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Literacy program reaches Canadians in five languages

A Canadian literacy group has developed a free program that brings parents and children together to practise family literacy in many first languages.
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A Canadian literacy group has developed a free program that brings parents and children together to practise family literacy in many first languages.

Workbooks, activity sheets and stories are now available to download in five languages — English, French, simplified Chinese, Tagalog and Arabic — from the HSBC Family Literacy First website.

“The new website’s user-friendly design will make it easier than ever for learning centres, schools and families to access the free resources,” said Mack Rogers, ABC Life Literacy Canada’s executive director. “Research has found that children’s reading habits mirror those of their parents. Parents are children’s first and best teachers and we want to support them in engaging in family learning every day.”

Family Literacy First was launched in 2015 and 10 learning modules were created in multiple languages. This year, ABC developed five new activities in all five of the program languages and released six newly translated learning modules in simplified Chinese. Community workshops will also take place across the country with HSBC volunteers facilitating the program.

Every Family Literacy First learning module includes an original story and supporting activities that engage the entire family and reinforce literacy skills. The entire program is available online at familyliteracyfirst.ca and is supported by an easy-to-use facilitator guide for parents, teachers and learning centre facilitators.

ABC Life Literacy Canada is a non-profit organization that aims to inspire Canadians to increase their literacy and essential skills. It works with businesses, government and communities to support lifelong learning and achieve our goals through leadership in programs, communications and partnerships.

It works on a Canada where everyone has the skills they need to live a fully engaged life.

For the latest news and information on adult literacy please visit www.abclifeliteracy.ca.