Always read to your children at home.

Books are important, but they are not the only way of learning to read. Have your children read things like mugs, street signs, T-shirts, products in stores.

Commit yourself to read with your children at home.

Donate funds to the literacy cause!

Encourage children and teens to read.

Find time to read as a family – fifteen minutes of reading a day can make a big difference in developing children’s learning skills and improving their chances for success.

Give your time to read aloud to a child.

Help children gain an appreciation for reading.

International Literacy Day is held on September 8 every year. Celebrate the day by picking up a book and reading to a child.

January 27 is Family Literacy Day! We had our Family Literacy Day event at the Empire Living Center, with guest speakers reading stories. Why not visit www.abc-canada.org for a complete listing of Family Literacy Day events across Canada.

Keep teens reading. Give them books, newspaper articles and magazines about things that interest them – music, movies, hobbies, sports and computers.

Let children count out the change when making a purchase. Reinforce the importance of math in everyday life!

Make every day a learning day. Ask your children to make a shopping list, read recipes with them or help them make a calendar of their weekly activities.

Newborns benefit from reading too – it’s never too early to start your child on the road to reading!

Offer to help someone you know improve their reading, writing or math skills.

Pick one night a week to make a regular visit to the library.

Quiet, cozy reading spaces are good places for your child to read independently.

Remember that children learn by example – if you recognize the importance of reading, your children will too!

Start early! It’s never too early to read to your children.

Treat a child to a story a day.

Use reading time to create a special bond with a child.

Volunteer your time. We could use your help with tutoring adults and also non-tutoring projects and tasks.

Write a letter.

X-ercise your mind! Research has shown that literacy is like a muscle, if you don’t exercise it once and a while, you will not be able to maintain the same level of reading ability as you get older. So – “use it or lose it”!

You are the key to improving a child’s reading ability by placing a high priority on reading in your home.

Zap off the TV – pick up a book instead!

Courtesy of ABC Canada – with some of our additions!