Family Literacy Day – Friday January 27th, 2012

Family Literacy Day is all about brushing up on your literacy skills in fun and different ways! There are so many activities you can do to practice your literacy skills, such as following a recipe, reading a road map or singing from a song sheet. Singing is a great literacy activity for families because it provides a fun way to expand spoken vocabulary and creates a strong bond. Singing allows you to learn patterns of words, rhymes and rhythms, and is strongly connected to language skills.

Celebrate Literacy Week.

At our regular Parent Infant Drop-In on January 26^th at 11:00 we'll be presenting a short program called Ever Child Ready to Read. This regular program is for parents of infants 0 to walking age and this week we'll talk about the six simple pre-reading skills you can be doing at home with your babies. See below for more details about these six pre-reading skills.

The Friends of the Library will also be hosting the annual Scrabble for Literacy Tournament on Friday January 27^th: 4:00 - 6:00 pm. Bring the whole family and play; we'll have treats, refreshments and prizes. Drop by, no registration is required.

Literacy - What can I do to help?

Many studies have shown that these activities can help promote early language and literacy development and aid in the fostering bonds between children and their caregivers. Traditionally, early literacy programs at libraries focus on children. Storytimes and other programs model strategies that parents can use to develop early literacy skills.

The Public Library Association (PLA) and Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) suggest a greater impact on early literacy can be gained by educating parents and caregivers. If the primary adults in a child's life can learn more about the importance of early literacy and how to nurture pre-reading skills at home, the effect of library efforts can be multiplied many times. Teaching parents and other caregivers how to support the early literacy development of their children is the basis ofEvery Child Ready to Read.

Every Child Ready to Read: Six Pre-Reading Skills to Practice and Have Fun with at Home

Narrative skills

Listen to your child carefully when he talks.
Ask your child to tell you about something that happened. Let him tell you about a picture he drew.
Share books together.
Ask open-ended questions like, "what do you think is happening in this picture?"
Being able to tell or retell a story helps children understand what they read.

Vocabulary

Talk with your child about what is going on around you. Talk about how things work, about your feelings and ideas.
Speak in the language that is most comfortable for you.
Read together every day. When you talk about the story and pictures, your child hears and learns more words.

Print motivation

Make book-sharing time a special time for closeness between you and your child.
Let your child see you reading.
Visit your library often.
Children who enjoy books will want to learn how to read.

Phonological awareness

This means being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.
Ask whether two words rhyme: "do 'cat' and 'dog' rhyme?" "do 'cat' and 'hat' rhyme?"
Say rhymes and make up your own silly, nonsense rhymes together.
Use the language most comfortable for you.

Letter knowledge

Write your child's name.
Make letters from clay, string or use magnetic letters.
Point out letters or the first letter of their name in sign you see.

Print awareness

Read aloud everyday print-labels, signs, lists, menus. Print is everywhere!
Point to some of the words as you say them, especially words that are repeated.

Regular Infant, Toddler and Preschool programs.

The Whistler Public Library incorporates singing and rhymes into regular programs.

Music & Words:Mondays, 11:00

Simple instruments are shared to promote early literacy through music, rhyme, stories and movement, for 2 - 4 year olds.

Rhyme & Song: Tuesdays, 11:00

Songs, rhymes and finger plays for toddlers 18 months to 4 years, this program encourages language play and development.

Senior/Tot Reading: Wednesdays, 11:00

Quiet stories with a senior volunteer for children 2 - 4 years. Limit of 10 children.

Parent-Infant Drop In: Thursdays, 11:00 - 12:30

This program provides an opportunity to meet other parents of young babies. Regular visits by speakers and a public health nurse.

Drop-In Toddler Story Time: Fridays, 11:00

Books, felt stories, finger plays, songs, rhymes and fun, ages 18 months-4 years.

Singing with the Babies: Saturdays, 11:00

Learn songs and rhymes to soothe and entertain while encouraging early language development, for babies 0 - walking age.

Adult Literacy:

For more information about literacy programs for adults at library please visit our ESL & Languages page.

Practise reading, keep reading and have fun!