Media Releases
ABC CANADA Applauds Government of Ontario Commitment to Literacy and Basic Skills
ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation is pleased to release an official statement following the provincial budget announcement made by the Government of Ontario. Featured amongst the news concerning the budget is that literacy and basic skills programs will receive a major funding boost. ABC CANADA congratulates Minister of Finance and Minister of Revenue Dwight Duncan and John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities for their leadership in recognizing the value of workplace literacy. ABC CANADA looks forward to working with them on planning for literacy and basic skills training to ensure the support continues after the two-year framework.
Today is Family Literacy Day!
Today is the 11th annual Family Literacy Day (FLD), a special day created in 1999 by ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and Honda Canada to celebrate parents and children reading together to become lifelong learners.
Every year, families and communities across the country participate in a day of literacy-themed events. These events are put on by schools, literacy providers and libraries, and range from book sales and fundraisers to literacy-themed contests and family game nights. But all it takes to participate in FLD is 15 minutes spent with your family reading, playing a board game or following a recipe.
Today, celebrate Family Literacy Day with your family. For more information, please click here.
Robert Munsch makes special Family Literacy Day visit to SickKids® Hospital
TORONTO, ON – January 23, 2009 – On Family Literacy Day (FLD), Tuesday January 27th, join ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation, FLD Founding Sponsor Honda Canada, and officials from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids®) for a special Family Literacy Day reading to patients and their families. Capture the joy as children and their parents hear stories told by legendary children's author Robert Munsch.
Family Literacy Day a Huge Success
Thanks to everyone who participated in Family Literacy Day! Hundreds of thousands of Canadians participated in more than 1500 events across the country. Once again, thanks to all of you, family literacy was encouraged and celebrated throughout our communities. In addition, the first-ever World Record Attempt was a huge success. More than 190,000 people pre-registered to take part in the 24-hour event in the hopes to get into the Guinness Book of Records.
Don't forget to send us your documentation so we can forward it off to Guinness, where they will decide if we have broken the record. You will need to mail us your Registration Form(s), Witness Statement(s), and any photos/video/media coverage by February 6, 2009. Click here for important information on sending us your documentation.
Communities Across Canada Join in Final Countdown to Family Literacy Day
January 21, 2009 – TORONTO, ON – ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation, Honda Canada and best-selling author Robert Munsch, are rallying Canadians across the country to make family literacy a priority through national Family Literacy Day (FLD) promotions and celebrations taking place over the next week.
- Click here for more information on Family Literacy Day
- Click here to find an event in your area
- Click here for more information on the Family Literacy Day World Record Attempt, including downloadable stories and post-event information
- Click here to see our map of how many people participated in our World Record Attempt in each province across Canada
Spring Clean Your Literacy Skills
Now that April has arrived, the spirit of Spring Cleaning is in the air. Spring marks the perfect time for improvement – whether it be to your house, your car or your fitness! ABC CANADA is encouraging all Canadians to consider upgrading literacy skills as part of their list of spring "to-do's". We know that learning never stops, no matter how old you are, and there are many fun ways to keep your skills sharp. For a list of fun ideas to sharpen your literacy skills this spring, click here.
ABC CANADA joins the Canadian Commission for UNESCO in celebration of International Adult Learners’ Week
ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation is pleased to announce that it will join the Canadian Commission for UNESCO in celebration of International Adult Learners' Week (IALW) 2009, held from March 2-8 across Canada. Celebrated in more than 40 countries, IALW was launched in 2000 as a way to showcase adult learners and to create awareness on the importance of lifelong learning.
Click here to learn more about adult literacy
Click here to watch some adult learners' success stories
Click here to read Ralf St. Clair's executive summary, "Measuring Success in Adult Literacy." Please check back soon for the comprehensive report.
The Results Are In
More than 119,000 Canadians were documented participating in the Family Literacy Day World Record Attempt to break the Guinness World Record for “Most Children Reading With an Adult, Multiple Locations.” While Canada succeeded in surpassing the original U.S. record of 78,791 participants, Guinness officials recently notified ABC CANADA that the U.S. organization which originally set the record in 2006 had officially set a new record with 238,620 participants. Canada should be extremely proud of the unprecedented levels of participation, which strongly supported the importance of adults and children reading and learning together. Read more.
Measuring Success in Adult Literacy: Case studies in the assessment of learning
Last month, ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation conducted a special online presentation regarding the assessment of adult literacy learning. Noted international researcher Ralf St.Clair discussed the need for quality assessment; how different types of assessment at different levels can lead to a more tailored and meaningful approach for learners. He also shared research on different types of assessment models studied in Canada and the U.K. Click here to read his report or watch the webinar.
Canadians Encouraged To Share in the Joy of Reading and Learning on Family Day, Every Day
February 13, 2009 - Toronto, ON – In celebration of Family Day being observed across parts of Canada this month, ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation encourages families to integrate reading and learning into the family fun, and every day.
"Family Day is all about families spending time together and we are asking Canadians to use some of that family time to read and learn together to help reinforce the importance of literacy in everyday life," said Margaret Eaton, President, ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation. “Spending just 15 minutes of family time learning together every day can help sharpen the literacy skills of each member of the family, and there are several ways to weave family learning into fun activities you already enjoy.”
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