Every Day is Family Literacy Day at the Library!

Family Literacy Day is celebrated each year on January 27.  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. For many years, here at AVRL we planned Family Literacy Day celebrations, and many were very successful (who remembers our Sleepovers at the Wolfville Library?). After all, we do love literacy here at the library. But never a year went by that we did not have to cancel some of our programs due to weather. In fact, we started calling January 27 Snow Day. While we do have a few events planned, we would like to invite you to plan on celebrating Family Literacy in your own home. After all, that’s where Family Literacy really happens! 

   ABC Life Literacy Canada has some great tips, such as these 15 Minutes of Fun tips.  They have lots of other activities that you can do from home here . We encourage you to check out some books and share them as a family. We’ve got lots of booklists to help you choose the right book for your family, such as these audiobooks . Or maybe you are looking for a new story to incorporate into your bedtime routine? And look for the new 50 Best Books for Babies poster that was created by Read to Me. Not only will we have the posters around to entice you to read to your baby, we also have the books for you to check out!

    Adults, don’t feel left out! Modeling is a great way to share literacy in your family. Turn off the TV and the laptops and the iPads, and set aside a family reading time. Encourage everyone to grab a good book and read. Imagine how cozy to have everyone snuggled under a blanket, each reading their own book! Parents, we’ve got great book choices for you in our Staff Picks. 

So, plan your own Family Literacy Day on January 27, because if or predictions are correct, it will probably snow that day.  However, several of our branches  do have events planned, so you can trek over to Windsor on Sunday, January 26 for games, treats, reading, and prizes or to   Berwick on Monday, January 27 for a special Bark George story & craft.

--Angela Reynolds, Head of Youth Services

 

Every Day is Family Literacy Day @your library!

January 27 is Family Literacy Day.  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.  This year the theme is "15 Minutes of Fun" - - a reminder to take at least 15 minutes a day to read together.  Literacy isn't just reading together, though. Literacy can be found – and practised- in so many other ways.  Play a board game together – most games involve some reading! Make dinner together, using a new recipe. Create  a grocery list. All involve reading!   

Here are some other fun ideas to help with your own Family Literacy Day celebrations:

1.     Create your own comic strip about your family.

2.     Invent two new endings to your favourite book.

3.     Make up a new recipe together and post it online.

4.     Tell knock-knock jokes together while doing the dishes.

5.     Sing five songs really, really loud!

6.      Invent a new game while playing at the park.

7.      Read a story to your pet (or favourite toy).

8.     Make a paper fortune teller with eight fortunes.

9.      Write a silly poem and tell it to your family at dinner.

10.  Log on to your favourite word game - can you beat your best score?

11.  Create your family tree.

12.  Play rhyming "I Spy" - "I spy something that rhymes with..."

13.   Play a board game together.

14.  Text your friend and tell them about your holiday.

15.   Find 15 things that begin with the letter "S".

January 27 falls on a Sunday, but some of our libraries will be hosting Family Literacy Day events earlier in the week. On Friday, January 25, the Berwick Library has stories and crafts, and in Hantsport the Friends group has put together a flyer to send home with all Hantsport and L.E Shaw school students encouraging families to participate in 15 Minutes of Fun literacy activities. Families who complete 4 activities are eligible to enter a prize draw for a $25 gift certificate from Box of Delights bookstore in Wolfville. 

Year-round, we celebrate Family Literacy by offering storytimes, LEGO and board game programs, our annual Summer Reading Club, book discussion groups, computer tutorials, and more.  So plan your own Family Literacy Day at home, and come see us any time for a Family Literacy outing.  

Family Literacy Day - January 27

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. More than 1.5 million Canadians have already participated in the initiative since its debut. We celebrate Family Literacy in many ways at the library, but this special day (which often turns into a week due to library schedules) gives us a reason to highlight the importance of families reading together. The kids in this little film say it so well:

How about creating your own video about a book for the StoryTubes contest? That's Family Literacy, too! 

We've got some special things planned, including the  Bookmobile Celebration Tour at Windsor Forks School on January 26. The bookmobile will be parked out front from 6 to 7:30 PM , and we'll be offering special storytimes as well as checkout. Come see us!   On Friday, January 27, at 11 AM, the Bridgetown Library is offering a special storytime with guest musician Caleb Miles. Then, head over to the  Berwick Library for  a Family Literacy Day Storytime later that day, from 4:30-5:30 PM.  Come be captivated by stories of adventure and play!  Speaking of play, the Windsor Library is starting a Lego-Rama group on January 27.  For details on these programs and more, click here !

Find more resources from ABC Life Literacy Canada here. Happy Family Literacy Day!