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Your LOCAL Media since 1918! VOLUME 107: ISSUE 23
www.tofieldmerc.com
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
C.W. Sears students celebrate Read-In Day Kari Janzen Staff Reporter
Students at C.W. Sears Elementary School in Tofield spent Thursday, Jan. 30 in pajamas, accompanied by their favourite stuffies, to participate in the school’s annual Read-In Day. Principal Adam Madsen said 11 people from the community came to visit the students and read their favourite tales to the kids. “On Read-In Day, a variety of guest readers joined us for the afternoon and travelled to different classrooms reading their favourite stories to our Kindergarten to Grade 4 students. Students were invited to wear pajamas, bring a stuffed animal, and find a comfy spot to listen to the stories,” Madsen said. Read-In Day is held at C.W. Sears every year, close to Family Literacy Day, and is how the school celebrates the day. “This year we had 11 different readers including former teachers and school administrators, parents, grandparents, community volunteers, and authors. Assistant Principal Mrs. Corina Doyle organizes this yearly event for our students and staff and recruits a variety of readers to make it an engaging afternoon of literacy for our students,” he said. “We used to have Family Literacy night, and we have switched to Read-In Day as a
new activity for us,” Madsen said in an earlier interview with The Tofield Mercury. “Family Literacy Day was Jan. 27, and in the same way, Read-In Day is the name for our event where we raise awareness about the importance of literacy and encourage people to read and listen to stories,” he said. ABC Life Literacy Canada says that Family Literacy Day began in 1999, created to celebrate parents and children reading and learning together to become lifelong learners. “Family Literacy Day helps raise awareness about the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family,” the ABC website says. “Since 1999, schools, libraries, literacy organizations, and other community groups across the country have taken part in the initiative. Taking time every day to read or do a learning activity with children is crucial to a child’s development, improving a child’s literacy skills dramatically, and can help a parent improve their skills as well.” ABC says that reading together as a family can strengthen relationships and encourages lifelong learning. “Family literacy focuses on parents, grandparents, children, and other family members learning together to
improve the literacy skills of the whole family. By reading to children and engaging in fun literacy activities regularly, adults actively keep their own skills sharp and also help children improve their skills. Family literacy activities strengthen the relationship between family members which, in turn, encourages lifelong learning. Without adult support and a strong foundation at home, a child is less likely to be successful and engaged in school,” ABC says. ABC says children of low-literate parents are exposed to 30 million fewer words and begin school with a skills gap larger than their peers. How often a child’s parents read may reflect how often a child will pick up a book to read. “Parents’ reading habits play a large role in determining how often kids read: 57 per cent of kids who are frequent readers have parents who read books five to seven days per week, compared to only 15 per cent of kids who are infrequent readers,” ABC says. ABC says encouraging families to read together more often has a greater impact than other methods of improving reading ability. “The positive impacts of family literacy programming are greater than interventions including giving homework to children or reducing class size.
C.W. Sears Grade 2 students listen closely to a guest reader during Read-In Day on Thursday, Jan. 30. PHOTO SUBMITTED
Students at C.W. Sears Elementary School in Tofield spent Thursday, Jan. 30 in pajamas, accompanied by their favourite stuffies, to participate in the school’s annual Read-In Day. Principal Adam Madsen said 11 people from the community came to visit the students and read their favourite tales to the kids. PHOTO SUBMITTED
Moreover, children from disadvantaged backgrounds can benefit from family literacy programming at least to the same extent as children from
other backgrounds. Further, family literacy programming enhances children’s social and emotional development and parents’ confidence as parents.”