Thank you for reading the September/October 2020 edition of the Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick newsletter. Read on for exciting news about The Coalition's projects, and much more!
Help us make our vision a reality!
Literacy Coalition Update
Since our last newsletter, K-12 and university students have returned to school, and many others in the education sector are back to learning and teaching. Here's some important information from the Literacy Coalition:
A Message from the Executive Director
We are thrilled to have received a 2020 Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award (LIA) Honourable
Mention Award for our Essential Skills for Atlantic Fisheries project. Congratulations to our provincial
partners, P.E.I. Literacy Alliance, Literacy Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy
Council and to our project staff and members of our community advisory groups and Atlantic advisory
groups. You have truly made this project a success!
As we resume our fall activities, I am acutely aware of how the pandemic is exacerbating pre-existing
education disparities by reducing the opportunities for many of our most vulnerable children, youth,
and adults.
Adults without adequate literacy skills have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic at a time when literacy skills have never been more important to survive. Children who were already less advantaged before the pandemic are in danger of falling further behind as they are without proper technology and internet or their family has other situations that affect their ability to support their children’s learning.
Through our recent survey on the Impact of Covid on our New Brunswick Literacy sector we have been hearing many stories of how our dedicated literacy program providers and teachers have used their creativity to adapt and continue to deliver their programs. Special thanks and appreciation for these amazing people who deserve our attention and support. Now more than ever we need to do what is necessary to ensure that our literacy challenge in New Brunswick is met!
I look forward to seeing many of you as we come together virtually at our Board and Annual General meeting on October 7th.
Best wishes to you and your family for an enjoyable and safe fall!
Lynda Homer Executive Director
Literacy Coalition Receives Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award Honourable Mention!
We’re extremely proud and excited to announce that the Literacy Coalition has received a
Canada Life Literacy Honourable Mention Innovation Award for our Essential Skills for our
Atlantic Fisheries (ESAF) program, funded by the Government of Canada’s National
Essential Skills Initiative! We share this award with our Atlantic provincial partners, the PEI Literacy Alliance, the Newfoundland & Labrador Laubach Literacy Council, and Literacy Nova Scotia.
How wonderful to have our ESAF program recognized as a “rare and shining example of an
innovative solution to a wide-spread issue”. We appreciate this recognition as we continue our
work with adult learners, helping them to acquire the essential skills they need to succeed.
A big shout out to our amazing Project Manager, Dianne Leger, Project Coordinators, Sherri Deveau and Guylaine April, facilitators Kelly Lord and Danny Emond, and all of our ESAF team members and fisheries employers for your dedication and hard work on this project.
To see more details, including a list of other winners, click here.
2020 Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Awards
Do you know an individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to literacy in New Brunswick? If so, we encourage you to nominate them for a Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Award!
The awards will honour New Brunswickers in six fields. Click the button below for more details.
The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick's Annual General Meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 via Zoom, following our general meeting and starting at 7:00 pm. This meeting is a great opportunity to hear about the exciting things that have been going with the Literacy Coalition over the past year, and also a chance to ask questions or give us feedback. For further details, or to register to attend, contact our Executive Director at lcnb@nbliteracy.ca.
Survey: COVID-19 Impact on NB Literacy Sector
We invite you to participate in this brief survey being conducted by the Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick to get an initial snapshot of the impact of COVID on our NB literacy sector. The aim of the survey is to help us understand how our literacy programs and organizations are being impacted by COVID and how they are responding to the current realities. It will also provide an opportunity for us to share our stories during this challenging time. The results will be compiled and a summary report will be shared with all participants.
Confidentiality
Your privacy will be respected and only collective information (i.e. aggregate data) will be shared aside from comments which will be shared anonymously.
October is Health Literacy Month
Health Literacy in Canada
23% of Canadians find it “fairly difficult” or “very difficult” to find out where to get professional help when they are ill, and 54% find it “fairly difficult” or “very difficult” to judge when to seek a second opinion from another doctor. (Consumer Health Products Canada, 2017).
60% of adults in Canada are unable to obtain, understand and act upon health information and services and to make appropriate health decisions on their own. Seniors, immigrants and unemployed people have, on average, lower levels of health literacy skills (Health Literacy in Canada: A Healthy Understanding – Canadian Council on Learning, 2008).
Canadian Book of the Month
The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt
When you're a quilt instead of a sheet, being a ghost is hard! An adorable picture book for fans of Stumpkin and How to Make Friends with a Ghost.
Riel Nason is a New Brunswickan novelist and textile artist (quilter). She grew up in Hawkshaw, New Brunswick and now lives in Quispamsis, NB with her husband, son, daughter and cats.
Her acclaimed debut novel The Town That Drowned won the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize for Canada and Europe, and several other awards. Her second novel All The Things We Leave Behind was published in September, 2016. Waiting Under Water and The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt were published in 2020.
