Family Literacy Day will celebrate 15 years of learning together on Jan. 27.
The initiative, first celebrated by ABC Life Literacy Canada in 1999, has since been embraced by schools and libraries in communities across Canada.
This year, in honour of the 15th anniversary, ABC Life Literacy Canada is encouraging families to take 15 minutes a day to learn together.
“Learning opportunities occur at home every day,” says Anthony Alfred, interim president of ABC Life Literacy Canada.
“The benefits of learning as a family outside the classroom are significant; not only are children exposed to a culture of lifelong learning, but the bond between parent and child can grow with each teachable moment.”
Even time spent doing the dishes, eating dinner or having a bath can have a focus on learning in a fun way.
Officials say it’s important to embrace these teachable moments at home, even if it’s just 15 minutes a day. Here are some great ways to get started:
– create a comic strip about your family;
– invent two new endings to a favourite book;
– make up a new recipe together and post it online;
– tell knock-knock jokes together while doing the dishes;
– sing five songs really, really loud;
– invent a new game while playing at the park;
– read a story to a pet (or favourite toy);
– make a paper fortune teller with eight fortunes;
– write a silly poem and tell it to your family at dinner;
– log on to a favourite word game and try to beat your best score;
– create your family tree;
– play rhyming “I Spy” – “I spy something that rhymes with…”;
– play a board game together;
– text your friend and tell them about your holiday; and
– find 15 things that begin with the letter “S”.
For more great ways to have 15 minutes of fun together, or to find a Family Literacy Day event, visit www.FamilyLiteracyDay.ca.
Family Literacy Day, held annually on Jan. 27, was developed by ABC Life Literacy Canada in 1999 to celebrate adults and children reading and learning together, and to encourage Canadians to spend at least 15 minutes enjoying a learning activity as a family every day.
ABC Life Literacy Canada is a non-profit organization that inspires Canadians to increase their literacy skills. They mobilize business, government and communities to support lifelong learning and achieve goals through leadership in programs, communications and partnerships.
ABC Life Literacy Canada envisions a Canada where everyone has the skills they need to live a fully engaged life.
For the latest News and information on adult literacy visit www.abclifeliteracy.ca, follow them on Twitter @Life_Literacy or join them on Facebook.
