Finding time to learn, even for just 15 minutes a day together with your child can be hard to do. But, the benefits of this time together, whether reading and writing, playing and exercising, or simply talking about your day, are far-reaching and beneficial for everyone.
If you haven’t started putting aside 15 minutes a day for family learning, Family Literacy Day offers the perfect opportunity to start. Established in 1999 by ABC Life Literacy Canada, the initiative encourages families to participate in fun learning activities to improve literacy skills for both the adult and child. It takes place annually on January 27.
ABC Life Literacy Canada encourages all Canadians to spend 15 minutes a day engaged in a learning activity with a child. Spend time as a family reading a story after dinner or at bedtime, playing a game, or doing a puzzle together. On the weekend, visit the local library for a new book. You can also make an event of grocery shopping by writing out a list, adding up costs and counting how many of each item you need. There are so many learning opportunities in our daily lives – we just have to embrace them!
In Fort St. John, we’re using the whole week to celebrate.
On Tuesday, January 24th, Christy Jordan-Fenton will facilitate a poetry workshop at Rising Spirit Aboriginal Youth Centre. Originally from rural Alberta, Christy is an accomplished writer of children’s books who now lives in the North Peace. Her books, Fatty Legs and A Stranger at Home are both autobiographical in nature. With creative help from Christy’s mother-in-law, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, they tell the story of Margaret’s experiences in residential school. Rising Spirit Aboriginal Youth Centre will host the workshop from 6:00pm to 8:00pm as part of their Visions Youth Group. The workshop is free and open to the public.
In collaboration with CMIS (Community Multicultural and Immigrant Services), there will be a Family Literacy Community Kitchen on Wednesday, January 25th. Lindsay MacIssac, a clinical dietician, will teach families how to regularly incorporate delicious and healthy meals into their diet. The workshop will be 6:00pm to 8:00pm in the North Peace Secondary School Foods Room.
On Saturday, January 28th, the Fort St. John Public Library will host a sleepover and film festival for children and their families. The film festival, which includes favourites from the National Film Board, will start at 6:00pm. Parents and their children will spend the night in the library, surrounded by thousands of books!
All events for the week-long Family Literacy Day celebration are free and open to the public. For some events, space is limited, so you must register to participate! To register, phone Clarice Eckford at 250-262-2088 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . For more information on Family Literacy Day, including some Family Literacy tips and activities, visit www.familyliteracyday.ca.
