AFLO (Action for Family Literacy Ontario)

Program Introduction to the Family Literacy Certificate Course

2011-07-26T13:19:00.002-04:00

A 15 hour Introduction to the Family Literacy Certificate course is being run in August at Conestoga College. This course will introduce you to the basics of Family Literacy and will serve as a springboard for participants who are interested in taking the Family Literacy Certificate Program which will be run through Conestoga College this fall.

Click on this link to the Early Childhood Professional Resource Center at Conestoga for registration information for this and other courses of interest.

RAPP Packs

2011-07-25T11:41:00.004-04:00

Kingston Literacy and Skills has created a number of manuals for use in family literacy programming.

According to KL&S:

"The Reading and Parents Program (RAPP) Resource Manuals are intended to help literacy organizations introduce a family literacy component to their existing programs. They include information on how to use a variety of different books and related activities in your family literacy program. The books, combined with the activies, are referred to as RAPP packs. Each RAPP pack includes:

a selection of reading and language hints

a craft idea and the materials to complete the craft

a selection of poetry based on the theme of the book

children's fine motor activities (for both younger and older children)

RAPP packs are designed to encourage family reading and to help parents support their children's emergent literacy skill development. RAPP can easily be adapted to produce packs that are tailored to suita ll families with children ages 0 to 10 years."

KL&S has three differnt RAPP collections for sale - RAPP Spring and Fall Collection, RAPP Classics Collection and RAPP Early Years Literacy Collection.

Click on this link to the Kingston Literacy and Skills website to find out more about RAPP packs and the other excellent resources this organization produces.

Call for Members

2011-07-25T11:32:00.004-04:00

Do you provide family literacy programming? Are you passionate about family literacy? Are you committed to moving family literacy forward in Ontario? If the answer to any (or all) of these questions is yes, then AFLO is looking for you! AFLO is currently seeking new members who are as passionate about family literacy as we are.

Join a progressive group of like minded professionals and help to develop family literacy policy and programs across Ontario. We are looking for members from across Ontario from Windsor to Thunder Bay to Ottawa. The more members we have, the louder our voice as advocates for family literacy.

For more information about how you can join AFLO email familyliteracy@projectread.ca

Partnership Framework for Integrated Family Literacy Planning

2011-07-21T15:09:00.002-04:00

The Ontario Literacy Coalition has recently released this draft document that looks at funding models and policies surrounding family literacy in Ontario. The report shows that there is support to increase children's literacy levels but a gap exists in support for literacy services for parents and caregivers.

You can acccess the report on the OLC's site.

New Policy Paper from FRP Canada

2011-06-17T12:12:00.003-04:00

A new policy paper from FRP Canada has been released addressing concerns about the current direction of early childhood policy that focuses on the expansion of kindergarten programs.

The paper supports the need for community delivered programs which not only support the child but also the family. Family literacy is highlighted as an essential support for families with young children. In the realm of full day learning and the alignment of child care falling under the Ministry of Education, it also supports the need to develop the whole child and, in turn, support the family. This will equate to greater gains not only for the child in terms of development and learning but also social needs are better met when the parents are involved and the family is engaged.

This is the exact message we are trying to foster and promote in Family Literacy Programs across Canada.

The report - Family is the Foundation: Why Family Support and Early Childhood Education Must be a Collaborative Effort - can be found here.

"Learning is Growing" Conference

2011-05-16T09:13:00.002-04:00

Stratford ON is the location of the 1st Annual "Learning is Growing" Conference on Saturday, October 1, 2011. Professionals working with children 0 - 6 are welcome to attend.

The link to the registration form is here.

4th Annual Bogglemania Fundraiser for Literacy 2011

2011-01-17T14:25:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, January 30, 2011 Project READ Literacy Network Waterloo-Wellington will be hosting the 4th Annual Bogglemania Tournament at Conestoga Mall (550 King Street North, Waterloo) from 11:00 - 3:00 pm. Boggle is a word game where participants need to create as many words as possible from the letters displayed.

Participants need to pre-register with Project READ at www.projectread.ca. The cost is either $25 or a minimum of $25 in sponsors.

The grand prize is a $250 gift certificate from Conestoga Mall and there will also be a prize for the most sponsors. All participants are guaranteed 3 games.

There will be a Children's Boggle competition and an Adult Boggle competition, both recreational and competitive divisions.

Come join us for what is sure to be a great time for the entire family.

For more information contact:

Lorri Sauve
519.893.7597
familyliteracy@projectread.ca
www.projectread.ca

Family Literacy Day Event

2011-01-17T14:16:00.003-05:00

On Sunday, January 30, 2011, Project READ Literacy Network Waterloo-Wellington and community partners who offer intergenerational literacy programs will be hosting the 13th Annual Family Literacy Day. Events include "The Record Breaking Read In" at 1:00 pm, the Bogglemania Tournament for both children and adults at 11:00 am, entertainment by Erick Traplin and interactive activities at various booths.

The event will be held at Conestoga Mall in Waterloo, 550 King Street North.

