Tracy Spannier I love this time of year!!! The holidays have come and gone and things are getting back into routine. Each year at this time, we focus on celebrating the learning that takes place in families. Family Literacy Week is January 24 to 31 and there will be events for families across the Columbia Basin and Boundary regions.
This is our chance, as a literacy organization, to look at how parents and other family members are supporting learning at home. Families are reading bedtime stories, playing games, making grocery lists and preparing meals together, and it all adds up to learning together! And the good news? All of these experiences lead to positive feelings toward reading and learning - and they have a positive impact on school outcomes.
The best part of Family Literacy Week is that it is a reminder to think about all of the great things we are already doing. Learning opportunities in families often happen in surprising ways. I am now the proud mom of two teen boys. As I was preparing to write this post, I thought about the spontaneous learning that has happened in my family from just spending time together. I remember playing blocks with my boys when they were about seven and three. We were building a tower and we came up with a plan to “stabilize the foundation”. My three year-old’s preschool teacher was amazed when he arrived the next day and showed his friends how to “stabilize”! Just yesterday, my now 14 year-old asked me how taxes work. I am constantly reminded that learning is often about being in the moment. And that is certainly something for all of us to celebrate!
Look for family literacy programs and fun Family Literacy Week events in your community by visiting the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy website at cbal.org or by calling your local community literacy coordinator. You can also celebrate by taking the Decoda Literacy Solutions Share Your Selfie Challenge! Participate in a literacy activity with your family, take a selfie and post it on Facebook to enter the contest at facebook.com/familyliteracyweek.
By Tracy Spannier
Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy
Community Literacy Coordinator - Revelstoke
This is our chance, as a literacy organization, to look at how parents and other family members are supporting learning at home. Families are reading bedtime stories, playing games, making grocery lists and preparing meals together, and it all adds up to learning together! And the good news? All of these experiences lead to positive feelings toward reading and learning - and they have a positive impact on school outcomes.
The best part of Family Literacy Week is that it is a reminder to think about all of the great things we are already doing. Learning opportunities in families often happen in surprising ways. I am now the proud mom of two teen boys. As I was preparing to write this post, I thought about the spontaneous learning that has happened in my family from just spending time together. I remember playing blocks with my boys when they were about seven and three. We were building a tower and we came up with a plan to “stabilize the foundation”. My three year-old’s preschool teacher was amazed when he arrived the next day and showed his friends how to “stabilize”! Just yesterday, my now 14 year-old asked me how taxes work. I am constantly reminded that learning is often about being in the moment. And that is certainly something for all of us to celebrate!
Look for family literacy programs and fun Family Literacy Week events in your community by visiting the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy website at cbal.org or by calling your local community literacy coordinator. You can also celebrate by taking the Decoda Literacy Solutions Share Your Selfie Challenge! Participate in a literacy activity with your family, take a selfie and post it on Facebook to enter the contest at facebook.com/familyliteracyweek.
By Tracy Spannier
Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy
Community Literacy Coordinator - Revelstoke
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