Call to action

This research showed an increase in the emphasis on family literacy, but generally there continues to be a lack of awareness of the importance of family literacy behaviors and tools. Future research can help to raise awareness but this is only one step. Everyone has responsibility to practice family literacy.

• Read to the children in your life—not just your own children, but grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends. Tell stories about the “olden days” and what it was like when you were a child. Children are always fascinated that their parents were once children too!
• Involve children in the literacy events of the family, activities as common as writing birthday cards, writing out a grocery list, checking prices in a grocery flyer or sorting the mail.
• Be a literacy role model. If children do not learn the value of reading from their role models, they will not learn this from anyone else.
• Spread awareness about the literacy challenge and talk about solutions. Explore family literacy programs in Edmonton and the surrounding area.
• Take your children and their friends to the Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton Art Gallery, TELUS World of Science or the Valley Zoo. Talk about what they see and what they think.
• Take children to plays and festivals—watch their smiles and enjoy their laughter!
• Be a family literacy champion. Support efforts to make family literacy a mainstream issue. Literacy and learning needs to have an awareness profile similar to that of seat belt use and anti-drinking and driving.

• Books are so much more than coasters…read with someone today!