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When is Family Literacy Day?
Family Literacy Day takes place annually on January 27 to celebrate adults and children reading and learning together. Families are encouraged to spend at least 15 minutes enjoying a learning activity.

In 2011, the theme for Family Literacy Day is Play for Literacy!

 
How do you Make Literacy Fun?
Parents – do you want to help your children improve their literacy skills, but find it difficult to engage them? Make literacy fun! Literacy is more than reading and writing – there are so many fun games that you can play together as a family to help everyone improve their skills, and spend quality time together!
 
 
How can you Celebrate Family Literacy Day?
Play with your family on Family Literacy day to encourage a love for learning. ABC Life Literacy Canada and the Centre for Family Literacy offer these fun play-based literacy activities that the whole family will enjoy:

  • Host a family game night where everyone is encouraged to read instructions, actively participate and keep score. Invite another family over for a friendly competition!
  • Driving in the car doesn’t have to be boring. Turn off the radio and play fun games involving signs, billboards and license plates.
  • Play an active game such as ‘Simon Says’, which improves comprehension skills.
  • Open a book and make up a story using just the pictures.
  • Follow a recipe to make a batch of cookies. Not only will it help improve math skills but there’s also a yummy treat at the end!
  • Card games like ‘Go Fish’ help children learn to articulate sounds and improve memory development.
  • Have a scavenger hunt! Give your kids a list of items that have been hidden around the house and ask them to find them.
All the above information was taken from the ABC Life Literacy Canada. For more information, visit their website: http://abclifeliteracy.ca/
 
WEB RESOURCES
 

Building Literacy Skills Every Day
http://www.pbs.org/parents/readinglanguage/quicktips/main.html

Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy
http://www.clel.org/content/six-early-literacy-skills-0

Early Literacy Activities Gayle’s Preschool Rainbow
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/alphabet.htm

Early Literacy Tips for Parents
http://www.brighthub.com/education/earlychildhood/articles/43236.aspx

Quick Clicks: 7 Tips for Encouraging Early Literacy
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=567

Telus Learning Connection Project Centre
http://www.earlyliterature.ecsd.net/

University of Missouri
http://extension.missouri.edu/hes/childcare/promoteliteracy.pdf

 
A Selection of Non-Fiction Books
 
The Power of Play
by David Elkind
The Power of Play
 
The Knowledge Deficit
by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.
The Knowledge Deficit
 
And the Cow Jumped Over the Moon!
by Pam Schiller and Thomas Moore
And the Cow Jumped Over the Moon!
 
Teaching Kids to Read for Dummies
by Tracey Wood
Teaching Kids to Read for Dummies
 
A Selection of Activity Books
 

Sing! Play! Create!
by Lisa Boston

Sing! Play! Create!
 
The Everything Toddler Activities Book
by Joni Levine
The Everything Toddler Activities Book
 
Brilliant Brain Games for Kids to Enjoy
by Bonnie Macmillan et al.
Brilliant Brain Games for Kids to Enjoy
 
Audiovisual Material
 
Literacy in motion [sound recording]
CDJ-MUSIC J L776
 
Literacy and essential skills tools [DVD]
LANG-DVD 374.0124 L776
 
More than words on paper [DVD]
LANG-DVD 374.0124 L7762
 
 
Family Literacy Day