ABC Life Literacy Canada offers fun tips and activities to keep the whole family reading and learning

(Toronto, ON – June 21, 2010) – Today marks the first official day of summer, and parents and children are excited to start their summer vacation. But a summer break doesn’t mean that kids should stop reading and learning. Research has shown that children who don’t read over the summer lose some of the literacy skills they learned during the year, and have a difficult time adjusting to school in the fall.

“Reading is like a muscle – if you don’t use it, you lose it,” says Margaret Eaton, President, ABC Life Literacy Canada. “It’s important for parents to encourage children to read over the summer to keep their minds sharp. All it takes is 15 minutes a day of reading or engaging in a fun literacy activity to keep the mind active.”

ABC Life Literacy Canada offers the following tips to encourage literacy and learning over the summer:

1. Be a reading role model! Children learn from their parents, so let them catch you reading.
2. Have your children create a map for your summer road trip and have them navigate by reading signs and billboards.
3. Hunt for words! Throughout your trip, have the family go through the alphabet, finding words on signs and displays that start with the letter they are given. Discover new words!
4. Don’t forget to write! Send friends and relatives postcards from different places on your road trip, or better yet, send one to yourself as a visual reminder of your trip.
5. Support the literacy cause. Instead of buying a gift for your child’s teacher, why not make a donation in their name to ABC Life Literacy Canada? Visit http://abclifeliteracy.ca/en/donate-now.
6.  Zoo outings and visits to museums and galleries can be fun and educational. Be sure to read all the descriptions on exhibits and displays.
7. Head to the beach with a good book! Check out this summer reading list for children of all ages: http://www.hbook.com/resources/books/summer.asp. Parents, check out Oprah’s summer reading list: http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Summer-Reading-List-Summer-Books.
8. Have a family picnic and make a delicious meal together! Following a recipe improves reading, math and comprehension.
9. Bring some board games up to the cottage for a family game night. Board games are a fun way to improve literacy skills!
10. On a rainy day, surf the Internet for information on your hobbies, or the latest summer movies.

For more fun literacy tips and activities, please visit www.abclifeliteracy.ca.

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About ABC Life Literacy Canada:
ABC Life Literacy Canada is a non-profit organization that inspires Canadians to increase their literacy skills. We mobilize business, government and communities to support lifelong learning and achieve our goals through leadership in programs, communications and partnerships. ABC Life Literacy Canada envisions a Canada where everyone has the skills they need to live a fully engaged life. For the latest news and information on adult literacy please visit www.abclifeliteracy.ca, follow us on Twitter or join our Facebook page.

For more media information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Ashley Tilley
Communications Coordinator
ABC Life Literacy Canada
416-218-0010 ext. 127
atilley@abclifeliteracy.ca

Nikki Luscombe
Manager, Communications
ABC Life Literacy Canada
416-218-0010 ext. 122
nluscombe@abclifeliteracy.ca