up their imagination and learn about the world around them. It is also a critical part of math and science, where there is a strong focus on written problem solving.

 

As adults, we need to read to our kids as much as we can, as early as we can. Reading and telling stories to a child from 18 months of age is proven to be a powerful stimuli for brain development in the early years (Early Years Study Final Report: Reversing the Real Brain Drain, Government of Ontario, 1999). It’s also great mental exercise for the adult doing the reading. Try reading Dr. Seuss’ ‘The Lorax’ or ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ to give yourself a verbal and mental workout.

 

The grim statistics are that four out of 10 adult Canadians, age 16 to 65 - representing 9 million Canadians - struggle with low literacy (Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey, Statistics Canada and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2005). People with low levels of literacy tend to have lower rates of employment and tend to work in occupations with lower skill requirements. They also tend to report being in poor physical health (http://abclifeliteracy.ca/adult-literacy-facts). Literacy provides a chance at better employment and better health, helps to build self-confidence and a greater awareness of social and political issues. It’s not just about being able to get through a book, it’s about building a wealth of knowledge and skills that you will carry with you throughout your life.

 

Here are some tips and tricks I’ve used in my own family to encourage the kids to get reading:

 

·         Let them see you reading.

·         Keep books around the house from an early age. I always had a basket of baby friendly cloth books and durable board books in the living room when the kids were small so that they always had access to them. It reminded me to read to them and encouraged them to play with the books, making them a part of their daily lives.

·         We always curl up in bed and read together before lights out, even when they’re up late. It’s part of our routine and helps them wind down, plus it’s awesome snuggle time.

·         From very early on, we would take family outings to the local bookstore instead of a toy store.

·         New books are something we never say ‘no’ to if we have the available funds.

·         We went to the local library and each child got their own card. They enjoy presenting it and checking out their selections as much as choosing the books themselves.

·         I have always encouraged stumped family members to purchase books or bookstore gift cards for holiday or birthday presents. My oldest likes to shop for books online where recommendations are plentiful and he can sometimes read samples of new books.

·         We invested in an e-reader which appeals to the tech savvy in the family but also cuts down on the number of physical books we have to find space for.

·         I download some reading oriented apps and iphone games for my little guy, which he loves.

·         We don’t discourage video games because both boys have learned that ‘you can’t play the game if you can’t read the instructions.’

·         At every Scholastic book fair, I let them pick a book to donate either to their classroom or to the school library so that more children can benefit and they feel proud to be able to give that gift.

 

My kids are 6 and 10, so here are some of our favourites that grace our family bookshelves:

 

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. This classic is fun to read for all ages and repetitive enough that even young children can start to pick up the simple words.

If You Give A Mouse a Cookie byLaura J Numeroff is charming and fun. Check out some of the others in her series. We also love If You Give A Pig A Pancake

Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs by Sandra Boynton is a board book that has been in our house for over 9 years. Well worn well loved, the kids both memorized this book and ‘read’ it back to us.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret W. Brown is a timeless classic, published for the first time in 1947. We would whisper this one right before lights out.

The Monster At the End of This Book by Jon Stone. Because who doesn’t love trying to speak like Grover from Sesame Street? My youngest proudly brings this one to school and reads it to his classmates.

The Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce and Will Osborne takes the two main characters to a new place in history with every book. This series now includes an educational website and non-fiction books that can teach kids about the different places and societies visited in the series.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan is a series that my older son flew through even though the books were usually over 300 pages long. Mystery, action, suspense, all served up with a healthy dose of Greek and Roman Mythology. I loved the nights he would ask me to read these with him.

The 39 Clues series by various Authors is a mystery series that is highly interactive. Each book comes with clue cards to add to your knowledge of the mystery and there is an interactive website your child can join to become part of the quest.

 

Of course there are so many other great books I could mention but these are just a few of the ones which my kids have loved. We are trying hard to raise lifelong readers because it is important, not just to get through school, but to get through life. If you want some more statistics information on Family Literacy Day or how to get yourself and your kids reading, visit http://abclifeliteracy.ca/

 

Happy reading!