Storytime in the Community project
Literacy weaves through all aspects of family and community life, it is the foundation for all learning. In an effort to build a culture of literacy in the home, instill a love of reading and writing, and in the promotion of early literacy, TLE’s Wonderful World of Stories : Storytime in the Community project will take place in an informal, supportive, story-rich environment with guidance from family literacy volunteers, storytellers, educators, authors and facilitators. Community family literacy events will include character-themed reading events and parent information sessions, Cat-in-the-Hat pyjama storytelling nights, interactive school reading visits, author’s visits, and How-to-Make a Fabulous Writing Kit workshops, to name a few. As well, family literacy team members, wearing story-themed items and fun accessories, will visit schools and daycares in the Laval area to generate excitement around reading by using instruments, storybooks, songs, dance, props and costumes. The objective of this project is to strengthen family literacy practices in the home and within the community, ultimately impacting school perseverance and the literacy level of children 0-12 years old through early and ongoing reading interventions.
OBJECTIVES
In 2019, impact the literacy level of children 0-9 years old by reaching 2000+ families/children in the Laval and Northshore community through innovative family literacy services/events, parent support, improved access to storybooks and family literacy resources, resulting in good literacy practices in the home :
- Strengthen family literacy practices within community : Impact the literacy level of children 0-12 years old
- Impact school perseverance and success through early reading interventions
- Support families in building expertise in language development, reading and writing to help their young children learn the early literacy skills needed for success in school
- Instil a love of learning and a desire to read together as a family
STORYTIME & STORYTELLING EVENTS
- Story-themed reading and storytelling events
- Parent information and resources sessions
- Cat-in-the-Hat Pyjama Storytime nights for the family
- Interactive school and daycare reading visits
- Book distribution within the community of free English children’s books and Family Literacy information
- Family literacy themed workshops and information for example: How-to-Make a Fabulous Writing Kit
PURPOSE/IMPACT
- Help develop interest in reading/writing among children and their parents, including early learning for children aged 0-5: Help to instil a love of reading and learning at an early age
- Teach participants how to integrate good literacy practices in their home with their children
- Support new immigrant families and parents with low literacy skills: Provide innovative literacy instruction to parents/families in need, to be able to read and animate family literacy activities at home
- Help parents learn to be more comfortable reading and telling stories to their children
- Widely distribute English storybooks within the community to children and their families
- Increase public awareness and sensitization to the importance of early reading and writing practices at home
- Provide storytime workshop sessions to parents/families and their children to help establish family reading and writing practices at home
- Inspire families to learn together: Help families create reading/writing kits for use at home with their children