Last year over 1000 people of all ages attended some or all of the events. Come join us for what is sure to be a great time for the entire family.

For more information contact:

Lorri Sauve
519.893.7597
familyliteracy@projectread.ca
http://www.projectread.ca/

Report on a National Survey of Family Literacy Activities in Family Resource Programs

2011-01-05T13:57:00.004-05:00

The Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs and the Federation quebecoise des organismes communautaires Famille have prepared a report on family literacy activities at family resource centers across Canada. Their goal was to highlight the practices of family support programs in relation to the enrichment of family literacy. Their study reveals that family resource programs have a strong committment to the support of emerging literacy practices in all age groups.

The report includes information on partnership practices between organizations, as well as data on financing literacy programs and activities.

Read the full report here.

AFLO Website

2010-12-29T10:13:00.001-05:00

Don't forget to check out AFLO's website for news and information about family literacy in Ontario.

The website has been completely revised and updated.

Literacy Focused Online Games for Kids

2010-12-29T10:03:00.000-05:00

Have a look at this article for links to great online games for kids that focus on building memory skills, problem solving strategies, and language development.

Call for Proposals

2010-04-22T13:39:00.000-04:00

The Early Literacy Alliance of Waterloo Region (ELAWR) is hosting it's first conference on Saturday, October 16 at Conestoga College.

ELAWR is collaborative whose goal is to improve literacy skills for all children in our community by ensuring that programs serving young children (birth to 6) include a literacy focus.

The call for proposals can be found here. Deadline is April 27, 2010.

Family Literacy Reflections

2010-03-17T15:00:00.000-04:00

Please take a look at the most recent Family Literacy Reflections E-Bulletin. This issue discusses the need for good research in the field of family literacy and highlights an upcoming call for proposals to provide a funded UPP (Upgrading for Parents with Preschoolers) program in two locations.

Here is the link:

http://www.familyliteracyexpertise.org/Resources/newsletter/FamilyLiteracyReflectionsSpring2010Vol7.pdf

AFLO's going to OLA

2010-02-20T09:50:00.000-05:00

AFLO will be presenting a poster session at the Ontario Library Association Super Conference on Friday, February 26th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from 12:00 - 2:00. We will be in the Lower Concourse. Come and visit us if you will be attending the conference. There will be lots of great giveaways!

Stuart Shanker - Guest Speaker - Friday March 5, 2010

2010-02-11T09:34:00.000-05:00

Stuart Shanker, Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at York University will be presenting a workshop on "The Importance of healthy development Connections between emotional, intellectual, and language development in all ages of life." He will address topics relating to healthy early childhood development including the prevention of developmental problems and early intervention. It is being held Friday March 5, 2010 from 12:30 - 2:30 pm at the Hamblin Room, Kitchener Public Library, $20 per person. Register at Project READ Literacy Network....www.projectread.ca or by calling 519 570-3054

Family Literacy Activities

2010-02-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

In celebration of Family Literacy Day, the Kingston Frontenac Lennox & Addington Early Literacy Committee compiled some great ideas for how to incorporate more literacy activities into your family's day. Although this calendar was designed for Family Literacy Week, it can be used all year round. There are also guides for planning a Family Literacy week for preschool children and another one for school aged children. Start planning ahead for next year!

Best Start 2010 Annual Conference - Markham, Ontario

2009-12-30T09:54:00.000-05:00

AFLO is pleased to be presenting at the 2010 Best Start Resource Center Annual Conference in Markham, Ontario on Friday, February 18th, 2010.

Lorri Sauve, from AFLO, will be joined by Lesley Brown, Executive Director of the OLC, to present the topic Teach a Parent, Reach a Child: Integrating a Family Literacy Approach in the Early Years. Lorri and Lesley will conduct an interactive workshop that will:

Provide an overview of Family Literacy in Ontario and how it differs from Early Literacy programming
Examine adult literacy statistics linking family literacy to issues that affect health, poverty and educational opportunities
Demonstrate the links between the parents' literacy and their children's literacy
Provide ideas for what this means to Early Literacy programs and how to outreach to parents with low literacy and the differences with ESL parents

This will be an interactive workshop that will engage participants to better understand the issues of low literacy, how family literacy incorporates the cultivation of positive parenting skills, health literacy, financial literacy and computer literacy, as well as links to community supports.

Boggle Tournament for Children and Adults

2009-12-18T13:04:00.000-05:00

On Sunday January 31, 2010 at Conestoga Mall, Waterloo, Project READ Literacy Network will host a Boggle tournament. Boggle is a word game in which players will record words they form on a piece of paper. It is a timed event played by two or more players at a time. The person with the most words wins. Each match is the best 2 out of 3 games. There is a children's tournament and an adult tournament, both competitive and recreational. There are gift cards from Conestoga Mall as prizes. The cost is either $25 or a minimum of $25 in pledges. To preregister for this event, see our website at http://www.projectread.ca/

Family Literacy Day 2010 in Waterloo Region

2009-12-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

On Sunday January 31, 2010, agencies offering intergenerational literacy will host Family Literacy Day 2010. Events include a Boggle tournament (pre-registration required), Erick Traplin providing entertainment, and various interactive family literacy booths. All events are FREE except for the Boggle tournament which is a fundraiser for Project READ Literacy Network. Check out our website for more information at http://www.projectread.ca/

Events occur from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm at Conestoga Mall, Waterloo.

