AMHERST – Fifteen minutes a day – that’s how much time ABC Life Literacy Canada is asking parents to take each day to enjoy a learning activity with their kids.
It doesn’t sound like much, but that’s all the more reason to make it happen.
January 27 was the 15th anniversary of Family Literacy Day, which for this year has adopted the ’15 minutes’ of learning theme. The event was marked yesterday morning at NSCC campuses in Springhill and Amherst.
Children from Little Lambs daycare visited the college at Amherst Square for crafts and reading. There was also a book sale. The event was hosted by the local early childhood development support centre.
“We’re always trying to promote literacy,” said the centre’s coordinator, Krista Smith.
Deidre Kelba’s students were helping out. The adult learning program teacher said people were encouraged to wear shirts with readable text. The adult students spread out among the tables. At one, youngsters counted plastic bugs as they picked them up and put them in jars. At another, coffee filters were dabbed with paint as part of an art project. Glue made an appearance at another station.
According to ABC Life Literacy Canada, the annual day is an opportunity to fundraise for literacy programs, publicize the importance of reading as a daily activity and shine a light on literacy programs in communities. Thousands of events took place across the country, according to the group.