By Isabella Fry
Family Literacy Co-ordinator

Books for Babies is a new program in Newfoundland. It started at Corner Brook Western Memorial Hospital in January 1994. Bessie Merrigan is the president of the Humber Literacy Council. She felt that the only way to improve reading skills was to start reading to babies.

Volunteers visit new moms at the hospital Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The new parents are given free Books for Babies packages. The package has a board book, a calendar and ideas for new parents to help their babies learn to read.

Children whose parents read to them learn to read faster than children who are not read to. They also learn to speak earlier.

In January 1995, Books for Babies started in Stephenville. Marystown-Burin Council has also started a reading program for newborns. The public health nurse gives a reading package to new moms when babies receive their three-month needle.

If you live in Corner Brook, Marystown-Burin or Stephenville area and you didn’t receive your Books for Babies you can contact one of the following people:

It is September. Your children are back in school. Maybe you are back in school yourself. There are things you can do to make school better for your children or yourself.

Every student needs a quiet place to study. The student should have a desk and bookcase, if possible. The chair should be comfortable, but not too comfortable. If it is too comfortable, the student may fall asleep. The room should not be too warm. Room temperature of around 22 degrees Celsius is okay.

The student should also have a study timetable or schedule. This will make it easier to decide what to study and when to study. The timetable should be posted over the student’s desk. Sometimes you will need to change the study schedule. Studying and doing homework should become habits, just like eating or brushing your teeth.

If you have children in school, it is important to encourage them to do their best. If your spouse is in school, it is also important to encourage him or her. Everyone needs encouragement sometimes. It works much better than criticism.

Reading is very important. Go to the library with your child and borrow books, or go to a bookstore and buy some books. Start your own library at home and keep adding books to it.

Keep in mind that not everyone learns at the same speed or in the same way. If your child finds it hard to learn, get as much help as possible. If you find learning hard, don’t give up. Keep trying and get help. Education pays off in many ways.