Organization: Laubach Literacy of Canada

MISSION:

As a national charitable organization Laubach Literacy of Canada works to improve basic literacy skills to meet changing Canadian needs.

Laubach Literacy of Canada has two prevention programs, both of which operate in Quebec:

1. Peer Youth Tutoring

In this program, young people with weak literacy skills are matched with peers who volunteer time and energy as Laubach tutors. Volunteers receive training in a 12-hour workshop based on Laubach's flexible, accessible and individualized EACH ONE TEACH ONE method.

There are Peer Youth Tutor Clubs across Canada, including the Yamaska Literacy Council's Peer Youth Tutor Club in Quebec.

A Guide to Setting Up a Peer Youth Tutor Club is available from LLC's National Development Office. It provides guidelines for establishing peer youth tutoring programs.

There is a supplementary training guide entitled Learning Together: Youth Helping Youth which is available from New Readers Bookstore.

2. Creating a Learning Culture in the Home

Laubach Literacy of Canada developed a prevention program aimed at helping parents and caregivers of children 0-7 years provide a positive learning culture for children. It consists of a series of three workshops:

ACCESS TO READING helps caregivers understand how children learn to read and shows them ways to help their children experience success. Activities include finger plays and action rhymes, choosing books and reading aloud.

READING TO WRITE, WRITING TO READ looks at how children learn to write and provides caregivers with practical ideas and activities to support and encourage their children's writing. Activities include reading and writing games, writing a family story and making fold-a-books.

BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM looks at how children develop healthy self-esteem and explores how parents can help by encouraging positive communication patterns.

Creating a Learning Culture in the Home Trainer's Manual is available from New Readers Bookstore.

Several of the literacy councils and individuals in Quebec deliver these workshops locally.