Compendium of Family Lit Projects

2009-11-23T16:19:00.000-05:00

Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL) has created this Compendium to capture a
snapshot of the variety of projects currently taking place across the country. The
information about each project has been supplied by the lead organization.

Have a look at pages 5 - 8 for Family Literacy projects.

Family Literacy Day 2010

2009-09-15T10:29:00.001-04:00

Since AFLO's website is under construction, please check here for Family Literacy Day events. We are happy to include FLD events if you send them to us at least 2 weeks prior to the event. Please include date, time, cost (if any) and location including address. Thanks in advance for sharing your events.

Literacy Lava - 2nd Edition

2009-09-14T10:20:00.000-04:00

Literacy Lava is a fantastic ezine produced by The Book Chook, an Australian blog. It features tons of tips for families to encourage them to incorporate more reading, writing and math activities into their daily routines.

This issue features ideas on encouraging reluctant readers, ways to add math into your day, and many more easy to implement suggestions.

Follow this link to view, and print, the ezine:

http://thebookchook.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-edition-of-literacy-lava.html

Spend some time with this resource today - you'll be glad you did!

Key Factors to Support Literacy Success in School Aged Populations

2009-09-09T16:08:00.000-04:00

The purpose of this literature review, commissioned by the Canadian Education Statistics Council (CESC), is to summarize the research evidence on key factors and practices supporting literacy success for school-aged students.

The review focuses exclusively on reading, or the ability to get meaning from print, because it is fundamental to the literacy development and continued school success of all children (Canadian Council on Learning 2007).

Check out this link for the full report:

http://www.cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/201/key-factors-literacy-school-aged.pdf

ALSO Adult and Family Literacy

2009-08-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

ALSO (Alternative Learning Styles and Outlooks) has been providing free adult and family literacy services in downtown Ottawa for 28 years. They are a registered charity and proud to provide guidance and support enabling learners to strengthen literacy, math, and life skills.

For more information check out their website www.also-ottawa.org

Project READ Literacy Network

2009-08-12T11:53:00.000-04:00

Project READ Literacy Network is a community collaboration that serves the Regions of Waterloo and Wellington. They offer a 10 week family literacy program called "Get Set Learn" to parents and children living on welfare and are presently piloting a 9 week transition program after school. Their innovative and highly successful programs are funded by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation in partnership with local community centres, early years centres, and schools.

You can download the complete curriculum package "Get Set Learn: Everything you need to Run a Family Literacy Program" from http://www.nald.ca/

Kingston Literacy

2009-08-12T11:44:00.000-04:00

Kingston Literacy, a community based program located in Kingston, Ontario, has a long standing history of delivering family literacy programs to adults and their families in Eastern Ontario. They also house the Centre for Expertise in Family Literacy which provides information and resources.

See their website at www.kingstonliteracy.com for current information and links to other websites.

Upcoming Conferences

2009-08-12T11:38:00.000-04:00

Please see the website for Alberta's Centre for Family Literacy to find out information on their National Conference July 15 - 17, 2010. Guest speakers include Thomas G. Sticht, Peter Hannon, Eve Gregory, Snoeks Desmond and Elsa Auerbach.

For more information, see http://www.famlit.ca/

Early Literacy Alliance of Waterloo Region

2009-08-12T11:35:00.000-04:00

For some current resources and links, please check out the website of the newly formed Early Literacy Alliance of Waterloo Region.

http://earlyliteracyalliance.blogspot.com

There are a variety of resources and links posted. Keep checking for news of an upcoming conference in the spring of 2010.

AFLO Website

2009-08-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

Please continue to check the AFLO website, www.aflo.on.literacy.ca, as it is updated. It is a work in progress!

Membership

2009-07-10T09:54:00.000-04:00

Action for Family Literacy Ontario (AFLO) is a provincial working group committed to moving family literacy forward in Ontario.

AFLO's Vision
We see families learning and growing together in positive, literacy-rich environments. We see family literacy valued, encouraged, supported and sustained in homes and communities throughout Ontario.

AFLO's Mission
To Sustain, promote and strengthen family literacy services in Ontario.

What we are looking for:
People who are or have recently been involved in work as an Early Childhood Educator (ECE), a health care worker, or someone who assists new Canadians to adapt to their new life in Canada. Marketing, media, and research skills are assets for these positions.

What's in it for you?
A way to utilize your leadership skills, share your passion and knowledge of working with families and move the literacy movement forward in Ontario.

To express interest:

Send an email to
Kim Oastler, Co -Chair
kim@also-ottawa.org

Introduction

2009-07-10T09:52:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Action for Family Literacy Ontario (AFLO) blog. We are pleased that you have joined us and are looking to move family literacy forward in Ontario.

Please add your questions and comments below.

We look forward to hearing from you.

AFLO