Top 10 child literacy spoilers

A staggering 22 per cent of adult Canadians have serious difficulty reading and understanding any printed material and experts draw a clear line between low literacy and lower incomes.

In 1999, ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation(TM) launched a family literacy day to draw awareness to the importance of family reading and learning. According to ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation(TM) president and CEO Christine Featherstone, being actively involved in your child's literacy is much simpler than people may think.

For tips on how to encourage reading and literacy skill in your own family, check out the easy 10 antidotes to common literacy spoilers below.

1. Treating reading like a chore.
Reading can be a magical escape into the lives and worlds beyond your own but it can become a chore if you don't make it fun for your children. With a little forethought and planning, reluctant readers can be transformed into enthusiastic adventurers into the magical land of the written word.

2. Expecting your kids to read without being a reader yourself.
Are you a good reading role model? Kids are sensitive to our values and if you don't see reading as fun and enjoyable, chances are your kids won't either.

3. Overlooking routine opportunities to read.
Reading skills can be sharpened by everyday activities like reading cereal boxes and the liner notes on a favourite CD. Double up on the learning curve by letting your child pick out dinner recipes and then helping you prepare a special meal. Rediscover the magic of a bedtime story.

4. Watching too much television.
Turn off the tube and turn on to afterschool reading. But also recognize the tool that television can be. Many books have been adapted to movies or television shows. Read the book; watch the program. Or pair a favourite show with its counterpart in reading material. If your child shows an interest in science fiction, suggest a book in that genre.

5. Not having books in your house.
Make books readily available in your house by setting up a personal library in your child's room with a collection of his or her favourite books. Make a comfortable and inviting spot to read somewhere in the house.