Literacy Newfoundland and Labrador

Project Name: Please… Read to Me – Community Action Committee for Southwestern Newfoundland

Project Start/End Dates: Fall 2010

Initial Project Description: Please… Read to Me is a program designed by the Lourdes Family Resource and Preschool Program staff. It is designed to strengthen family time and to help children find a love for reading. This program is designed to show parents that literacy can be encouraged in a variety of fun ways through parent and child family literacy workshops, visiting the library, as well as through music, poetry and puppets, games and activities. The project will include:

  • The facilitation of two parent and child literacy workshops “Read to Me”
  • Development of take-home early childhood activity kits
  • Delivery of an eight week Story Time and Art Activity Program

The goals of this program are to:

  • Encourage families to take books and materials home to read with their children
  • Foster an awareness among families of the importance of early literacy and how libraries and family resource centres can promote literacy skill development
  • Assist children to develop listening skills, increase their attention span and develop a love for reading
  • Help children build language and communication skills

Project Outcomes: Program components included parent and child visits to the library, storytelling, games and activities. Each child had their own bag to take at home reading materials every evening, and each had a special at-home reading and writing activity with the classroom’s mascot bear. Parent and child completed a reading log.

Evaluation comments from all parents indicated increased parent-child reading at home as a result of participation, and that they really enjoyed the one-on-one time with their child. Children also indicated that they really benefited from the program through their drawings and verbal comments, as well as their increased interest and excitement in reading. Program participation of twenty children was an increase from twelve from the past year; participation is ongoing.

Developed and hosted by NALD in collaboration with Literacy Newfoundland and Labrador.

This project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills.