The Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Annual Report
    • Board of Directors
    • Supporters
    • Regional Events
  • Community Programs
    • Arrow & Slocan Lakes
    • Boundary
    • Castlegar
    • Cranbrook
    • Creston
    • Elk Valley
    • Golden
    • Kaslo & Balfour
    • Kimberley
    • Nelson
    • Revelstoke
    • Salmo
    • Slocan Valley
    • Trail & Area
    • Valemount
    • Windermere Valley
  • Settlement Services
  • Resources
    • Computer Training
    • Links
  • CBAL Blog
    • CBAL Newsletter Jan. 2019
    • CBAL News Spring 2018
    • CBAL News Fall 2017
    • CBAL News Spring/Summer 2017
    • CBAL News Winter 2017
    • CBAL News Fall 2016
    • CBAL News Spring 2016
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
    • Media

A Shout-out to Archie, Betty and Veronica!

10/27/2017

0 Comments

 
PictureThe best book, or comic book, is the one your child wants to read!





​



One day, a box of used clothes came into our home. Buried in between the clothes was an Archie comic book. One innocent little comic book that ended up launching my daughter in a new reading direction during her tween years.

As a community literacy coordinator and a former elementary school teacher, I’ve seen students stop reading for pleasure. I’ve have had many conversations with concerned parents about their child’s lack of reading during their free time. So, it wasn’t a total surprise to me when my own child, an avid consumer of fiction books, started to pass up books for other interests. It wasn’t a surprise, but to be honest, it was a bit disappointing to see.

I can see now, that the introduction of that one Archie comic book was what made the difference in keeping my daughter reading. That one comic book lead to a purchase of over 300 comic books, all for the garage sale price of $25. My daughter read and re-read those comics – in the morning, before bed, on the weekends. They were everywhere in our house and went everywhere with her.

Gradually over a span of three years, the interest in what Betty was saying to Veronica or how Archie had made a mess of things lost its appeal to my daughter.  I started to see books reappear in our house again. My attitude towards Archie and his friends had changed. Instead of worrying about the content in the comic books and the fact that they weren’t “real” books, I was thankful that my daughter had found something to keep reading all those years.

I tell this story to parents of primary students who attend the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy’s (CBAL) Come Read with Me workshops. I remind them it’s not so much what their children are reading but that their children are reading. The best book, or comic book, is the one your child wants to read!

Children who read material that is of interest to them are more likely to keep on reading.  At CBAL, we encourage parents to read to and with their children. We also encourage parents to support their children’s reading journey even though sometimes the journey is a little different from what they expect. It was for me. So here’s a shout out to Archie, Betty and Veronica! Thank you!

For more information about the Come Read with Me workshop or on how to encourage reading at home, please contact your local CBAL community literacy coordinator.

​Barb Szuta
​Community Literacy and Communications Coordinator
​Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy

0 Comments

    Follow us

    Our Blog

    The Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) supports the development of healthy, inclusive communities which are committed to literacy and learning as lifelong and life-wide activities. 

    Archives

    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    Categories

    All
    Books
    Brain-based Research
    Children's Reading
    Creativity
    Early Learning
    Education
    English As A Second Language
    ESL
    Essential Skills
    Family
    Gender
    Health & Safety
    Immigrants
    International
    Lifelong Learning
    Literacy
    Newcomers
    Reading
    Seniors
    Settlement
    Summer
    Technology
    Theory Of Loose Parts
    Traditions
    Workplace Safety

    RSS Feed

 (c) CBAL 2016         Privacy  Policy          Contact Us