Open up your world – using books as your passport

Representatives from County groups promoting Family Literacy Day include Kathy Kennedy, of the Prince Edward Learning Centre, Anne Preston, of County Kids Read, Lyndsay Pearson, of the PEC Public Libraries, Darlene Eldridge, Picton Rotary, Donna Kaye, HPE Family Space and Susan Quaiff, The HUB Child and Family Centre.

A house without books is like a room without windows. —Horace Mann

Several Prince Edward County groups invite residents to open the doors to the world by reading to children for just 15 minutes a day.

Norah listens to her dad Justin read Robert Munsch’s The Fire Station.

“Family Literacy Day PEC is a way to celebrate books and showcase how families spending time together not only creates wonderful memories, but increases a child’s love of the written work, and raises literacy levels of both child and parent,” said Kathy Kennedy, executive director of the Prince Edward Learning Centre. “Those 15 minutes will stimulate the brain, reduce stress in both child and adult, fill little heads with new knowledge, improve memory, strengthen emotional health and encourage the child to be more analytical.”

The centre joins the Prince Edward County Libraries, The HUB Child and Family Centre, County Kids Read and the Picton Rotary Club to promote the benefits that reading 15 minutes a day can have for young children.

“Reading is about incorporating literacy into every day,” said Donna Kaye, Literacy Specialist for Hastings and Prince Edward, working with the Family Space program at The HUB. “Read recipies, play board games, sing and always read bedtime stories.”

County residents are also encouraged to share a photograph of themselves reading with youngsters on the PEC Family Literacy Day Facebook page. The first 200 to share a photo will receive a new book, courtesy of the County Kids Reads and Rotary.

Pirate Gavin will be spinning yarns for mateys to celebrate Family Literacy Day at the Picton Library Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 4 p.m.