Lloydminster kids are getting some new books this week as the Learning Council is making daily visits to city schools during Family Literacy Week.
Grade 2 kids at Barr Colony were some of the happy recipients on Wednesday, Jan. 24 with school officials noting that “a book is the best gift that you can give to a child.”
“The gift of reading is a gift that takes them on through a lifetime. So, thank you to our Learning Council for giving us this gift of reading and books for our students,” says Pam Mather, vice principal.
“I hope that having a book come home will remind parents of reading to their children. Not just listening to children read, but reading to children straight from birth because those connections can be made,” says Mather adding, “If children are reading by the age of eight or nine, their likelihood of graduating is so much higher.”
The Lloydminster Learning Council is hosting several activities this week including a StoryWalk at the Lloydminster Public Library where parents and kids can dig deeper into the fun and skills of reading from an early age.
Kim Englot program coordinator with the Lloydminster Learning Council, chimed in on the importance of books and reading at home correlating to success in life.
“The more books you have in homes, the more successful the kids are likely to be. They see learning as an opportunity, and they can follow their interests. I tell my kids if you can read well, then you can figure out anything,” says Englot.
Barr Colony kids are having several activities this week to encourage the joy of reading including 80s Day on Thursday where they will dress in 80s fashion and celebrate 80s literature like Robert Munsch and Franklin, and Friday they will enjoy Book Superhero Day where kids can dress like a storybook hero or a hero in their lives, says Mather.
Family Literacy Day is on Saturday, Jan. 27 and StoryWalk at the Lloydminster Public Library runs until Sunday, Jan. 28.