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Families play together for Literacy Week

Look for Literacy activities around the region for Family Literacy Week.

Next week, Bridging to Literacy will host a week of family fun nights in Ashcroft, Cache Creek and Spences Bridge to raise awareness of the importance of literacy and engaging in play-based literacy activities as a family.

The event celebrates Family Literacy Week (Jan. 24-31), an annual campaign that honours family literacy in BC. Family Literacy Week builds on ABC Life Literacy Canada’s Family Literacy Day, a national awareness initiative created in 1999 and celebrated annually across Canada on Jan. 27.

Literacy is important for all British Columbians – including children and families. Families who engage in play-based literacy activities when children are young see positive effects on both the children and parents/caregivers. Simple activities offer rich opportunities for interaction and learning. These activities help create healthy relationships and help prepare children to enter school.

The week of fun starts on Monday in Ashcroft at the HUB (old AES building). On Tuesday, Deanna Horsting is hosting story time and a craft at the Cache Creek Community Hall. Wednesday, the fun will be in Spences Bridge (location to be determined). Thursday the Cache Creek Library is hosting a puppet show and on Friday there will be a games and story night at the Ashcroft Library. All of these events are 5:30-6:30 pm.

The week ends with a free public skate, thanks to the Village of Ashcorft, on Saturday from 2:15 to 3:45pm. There will be prize draws at each event with a final draw at the free skate. Come out and enjoy an evening of fun with your family and support Family Literacy.

In addition, Decoda Literacy Solutions is celebrating family literacy with a province-wide online Photo Contest (#FLW2016) to encourage people to share their family literacy activities. Decoda has also developed free “Let’s Play Together!” activity sheets for families and programs that work with young children.

To learn more about family literacy, get information on the #FLW2016 Photo Contest, or to download “Let’s Play Together!” activity sheets, go to www.decoda.ca .

Jessica Clement