Toronto - The holiday season is upon us, which means that kids and parents get a much-needed break from school and work. And while it's a busy time of year and there's always a lot to do, families can keep learning in fun ways, which promotes family bonding while ensuring everyone's mind is sharp come January.
With Family Literacy Day around the corner on Jan. 27, ABC Life Literacy Canada offers these ideas to encourage family literacy over the holidays and throughout the winter months:
• Make a list: As a family, write out your gift wish lists or come up with New Year's resolutions.
• Read a classic: There are so many classic holiday stories to choose from!
• Holiday scavenger hunt: Create a list of holiday and winter-related items around your home. Give the list to your family and have them find all the items on the list.
• Bake holiday favorites: Following a recipe is a great way to practice reading, comprehension and math skills. Bake holiday cookies or cakes • Sing holiday carols: Get together with your neighbors and go door-to-door singing carols. Singing encourages learning patterns of words, rhymes and rhythms, and is strongly connected to language skills.
Canadians can also get into the holiday spirit by giving the gift of literacy. Donate gently-used books to an in-need community organization, volunteer to help people improve their literacy skills, or make a donation to your local literacy organization. Donations made to ABC Life Literacy Canada will help them provide adults and families with access to the tools, resources and programs they need to improve their literacy skills. Nine million Canadian adults struggle with low literacy.
For more information on Family Literacy Day, visit FamilyLiteracyDay.ca.
– ABC Life Literacy Canada