‘Make mealtime family learning time’

Using fun activities to create confident readers is part of Speech Hens’ strategy. Here, (from left) co-owner Laura Downey, Amanda Bradstreet, co-owner Marianne Ward, Jaylene Martinow, and Kayleigh Godschalx pose with some of the books, games, and crafts they use in their literacy work.

Lisa Timpf

Advocate Contributor

Very simply put, literacy is the ability to read and write.

Though some might take literacy for granted, many people struggle with literacy skills. According to a recent study, 49% of adult Canadians have literacy skills that fall below a high school level, which negatively affects their ability to function at work and in their personal lives.

Since 1999, ABC Life Literacy Canada has teamed up with schools, libraries, literacy organizations, and other community groups across Canada to promote the importance of literacy, and to offer resources. The organization spearheads Family Literacy Day activities, which take place each year on Jan. 27. 

This year’s Family Literacy Day theme was “make mealtime family learning time.” The theme highlighted the importance of oral literacy skills, such as talking and listening, which support written literacy by expanding vocabulary, creating an understanding of word sequencing, and letting children practice organizing their thoughts.

The ABC Life Literacy Canada website notes, “In today’s busy world, where screens often take centre stage, setting aside mealtime for conversation is a simple but powerful way to reconnect as a family.” The site suggests asking open-ended questions to spark conversation; for example, instead of asking “Did you have a good day?”, try “What made you laugh today?”

Parents can also use mealtime to build literacy skills by getting children involved in following recipes, planning menus, or making shopping lists.

Each year, Norfolk County Public Library celebrates Family Literacy Day locally. This year, the library held a Family Literacy Day event Saturday, Jan. 24. Supported by EarlyON, Norfolk County Recreation, and Norfolk County Fire, the event included crafts and games, story time, science activities, and literary resources for families.

Jennifer Carrier, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Norfolk County Public Library, notes that “early literacy shapes school readiness and long-term learning.”

It’s important to have strong early literacy programs, she says, because they “help children build vocabulary, develop communication skills, and gain confidence.”

When children are struggling with literacy, early intervention is important, says speech-language pathologist Marianne Ward. Ward is co-owner of Speech Hens, a private speech and language clinic located in downtown Simcoe. She notes that over half of the Speech Hens’ caseload is literacy clients.

Ward notes that “being a strong reader and writer can change the trajectory of your life.” For that reason, it’s critical to be proactive when literacy struggles show up.

Laura Downey, also a speech-language pathologist and co-owner of Speech Hens, notes that children who missed Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten due to COVID, in particular, may have missed a lot when it comes to literacy foundations.

Both Ward and Downey note that methods of teaching reading in the school system have changed over time. Methods are now more aligned with the science of how we learn to read. But even with optimal teaching methods, reading can be a difficult skill to master.

“You have to work hard at it,” says Ward. “Some children need to work extra hard. But the reward is worth it.”

She notes that when initially reluctant readers catch on, you can see the switch. At that point, instead of asking “what do we have to read today,” it’s more like “what do we get to read today.”

Becoming a skilled reader, says Downey, involves more than phonics, spelling, and word recognition. The complex processes involved in reading are shown graphically in “Scarborough’s Reading Rope,” which notes the intertwined importance of verbal reasoning, vocabulary, background knowledge, understanding of language structures, and other factors. Downey notes that every strand of the reading rope “is one piece of being a competent reader. If one part is weak, it pulls the whole rope apart.”

Speech Hens offers one-on-one programming to fit the needs of the clients, depending on which aspects of the “reading rope” they are struggling with. They also provide strategic information for parents so they can support their child’s efforts.

Reading to your child can help build literacy skills, says Downey. “Sounding out words, modelling how to do that - there are so many benefits.”

How do you know when intervention is necessary to address literacy issues? By the end of Kindergarten, children should know letter sounds, while in Grade 1, they should be starting to learn to sound out words independently.

Ward notes that the school systems are “doing a lot of early screening to pick up difficulties,” and that talking to someone at the child’s school is a good place to start if you have concerns about their reading. Literacy resources are also available at websites like reading.com.

ABC Life Literacy Canada also offers literacy resources at abclifeliteracy.ca. These resources include information about Family Literacy Day, as well as information about digital literacy, numeracy, financial literacy, and other items.