Growing a Reader: Kids' Books, Tips and More

Today, January 27, is Family Literacy Day, an initiative of ABC Life Literacy Canada, which celebrates families sharing the joy of reading and learning together. Toronto Public Library celebrates Family Literacy Day for the entire month of January by offering free special programs and activities for kids and families to enjoy, as well as a fun Family Literacy Month booklet that has a Mini Reading Challenge (PDF) and suggested reads.  

As a paren't or caregiver, you are your child's first and best teacher and home is where your child begins to learn. Taking the time to read or engage in a learning activity with your child improves their literacy skills and is important to their development. ABC Life Literacy Canada encourages paren'ts to take 20 minutes a day  to make learning together part of a family’s routine and offers some free, fun Family Literacy Activities that families can do together.

There are many ways to include literacy in your everyday routines. Here are six tips and six wonderful reads that will help the entire family support literacy development in children:  

1. Talk:  Make up or retell a story, share ideas, discuss the day’s news.
2. Read: Read everywhere, anytime and anything: signs, recipes, grocery lists, books, magazines, e-books — everything counts! 
3. Sing: Listen to music, make up songs, learn an instrument.
4. Play: Play with words and games, stretch the imagination through make believe.
5. Write: Print, type, make lists, create stories.
6. Visit the library: Let your child see that books and reading are important. Let them choose what to read. They are more likely to read what interests them.

Recommended Reads

While you're at the library, here are some recommended reads to look out for. If they're not on the shelf, you can place a hold.

This cozy celebration of bedtime follows two siblings as they enjoy their nightly routine together. Ages 2-5.

When Maya’s grandma visits from far away, Maya has conflicting feelings of love and embarrassment. Balasubramaniam offers a sensitive, honest portrayal of a caring and complicated, intergenerational and intercultural relationship. Ages 4-7.

Upper case letters have disappeared from Capital City and it’s up to Question Mark and Private I to investigate. Ages 5-10.

Imaginative Livingston “Fly” Flott convinces loner Renata “Wolfie” Wolfman to join his band for the school talent show. Ages 7-10.

Are Greenwich Middle School’s Self-Contained Special Eighth Grade class, aka the Unteachables, and their disgraced teacher Mr. Kermit really misfits? Or is it possible that they are just misunderstood? This unlikely group of heroes is about to find out for themselves. Ages 8-12.

Follow the lives of seven children from Japan, Uganda, Russia, Iran, Peru, India and Italy for a single day. Ages 5-9.

Talking, reading, singing, playing, writing and visiting the library together as a family supports literacy skills and they're fun, too!

Happy Family Literacy Day!