In The News
The world is a happening place! Here are some stories we think are worth reading.
There is a Reading Crisis in Canada. The Pandemic Will Make it Worse. September 2020 | Julia O'Sullivan | The Globe and Mail
Schools already coping with a reading crisis prepandemic will likely face further strain in the COVID-19 era. We must ensure our children are able to properly read and write, as the skills can have an outsized impact on their lives and help bolster our democracy. Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She is the chief adviser of the Martin Family Initiative’s Model Schools Literacy Project and the founding national director of Canada’s Centre of Excellence for Children and Adolescents with Special Needs.
Across Canada this year almost 400,000 five-year-olds were enrolled in kindergarten in provincial, territorial, First Nations, federal, private and independent schools. By the time they finish Grade 3, 100,000 or 25 per cent will be unable to read and write well enough to keep up in Grade 4. Most will never“catch up ”– and that was before the pandemic.
The Benefits of Note Taking by Hand September 2020 | Hetty Roessing | University of Calgary/BBC Workplace
Do you pick up any old notebook and pen when you need them, or do you have a thing for Moleskines or Montblancs?
Whether or not you’re picky, know that tools for the hands are tools for the brain. Handwritten notes are a powerful tool for encrypting embodied cognition and in turn supporting the brain’s capacity for retrieval of information. And secondly, when you take notes by hand, your hands create a robust external memory storage: your notebook.
Taking notes by hand is a win-win, and belongs in every student’s cognitive tool kit. Learning how to take notes by hand effectively, and how to ingrain note-taking as a key learning and study tool, can begin as early as grades 3 or 4, but it’s never too late to begin.
3 Ways to Reduce Stress and Build Connections During Distance Learning July 2020 | Sarah Gonser | Edutopia
Edutopia: The Power of Relationships in School
As the pandemic grinds on and protests against police brutality and systemic racism continue, young people are coping with high levels of stress and uncertainty, writes Dr. Pamela Cantor in “The Stress of This Moment Might Be Hurting Kids’ Development” for Education Next. With the likelihood that remote learning will continue in some form this fall, many children will once more be separated from the support systems that help balance their lives by keeping them connected to routines—and to the people outside their immediate families who care about them. It’s a difficult set of circumstances that Cantor, founder and senior science advisor of Turnaround for Children, calls “the Covid-19 paradox.
Here is a list of online resources that might be helpful to you and your family as we go this extraordinary time. They include important information, ideas, literacy games, story telling sites and lots of fun activities for the whole family.
Melanie: Free New Brunswick Literacy Asset Map
Melanie is a bilingual tool, which enables families, educators and other service providers to find resources, tools, events, and programs to help support and advance early childhood literacy. Click here to use Melanie!
Teacher Self-Care Tips
Decoda Literacy Solutions, a literacy organization based in British Columbia has compiled a list of tips for teachers dealing with extra stress this school year. Click here to for more articles and videos.
Stress Management Guide for Adult Learners Our friends at ABC Life Literacy Canada have put together a guide to managing stress for adult learners. It's an excellent resource that is especially useful in the midst of a pandemic. To see the guide, clickhere.
Department of Education Resources for Learning at Home NB Department of Education has prepared this resource as a support for families with children who are learning at home. Click the link “Learning at Home: Resources for Families”:https://www2.gnb.ca/…/depa…/education/learning_at_home.html
People Before Programs: How to Encourage Innovation and Creativity in Crisis As service providers, we have been issued a call to action in these last two months. Never before have we been asked to rise to the occasion in ways that challenge us to step up in the face of our own personal fears, with little information and no guarantees. Some of us are left longing for the old normal; some for a new normal; and all of us are just trying to do our best in the moment. To read on, click here.
Family Literacy Resources from the Literacy Coalition Website Here are just a few of the many resources found on the Literacy coalition website under the Research and Resources tab athttps://nbliteracy.ca/
Family Literacy in the Outdoors - Ideas for Enjoying the Outdoors with your family - Natural outdoor spaces are rich learning environments for all ages no matter what the season or type of weather.
Sharing Books with Babies - This delightful vide contains helpful information and tips for parents wishing to support their children’s early literacy development from birth.Ideas for Enjoying the Outdoors with your family - Natural outdoor spaces are rich learning environments for all ages no matter what the season or type of weather.
Financial Literacy Resources From Credit Counselling Services of Atlantic Canada We do not know how long COVID-19 will affect our financial and job situations. This website offers financial literacy tools that will help you develop your budgeting skills and track your expenses.
Health Literacy Tips from ABC Life Literacy Canada
COVID-19 has changed the landscape of our health systems. Understanding how to navigate health and wellness in the midst of a pandemic is crucial. This short article has several useful resources for increasing health literacy.
Local Authors Online Have you explored the local authors of New Brunswick? Here are some authors offering uplifting story tellings, book readings and so much more! Don't miss out!
