Literacy week closes early learning gap in Grande Prairie
'Without literacy, students and children will struggle all the way through'
Prompted by national Family Literacy Day, schools in Grande Prairie are launching a week-long reading campaign to raise literacy rates in the region.
"Kids and families are busy doing other things, so sometimes they're not exposed to literacy maybe as much as we would like them to be," said Shelley LaCroix, principal of St. Catherine's Catholic elementary school.
"When they come to us in kindergarten, they are struggling sometimes."
One in three young children in Grande Prairie struggles with communication and general knowledge, according to a five-year provincial study published in 2014.
The study assessed children younger than six in five learning development areas, including emotional maturity and social competence.
Grande Prairie lagged behind the provincial average in every area except language and thinking skills.
Literacy is the key to unlocking a child's learning potential, LaCroix said. She said she encourages parents to read with and to their children daily.
"The more exposure kids have to books and reading, the better off they are," she said. "Without literacy, students and children will struggle all the way through."
The Grande Prairie Catholic School District's literacy week will include games, readings and presentations from authors.
Award-winning children's author Margriet Ruurs travelled from British Columbia on Thursday to talk to students about her books.
Ruurs said she encourages children to choose pages over screens.
"If one child decides to pick up a book that hasn't been an avid reader before, then I'm happy," she said.
"Once a kid wants to read, the whole job of a teacher is easier."
Family literacy week in Grande Prairie ends on Feb. 2.