The family that reads together, thrives together
Two out of five Canadian adults – nearly nine million people – can’t read well enough to perform everyday tasks. Reading difficulties start early. Children who aren’t reading well by the end of Grade 1 are never likely to read well. Reduced literacy puts these children at a disadvantage for the rest of their schooling – and the rest of their life.
So what can be done?
Research from a cross-section of disciplines – including education, medicine, nursing and psychology – suggests that parents are children’s first and most influential teachers. From temperament and personality, physical and mental health, to school achievement, literacy and more, the influence of parents and the environments in which children are raised is tremendous. As anyone with children can attest, the apple often doesn’t fall far from the tree.
But are we harnessing parental influence in a meaningful and positive way where literacy is concerned? Are we empowering Canadian parents with the information and tools they need to ensure their enduring influence on literacy is the best it can be?