Tuesday, January 27 has been proclaimed Family Literacy Day in Prince Edward Island by Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Gerard Greenan.
On Family Literacy Day, Islanders are encouraged to join families across the country by participating in family literacy activities such as reading together, playing word games, writing an e-mail to a relative, making a shopping list, or using a recipe.
“Family literacy activities are very important because they have a big influence on a child’s success in school and they are fun and rewarding ways for families to spend time together,” said Minister Greenan.
Bill Whelan, president of the PEI Home and School Federation, encourages parents to “Think of everyday as an opportunity to help your child develop better literacy skills.”
One of the many ways that the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development supports family literacy is through its Family Literacy Grants program.
The grants are available to community groups who partner with schools or kindergartens to support literacy, numeracy and learning for the whole family. Due to the success of the program, funding has grown from $15,000 in 2006-2007 to $30,000 in 2007-2008 to $50,000 in 2008-2009. The department recently approved funding for 24 new family literacy projects.
L.M. Montgomery Elementary School is offering evening sessions for parents on how to help their children with reading at home.
Fortune Consolidated School is educating parents on strategies being used in the classroom and offering Take Home Learning Packs for families to make learning fun at home.
Sherwood Elementary School is making a DVD for parents to help them with their child’s reading.
Montague Consolidated School is offering sessions for parents to help their children with math, literacy and homework.
Glen Stewart Elementary School is using the grant for an after-school reading club for struggling readers and their parents.
In the Western School Board, four schools are working together to offer sessions for parents of struggling readers in Grades 1 to 3, including Miscouche Elementary, Parkside Elementary, Athena Consolidated, and Greenfield Elementary.
Gulf Shore Kindergarten is introducing parents to math concepts and fun ways for families to learn math through games.
Sunshine Daycare is offering parents opportunities to strengthen pre-reading skills at home using storysacks.
Parent sessions on early literacy and numeracy are being offered by Le Jardin des étoiles, Centre de ressources Cap enfants at the Carrefour de l’Îsle Saint-Jean and l’École St-Augustin, and École Évangéline.
Grants have also been provided to ten community groups that are offering the highly successful Spring Into Reading program which brings children, parents and educators together to improve the children’s reading skills while increasing the parents’ knowledge and skills. The Spring Into Reading program is being offered in Cornwall, Hunter River, Murray River, Kensington, Montague, Tignish, Borden-Carleton, St. Peter’s, Eastern Kings and Summerside.
For more information on the family literacy grants or other programs contact the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development at 368 6449 or the PEI Literacy Alliance at www.pei.literacy.ca