Happy New Year! Thank you for reading the Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick's newsletter.
Scroll down for updates on The Coalition's work, relevant reading, and much more!
Help us make our vision a reality!
A Message from the Executive Director
Despite Covid-19 and all the challenges that come with it, we've been as busy and productive as ever in these first few weeks of the new year!
Our Essential Employability Skills for the Health Sector project is moving along well. We are working closely with provincial nursing associations in New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador to adapt and test our Essential Skills for Atlantic Fisheries (ESAF) training model for entry level positions in the senior health care sector. You can expect to hear more about this exciting new project in the future.
We celebrated Family Literacy Day and Family Literacy Week at the end of January. In conjunction with this event, LCNB distributed specially selected books for over 40 children connected to Fredericton Liberty Lane and the Fredericton Boys & Girls Club. We were delighted to get these books into the hands of the children and promote the joy and the comfort of reading.
In this issue of our newsletter we have included three excellent articles on relevant topics such as ways to help us get through the pandemic, diverse books for children, and how literacy is connected to our economy.
By the time you read our next newsletter, spring will be right around the corner!
Meanwhile, stay safe and healthy. Happy reading!
Lynda Homer
Family Literacy Day 2021 With LCNB
LCNB celebrated Family Literacy Day by distributing quality children’s books and copies of our Let’s Learn! Parent early literacy guide to the children of the Fredericton Boys & Girls Club and Liberty Lane. We distributed free books to a total of 41 children aged 17 months to 13 years.
We also featured a story reading by our honorary patron, Lieutenant-Governor Brenda Murphy on our Facebook page. You can watch the video of the story here.
LCNB Receives Grant from United Way Centraide (ECSF Round 2)!
The Literacy Coalition is happy to announce that we have been awarded a grant from United Way Centraide through their COVID-19 Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) Round 2. Funded by the Government of Canada. LCNB was awarded a grant of $3,000 to help reprint and distribute our early literacy booklets in four languages. Let’s Learn! A parent’s guide to giving your child a great start provides tips and ideas for encouraging family literacy in everyday life and lots of fun activities for the whole family. We are so grateful to receive this grant so we can get these literacy resources into the hands of families at a time when many are struggling due to COVID-19 and not able to attend in person programs. Thank you to United Way Centraide and the Government of Canada for selecting us as recipients!
Black History Month Literacy Resources
February is Black History Month, a time when we honour the legacy of Black Canadians. To check out the new Black Lives Matter New Brunswick Education Project, click here.
Here are some resources if you're looking to teach about BHM, or learn about it yourself:
Free Online Information Session Hosted by ABC Life Literacy Canada
ABC Life Literacy Canada will be hosting a free online information session on their programs on February 25th from 11am – 12pm Atlantic time. This session will be available for organizations in New Brunswick. Click here for more information.
Valentine's Day & International Book Giving Day
This year, Valentine's Day shares the same date as International Book Giving Day! If you're looking for a gift for someone special, why not a book! Try one of the books from CBC Books' 14 books to read on Valentine's Day list here.
Canadian Book of the Month
The Skin We're In
Desmond Cole is a journalist, radio host and activist based in Toronto. His writing has appeared in the Toronto Star, Toronto Life, Now Magazine and the Walrus. The Skin We're In is his first book.
Both Cole’s activism and journalism find vibrant expression in his first book, The Skin We’re In. Puncturing the bubble of Canadian smugness and naive assumptions of a post-racial nation, Cole chronicles just one year—2017—in the struggle against racism in this country. It was a year that saw calls for tighter borders when Black refugees braved frigid temperatures to cross into Manitoba from the States, Indigenous land and water protectors resisting the celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, police across the country rallying around an officer accused of murder, and more.
Relevant Readings
Here are some stories and articles we think are worth reading this month!
7 Ways Meaningful Activities Can Help us Get Through the Coronavirus Pandemic November 2020 | Mary Ann McColl | The Conversation
We hear over and over that it is important to remain occupied during pandemic restrictions. People are gardening, baking bread and taking on DIY projects in record numbers. But what exactly does all this “occupation” do for us in stressful times?
Meaningful activities can be a source of healing and relief in stressful times. In the fall of 2011, in response to the events of September 11, I contributed a position paper to an expert panel of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation that sought to offer guidance on meaningful activities. Although the current circumstances are dramatically different, the argument is much the same. Being occupied is good for us, and its benefits are even greater when we are beset with uncertainty, distress or upheaval.
Diverse Books For Children December 2020 | Decoda Literacy Solutions
Diverse children’s books are good for all children. They act as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors where children can see both themselves and the experiences of others.They can help to develop self confidence and empathy.
If you only ever read books by people who look like you and who live like you, that’s intellectual poverty because you don’t ever see into the life of someone else from their perspective. – Michelle H. Martin
Raising Canada 2020: Ringing the Alarm for Canada’s Children September 2020 | Children First Canada
Children First Canada’s Raising Canada 2020 report is the third in an annual series of reports that track the top 10 threats to childhood. This year, the report highlights the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on children and their families.
What’s inside:
A special section on children’s health and well-being during COVID-19
Recent mental health data from Statistics Canada
A child rights framework applied to each of the top 10 threats
Personal quotes and stories about the experiences of young Canadians
New threats to children’s health, including the impact of climate change, the closure of schools and lack of access to essential services
To read more, including the full report, click here.
Helpful Online Resources
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!
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
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 weather.
Sharing Books with Babies - This delightful video contains helpful information and tips for parents wishing to support their children’s early literacy development from birth.
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 Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/btrnb.
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.
