Establish a love of reading early

“We know that kids that have books at home when they’re little and have families that read just have stronger results in reading and academics throughout their life,” she says. “And so if you can instill that when they’re young make sure they have books available to them, model reading, it produces a good environment for them to develop their literacy skills.”

Unable to put on its regular in-person programming this year, the library has been promoting its online resources like Tumblebooks for young kids and the Overdrive for Kids and Teens series as well as e-books and e-audiobooks.

Staff have also been pushing their online StoryTimes, craft sessions and other activities.

As well, curbside pickup is available for library materials and the Winter StoryWalk was recently launched in Police Point Park.

“Go out, take a walk, read a book, stop by the nature centre to pick up your tokens and we’ll have some prizes to give away once we reopen,” says Cross-Roen.

Another important message this year is to find literacy within a digital environment, she adds.

“We always want to focus on the importance of reading and we know in this past year screen time has increased in most peoples homes whether it’s to access your schooling or it’s how you’re now socializing with your friends,” she says. “So if you can look at e-books, e audiobooks or try to focus a little bit of your screen time on something that’s research-based but fun so like researching a recipe or vacation might be great ways to get some added value into that screen time that we normally discourage.”

ABC Life Literacy Canada organizes the Family Literacy Day program across the country, says Cross-Roen. The theme this year is Travel the World Together.

“Obviously none of us are travelling anymore but you might want to research the next vacation your family is going to take and that could be another literacy activity you might want to learn about another country, another province,” she says.

Cross-Roen adds one of the things they always recommend are board games and recipes as great ways to kind of sneaking literacy into your family life.

by Chris Brown

Establish a love of reading early

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