Family Literacy Day: January 27, 2013

Ponder this fact for a second:

Literacy is clearly linked to education, employment, income levels, health and involvement in the criminal justice system. There is also a tendency for low literacy levels to be repeated from one generation to the next.

(Retrieved from http://www.famlit.ca/resources/stats.shtml on January 4, 2013.

Can there be a better reason to improve the literacy skills of all children and adults than improving the quality of life in general? Many literacy organizations, including ABC Life Literacy Canada think not, and so they are again promoting their annual Family Literacy Day, January 27.  ABC Life Literacy Canada is a non-profit organization that promotes literacy through a variety of programs and activities including Family Literacy Day and Good Reads® where great Canadian authors (for adults and youth) publish short books for adults to help improve their learning skills.

 

15 minutes of fun

... daily is all it takes to improve literacy skills.  To that end, ABC Life Literacy Canada has provided a variety of downloads, including an activity booklet, bookmarks, and an assortment of tips at their site including:

1. Create your own comic strip about your family.
2. Invent two new endings to your favourite book.
3. Make up a new recipe together and post it online.
4. Tell knock-knock jokes together while doing the dishes.
5. Sing five songs really, really loud!
6. Invent a new game while playing at the park.
7. Read a story to your pet (or favourite toy).
8. Make a paper fortune teller with eight fortunes.
9. Write a silly poem and tell it to your family at dinner.
10. Log on to your favourite word game - can you beat your best score?
11. Create your family tree.
12. Play rhyming "I Spy" - "I spy something that rhymes with..."
13. Play a board game together.
14. Text your friend and tell them about your holiday.
15. Find 15 things that begin with the letter "S".

Retrieved from http://abclifeliteracy.ca/fld/15-minutes-of-fun on January 4, 2013.

Events
... are held to allow Canadians to go out and enjoy community literacy activities. ABC Life Literacy Canada helps publicize these by posting a map and lists of events across Canada here. Many events are held at public libraries, school libraries and other literacy organizations from Bella Coola in BC to Stephenville in Newfoundland. (Please check the dates carefully as not all events are scheduled for January 27.)


Please
...help support the improvement of reading and writing skills of all Canadians by supporting ABC Life Literacy Canada and their numerous partners and sponsors in promoting Family Literacy Day and checking out more details and activities at http://abclifeliteracy.ca/fld/family-literacy-day

Family Literacy Day: January 27, 2012

ABC Family Literacy Day

Family Literacy Day was established in Canada in 1999 to promote the importance of reading and literacy for all family members.  ABC Canada initiated this national day of celebration with the production of a made-for-TV movie, "Penny's Odyssey", a story about a young girl who hides her illiteracy from her family. 

Now renamed, ABC Life Literacy Canada, this non-profit organization promotes literacy through a variety of programs and activities including Family Literacy Day and Good Reads^®
where great Canadian authors (for adults and youth) publish short books for adults to help improve their learning skills. A quick glance shows works by celebrated Canadian authors Deborah Ellis, Maureen Jennings and Frances Itani.

^{This year's Family Literacy Day will be celebrated in a wide variety of venues and ways, including:}

• ^{Journey to Learning Passport: a downloadable passport filled with activities to complete;}
• ^{Mississauga St. Michael's Majors vs. Peterborough Petes OHL hockey: discounted tickets for the game, include pre- and during game activities with prizes;} 
• ^{Colouring and Writing Contests;}
• ^{Free downloads of bookmarks, puzzles, and activities; and}
• ^{Hundreds of local events in libraries, schools, and other venues displayed on a Celebrations across Canada map}

Join in the celebration of reading and writing on Family Literacy Day!