Literacy News

This page is dedicated to great literacy initiatives and events undertaken by our literacy partners, so you (and us!) can keep up with what’s new in the world of literacy.

The Hanen Centre’s 2011-2012 Preschool Language and Literacy Calendar – now 50% off!

For 35 years, The Hanen Centre has been working to provide parents and educators with the resources to help preschool children develop the best possible language, social and literacy skills, including those with or at risk of language delay or developmental challenges.

One particular resource — fitting for the new year! — is the annual Preschool Language and Literacy Calendar. A handy tool that not only provides a monthly calendar, but also tips for educators in the classrooms and parents at home to help promote early language and literacy development.

Each month is centred around a fundamental early literacy skill based on the most current research on children’s language and early literacy skills, such as “Keep the Conversation Going”, “Build Knowledge of the Alphabet” and “Build Letter-Sound Knowledge”. The Hanen Centre then translated this research into fun and practical activities, providing four reasearch-based tips per month that correspond to one of four everyday contexts: Daily Activites, Pretend Play, Reading Books and On The Go.

It is an informative, well-researched and helpful calendar that truly does encourage a love of words. For more information about the calendar or The Hanen Centre’s other resources/programs, click here. It is well worth the look!

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ABC Life Literacy, in partnership with Grass Roots Press, is launching Good Reads this fall! An exciting new book series created especially for adult literacy learners, with books by well-known Canadian authors such as Joseph Boyden, Marina Endicott and Gail Vaz-Oxlade.

In Canada, 4 out of 10 adults aged 16-65 still suffer from low literacy rates.  A problem  these readers face is a lack of resources.

“There is very little reading material available for adult literacy learners about adult characters,” says Helena Aalto, project manager of Good Reads at ABC Life Literacy.

Good Reads is a three-year initiative that began in 2009 after funding was awarded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.  It was started for the sole purpose of providing adult literacy learners with fun, engaging and original Canadian books at a reading level accessible to them in order to truly cultivate a love of reading.  These books are short (10,000 to 12,000 words) and generally written at a grade 3-6 level with an aim to  encourage reading practice, develop literacy skills, and increase reader confidence.

This initiative comes to fruition this year with the release of the first 6 books this September.  The program will conclude with an additional 6 books published in 2011, but Aalto says she hopes that the program will continue after this, as its predecessor Quick Reads in the UK has – a total of 50 books have been published in that series.

Since its announcement, Good Reads has had great response and support from the literacy community so far, including instructors, publishers and some great Canadian authors.

“All the authors were pleased to contribute their talent to such a worthwhile project,” Aalto says.

Each author is bringing their voice, and sometimes their characters, to Good Reads to ensure that adults learning to read have access to interesting and rewarding books.  Aalto says these books are also an enjoyable read for fans of these authors, as some even offer insight into their popular characters!  She says all of the manuscripts she has seen have only been terrific.

ABC Life Literacy is is a non-profit organization that inspires Canadians to increase their literacy skills.  Grass Roots Press has been a niche publisher and distributor of adult literacy materials since 1997.

Festival Highlight: Maureen Jennings will be appearing at this year’s festival in our Great Books Marquee tent to talk more about Good Reads, and to read from her book Shipwreck.

A look at what’s to come:

Maureen Jenning, Shipwreck

Jenning’s is bringing her famed character Detective Murdoch to Good Reads this year, exploring his childhood growing up in a small town in Nova Scotia, where his curiosity in police work began. A ship crashes on the shore of his town, and the townspeople, including Murdoch, help rescue the crew, but they soon find out there is a mystery aboard.

Rabindranath Maharaj, The Picture of Nobody

Maharaj writes about a boy whose family immigrated to Canada and his struggle to fit into his family’s new home while facing suspension and hostility after the arrest of the Toronto 18.

Gail Vaz-Oxlade, Easy Money

The only non-fiction book in the series, Vaz-Oxlade adapts her no-nonsense style from her bestseller Easy Money into this clearly laid-out and accessible guide to your finances.

Authors to look out for: Joseph Boyden, Marina Endicott, Joy Fielding and more!