Parents and other adults were invited to the Victoria School for Family Literacy Day on January 27 when they were encouraged to read to students and enjoy a treat of bannock and jam.
Family Literacy Day is a national awareness initiative created by ABC Life Literacy Canada in 1999 and held annually on January 27 to raise awareness of the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family, said information on the Family Literacy Day website.
“Taking time every day to read or do a learning activity with children is crucial to a child’s development,” the information said. “Even just 15 minutes a day can improve a child’s literacy skills dramatically, and can help a parent improve their skills as well.”
Barbara Reid, an award-winning Canadian author and illustrator, was named honourary chair of Family Literacy Day 2016, the information said.
Family literacy programs focus on parents as the means to improve the reading and writing skills of all family members, it said. By reading to children and engaging in fun literacy activities, parents are actively keeping their own skills sharp while at the same time strengthening the relationship among members of the family which, in turn, encourages lifelong learning.
