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This is the last year that we will be bringing Charlotte to London, so this is your last opportunity to see her live! Treat yourself and your child(ren) to a fabulous, interactive musical experience! You have your choice of two concerts on Tuesday, April 12 – 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. – at Forest City Community Church! Tickets are $10 each.
For tickets or more information, please call Jane at 519-434-3644 x36.
This IS Literacy is an initiative of the Literacy Implementation Team of the Child and Youth Network. This team’s goals are to improve literacy by 2011 and to be a provincial leader in child, youth and family literacy by 2015.
What are we talking about when we say we want to “make literacy a way of life”? We all may use the word “literacy”, but not have the same understanding of what it means. In terms of the work of London’s Child and Youth Network and this website, literacy is defined as:
- The ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute using printed and written materials and
- The ability to express thoughts, feelings and ideas
- Literacy is a key piece of helping people achieve their goals, develop their knowledge and potential and participate fully in their community.
Why the Focus on Literacy?
The Child and Youth Network identified literacy as one of its top 4 priorities. Literacy is an issue for London’s children, youth and families.
- Over 27% of our children are not ready to learn when they enter Grade 1
- In 19 of 26 London neighbourhoods at least 20% of children are not ready to learn when they enter Grade 1
- At least 1 in 3 children in London ages 8 to 14 is not meeting the literacy and numeracy standards established by the province
- 19% to 23% of youth in London are failing to graduate from high school (within 5 years)
- 1 in 5 adults in London is functioning at the lowest level of literacy, often unable to read basic signs and medicine instructions
The emphasis on literacy needs to start at the beginning of a child’s life. Children who struggle with literacy will become youth and adults who struggle with literacy.
Although London is average in terms of literacy – no better and no worse than other communities – being average comes at a cost. Compared to those with low literacy skills, people with strong, well developed literacy skills are:
- Better able to earn a living and contribute positively to the workforce
- More likely to seek medical help when they need it
- More likely to maintain healthy diets and to be physically active
- Less likely to suffer from diseases such as diabetes and poor cardiovascular health
- Less likely to suffer from work related injuries
- Less likely to be involved in crime
- More likely to advocate for their children
What is Family Literacy?
One of the goals of the Child and Youth Network is to improve family literacy. How is family literacy different from literacy, in general? The term family literacy has 2 components. It refers to literacy activities that take place in the everyday lives of families and it refers to programs that aim to increase the amount and frequency of family literacy in homes and communities. It’s what families do together in their homes and out in their local community or neighbourhood. Family literacy is:
- About the ways families use literature and language in their daily lives
- About how families learn
- About how families use literacy to do everyday tasks
- Some examples of family literacy include:
- Shared reading activities
- Parents/caregivers modeling appropriate language skills, labeling objects and actions and describing what they or their child are doing
This website provides you with lots of ideas on how you can make literacy a part of your everyday life.
Charlotte Diamond will be returning to London to perform concerts for groups of children from child care centres and schools on the morning of April 12 at Forest City Community Church. There are two concerts – one begins at 9:30 am, and the second begins at 11 am. Tickets are $10 each and should be purchased in advance.
Charlotte will also be presenting a workshop for educators on April 11 at Childreach. For more information or tickets, please call Jane at 519-434-3644 x36. Check out Charlotte’s website and sign up for her newsletter.
This is a fundraiser for Childreach programs. Please help us spread the word, by sharing this with your co-workers, friends and family!
There is something to be said about Sesame Street videos! We’ve been hooked on Will.i.am’s video for a few weeks now, but today we have another one we really love. This song is a father’s tribute to his daughter - you can read all about it right here.
Our ECE Resource Centre Librarian Heidi and her son Andile love to rock out to this video! Thanks for sharing, Heidi! That Will.i.am is one cool cat.
DISNEY’S GEPPETTO AND SON: The “When You Wish Upon a Star” Musical! is showing until the end of this week in the Rotary Reading Garden at the Central London Public Library. This is a PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN-EVENT. No ticket is required.
SHOWTIMES:
Today at 7pm
Thursday, August 5 at 7pm
Friday, August 6 at 7pm
Saturday, August 7 at 10:30am & 5:30pm
Sunday, August 8 at 5:30pm
The classic tale of an aging toymaker and his puppet, Pinocchio, takes on new meaning in this new musical, with songs by Stephen Schwartz of Wicked fame, and based on the touching Disney film! Join the Blue Fairy, Stromboli, and a lively cast of characters, as Geppetto journeys beyond the toyshop to discover what makes the “perfect child”. This lovely family musical, a magical mix of heart-warming fairytale and action-packed adventure, is a perfect fit for family audiences. Everyone will love following Pinocchio’s journey from awkward puppet to real live boy, and will be charmed by Geppetto’s transformation from tyrannical creator to real live father. 75 minutes. (G)
A couple of weeks ago, we posted a series of activity ideas relating to a beach party in preparation of the summer. Today, we have the entire booklet for you to download and print for free.
What are you waiting for? Gather up your children and have fun! :)
Our ECE Resource Centre staff are always pulling together seasonal and themed activity booklets that are full of songs, fingerplays, games, crafts, recipes and activities. We sell these booklets to childcare providers, early years teachers, and parents – anyone who is looking after children. The price of a booklet is super low as we simply need to cover the printing costs. It got me thinking that we could skip the printing and make the file a pdf, and then we could share it with everyone online for free. Free and fun stuff makes me super happy.
So without further ado, I would like to present the first of our free, fun, easy to download activity booklets titled Ice Cream Shoppe! Skip the trip to Dairy Queen, and make your own blizzards while singing ice cream cone songs. :)
Please let us know in the comments if you found this useful! We’d love to hear how you incorporated into your children’s play and learning.
Floating Bubbles
Play soft music, and have your child(ren) float like bubbles around the room.
Move and Imagine
Form a circle with your children, and ask a few children move into the middle of this circle. These few children will become bubbles in the circle. Encourage dramatic movement by asking open-ended questions.
- Can the circle make you move by gently puffing at you?
- Can you show us what happens when two bubbles collide?
- How would you move if you were a big bubble?
The Bubble Game
Form a circle with your children. Have everyone hold hands and then walk forward. Walk your circle in so that it is as small as possible, and sing this song to the tune of “Ring Around the Rosie”.
Blow air in our bubble.
(move one step backward while holding hands)
Blow air in our bubble.
(move one step backward while holding hands)
Bigger, bigger,
(move one step backward while holding hands)
We stop, and POP!
(drop hands and fall to the ground)
Cut circles out of construction paper. Staple or glue them on to popsicle sticks to make a handle. Give them to your children and have them follow the directions in the song below.
Lollipops (to the tune of London Bridge)
If you have a red lollipop,
Red lollipop, red lollipop,
If you have a red lollipop,
Stand right here.
If you have an orange lollipop,
Orange lollipop, orange lollipop,
If you have an orange lollipop,
Jump up and down.
Repeat the song, changing the italicized colour words and directions at the end of each verse. E.g. clap your hands, shake your leg, take a bow, etc.