NB Author Wendy McLeod MacKnight is creating a members-only Facebook group for kids, parents and teachers. If you’re interested in receiving an invite, email her at wendy@wendymcleodmacknight.com and she will send you an invite! She's also reading from her books on her Instagram IGTV channel! https://www.instagram.com/wendymcleodmacknight/channel/
NS Author Sheree Fitch has created a podcast for ages 2 to 102, called Mabel Murple’s Popping Purple Wordspinning World consisting of "Nonsense Poetry and "Utter" Stuff".Click here for the link and scroll down.
Professional Story Teller Dr. Joanne LeBlanc Haley has created a YouTube storytelling series for children. Subscribe to her channel to view the stories as they are added each week.Click here for her Youtube Page.
COVID-19 Family Resources
Click herefor understanding COVID-19 news coverage, how to stay calm for yourself and your kids and suggestions for what to watch, read, and play.
Hereis an entire list of education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closing.
On The Loose: A Guide to Life Online For Post-Secondary Students: This document supports young adults who are experiencing new freedoms and challenges in their post- secondary life. It covers a variety of digital issues that students may require guidance on, including: schoolwork; money and security; relationships online; and trying to stay healthy.
Born to Read NB Born to Read NB is an early childhood initiative that promotes the joy of reading aloud to babies. Parents of newborns in New Brunswick are given a bright red bag containing information on early childhood development and library programs and a special selection of books to read with baby. For more information about Born to Read NB, go to our website at www.borntoreadnb.com. If you are aware of a family with young children who was missed at birth or has moved here from another province and would like to receive a Born to Read bag, please let us know by email at info@borntoreadnb.com or call President, Lynda Homer at 457-0331.Adult Literacy Fredericton
Adult Literacy Fredericton Formerly Laubach Literacy Fredericton, Adult Literacy Fredericton provides a free one-to-one tutoring service to adults 18 and older who want to improve their reading and writing skills. Anyone who is interested in upgrading their reading and writing skills, or in becoming a volunteer should contact the coordinator at 458-1396 or email info@adultliteracyfredericton.org.
Elementary Literacy Inc. (ELF) If you are interested in working with elementary students to improve their literacy skills, consider becoming a volunteer with Elementary Literacy Inc. To find out more and to register as a volunteer, visit their website.
Frontier College Frontier College is a national, non-profit literacy organization that was founded in 1899. We work with children, teens, adults and families who need help to improve their literacy skills. We work with a variety of partner organizations to deliver volunteer-run, community-based programs across Canada. Frontier College is accredited under the Imagine Canada Standards program. To find out more visit their website or Facebook.
For more information, please contact Johnny St-Onge, NB Regional Coordinator, 506-450-7923, jst-onge@frontiercollege.ca.
Learning Disabilities Association of New Brunswick (LDANB) LDANB is proud to be offering the Barton Reading and Spelling System in the greater Fredericton area. This literacy program aims to improve the reading, spelling and writing skills of those who have a reading disability (Dyslexia) or reading difficulties. Barton is a specialized one-on-one tutoring system based on the Orton-Gillingham method that teaches the phonemic structure of our written language using a multi-sensory approach. LCNB is proud to support LDANB by providing funding for financial subsidies for low-income families to be able to participate in this program. To find out more click here.
Saint John Learning Exchange (SJLE) The Learning Exchange is Saint John's leader in adult education, training, and career development. They are a non-profit organization that has become an authority on innovative programming that meets the unique needs of everyone who walks through their doors. If you or someone you know is looking for support to meet academic or employment goals, they have the programming and resources you need. To learn more about the Saint John Learning Exchange visit their website.
Community Adult Learning Programs (CALP) Community Adult Learning Programs can help you with things like GED preparation and digital literacy and just getting better at math, reading and writing. The Academic Adult Learning Program is flexible; You can join almost any time and work at your own skill level and pace. If you have not finished high school, this program can help you get ready to write the GED test. The Digital Literacy program can be offered in an academic centre, a workplace or a community centre. You can find more information about the programs available in your area by clicking here.
Laubach Literacy New Brunswick (LLNB) Laubach Literacy New Brunswick (LLNB) is a non-profit, charitable organization whose trained volunteers help New Brunswick adults improve their basic reading, writing and math skills through a free, confidential program. LLNB volunteers work one-to-one with learners, using materials relevant to learners’ literacy levels and daily lives. To learn more about Laubach Literacy New Brunswick and to become a volunteer please visit their website or contact them at 1-877-633-8899. Laubach Literacy NB has a new email address: info@llnb.ca - please update your records.
Do you have community literacy initiatives you would like us to share? If you are involved in or know of a literacy initiative that should be shared across the province, we want to know about it! Send us an email or give us a call and we will include the information in an issue of our newsletter. We can be reached at lcnb@nbliteracy.ca or toll free at 1-800-563-2211.
