It's Family Literacy Day! Does Your Child Show Strengths with Languages and Arts, not Sports?

Does Your Child Show Strengths with Languages and Arts, not Sports?

Yes, even though we are in a pandemic, we can snuggle up and read with our families! It’s a great time for us to share the joy of reading. In addition, this is a great day where we can celebrate and showcase those children in our families who exhibit strengths in reading, writing and the arts.

So often family schedules are dictated by their children who are involved with sports. For families supporting children in rep sports, scheduling is even more complex and demanding. The child(ren) who have athletic strength often become the focus of the family schedule. Inadvertently, the family activity ends up revolving around the demands of the athletic child. Family Literacy Day is a great day for families to take a breath and honour those in the tribe who might be taking a backseat to the athletic siblings.

Regardless of your children’s interests, let’s face it there is something written about virtually every topic. Embrace Family Literacy Day to read any type of print on any subject. If your children are interested in sports then show them resources like magazines and blog posts. Go to the library and pick up a non-fiction book about their favourite sport or athlete. Maybe even get them to consider investigating a new topic of interest.

For your literary strong child let them share their favourite author, title or genre. Let him/her take centre stage in reading to the family. There’s a good chance your child might have an interest in writing. As such suggest they might share their authored stories with the rest of the family.

Take the opportunity during Family Literacy Day to slow down and savour print. Read independently, quietly, then share loudly and promote discussion. Revel in the beauty of sharing imaginative thought and stories. I encourage you to debate, agree, listen and honour opinions. It’s on days like this, where we stop to celebrate and embrace a story that we truly stop, listen and begin to ‘seek to understand’. A story, or event, can be the best segue into a discussion on topics that otherwise might seem too difficult to approach.

This year I will be reading stories at the Comox marina. The event is sponsored by the Comox Recreation Center. After school, between 3-4:30, come on out with your chairs and reusable cups. Grab a cup of hot chocolate supplied by the city, listen to a story, sing songs with Allison, our local librarian and get a chance to win a gift card or book. A fun way to begin an evening of snuggling up and reading with your family!