Winter Safari

Early Literacy | Jan 08, 2009

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist

It’s never too cold for a safari. You may not find wild African animals in the snow, but there are other exciting things that children will want to discover while on safari in Sharbot Lake.

The Child Centre in Sharbot Lake is taking young children and their families on an alphabet safari this Family Literacy Day! If you listen carefully you may feel the beat of the hunt that is about to begin

“Chicka chicka boom boom

Will there be enough room?”

With the right words, rhythm and humour, Bill Martin takes his readers on a search for mischievous alphabet letters in his well-loved story Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. It’s a story that makes children want to listen, look, move to the beat, and chime in with the words. It’s the kind of story that makes this year’s Family Literacy Day celebration with The Child Centre worth checking out.

Family Literacy Day, celebrated on January 27th each year, highlights the importance of sharing stories, books, rhymes and songs within the family. Studies show that parents and children who, from birth, spend time together reading and talking about books, singing lullabies, saying rhymes and tongue twisters, and making crafts, drawing and writing, greatly enhance their children’s ability to become successful readers and writers.

Reading together helps children understand new words and ideas. Books broaden children’s understanding of themselves and their world. Rhymes and tongue twisters help young children distinguish similarities and differences in sounds that make up words. They need this ability before they are able to match these sounds to specific letters. Doing crafts, scribbling and drawing are how children learn to control a pen or pencil. Without these types of playful and experimental opportunities it’s difficult for children to gain the strength and coordination in their hands that they need in order to write.

This Family Literacy Day, on Tuesday, January 27th, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom will turn into an Alphabet Safari with games, crafts and activities for the whole family. You are invited to celebrate the joy and power of family literacy at The Child Centre in Sharbot Lake. This free event begins at 10:00 a.m. For more information please call Jan at The Child Centre 613-279-2244.

Susan Ramsay is the Early Literacy Specialist for Hastings, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington. You can contact her at 613-354-6318 (ext 32)