Tips and Tools Archives | Creating Together Parkdale

Back to the Books for International Literacy Day!

September 6, 2021 by Melanie

As many of our little ones head back to school, it’s also the annual celebration International Literacy Day on Sept 8 – a celebration

Since 1967, International Literacy Day (ILD) celebrations have taken place annually around the world to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights, and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society. Despite progress made, literacy challenges persist with at least 773 million young people and adults lacking basic literacy skills today.
UNESCO

What is Literacy?

We often think of literacy as the ability to read and write, however what this means across cultures varies greatly.

For example, “reading” includes understanding complex visual and digital media as well as printed material. An elderly person who can read the newspaper might have a difficult time navigating their email or reading a map online. When we look at literacy, how do we engage with the written word in everyday life? How do we keep up with current events and communicate effectively?

Literacy Begins Before a Child Can Read

Until the last 30 years, children were seen as non-readers until they entered school. Now, children’s attempts to read and write before they reach school age are seen as important steps in developing reading and writing abilities. And, according to research by the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network, children who are successful readers have usually engaged in many early language and literacy activities before starting school. In fact, hearing and engaging with books read aloud to them is one of the most important activities for infants, toddlers, and pre-school children.

Encourage Reading and Discuss Texts

Encourage young learners to immerse themselves in reading as often as possible, and using a broad variety of genres (newspapers, novels, comics, magazines, films, reference material, and websites). Follow up the reading or viewing of a text with a discussion of what it made learners think and feel.

Gamify It!

Make reading and writing fun, be it with scavenger hunts, rhyming contests, comic creation…get creative and have fun! Here are some fun game ideas for early learners: https://www.3plearning.com/blog/6-activities-that-put-the-fun-into-phonics-for-early-learners/

We are here to help.

Even in a time of crisis, Creating Together has found ways to help families maintain a literacy routine with our online programming. Take advantage of our online storytimes and build literacy into your family routine with some family favourites:

1pm Story Time Mon/Wed/Fri and 7pm Bedtime Story Mon-Fri on our Facebook Page
Did you know that a child’s knowledge of songs and rhymes at age 3 is predictor of his/her ability to read by age 6? Why not come and take advantage of the opportunities and support available to you at Creating Together?Join us for Circle Time (daily at 10am on Zoom or Facebook – see below)
Tip: give children a choice in which book they’d like to read, choose books that are age appropriate, and read in ways that are also age appropriate. Take a look at this great tip sheet: Milestones of Early Literacy Development.

Happy Reading!

Talking Climate with Children

August 24, 2021 by Melanie

August 19th is World Humanitarian Day, and this year’s theme is Climate Action – highlighting the immediate human cost of the climate crisis by pressuring world leaders to take meaningful climate action for the world’s most vulnerable people.

But how do we have these conversations with our children? How do we raise their awareness about the issue of climate change and help them be apart of the solution?

Take look at this fun and interactive learning tool put together by NASA: https://climatekids.nasa.gov. It covers some of the big questions, like:

What is climate change?
What is the greenhouse effect?
Why is carbon important?
How do we know the climate is changing?
How does climate change affect the ocean?

The website goes on to share games, activities, videos, and features people committed in their work / careers to being a part of the solution. Check it out!

International Self-Care Day

July 20, 2021 by Melanie

Self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider (World Health Organization). Paula Gill Lopez, PhD, an associate professor and chair of the department of psychological and educational consultation at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, says the need for self-care is obvious. “We have an epidemic of anxiety and depression,” she says. “Everybody feels it.”

Self-care is a lifelong habit and culture. It is the practice of individuals looking after their own health based on the knowledge and information available to them. It is a decision-making process that empowers individuals to look after their own health efficiently and conveniently, in collaboration with health and social care professionals as needed.
Global Self-Care Federation

The pandemic over the last year and a half has showed us all that self-care behaviours are the true first line of defence in public health emergencies. A 2020 study found that 95% of Canadians agreed that they need more tools to care for themselves and a strong, resilient, publicly funded healthcare system for when they can’t. So, in January 2021 Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada published the Blueprint for a National Self-Care Strategy calling for efforts to improve health literacy and provide greater access to self-care opportunities for all Canadians.

In the mean time, there’s a lot we can do for ourselves and our families. The Community Access Network came up with these great tips to teach your children about self-care, and Selfcare.ca describes 7 pillars to self-care. Check out the links below for stats, resources, and supporting links for each of these critical areas:

And of course, if there’s anything we can do to support you here at Creating Together, remember you are not alone – we work with a number of organizations across the city and can certainly connect you with the resources you are looking for.

National Injury Prevention Day

July 6, 2021 by Melanie

The goal of National Injury Prevention Day is to raise awareness on the prevention of serious injuries on the road, at home, and at play, and to provide the necessary information to reduce injury and disability while enjoying full and vibrant lives. (BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit).

According to Statistics Canada, injury is the leading cause of death for Canadians aged one to 44, ahead of cancer and heart disease. Injury is the third leading cause of death overall in Canada, after cancer and heart disease. And, according to The Trauma Association of Canada, “virtually all of these injuries and deaths, and the resulting costs, could have been prevented” (Trauma Association of Canada).

How do we help children take healthy risks, while also keeping them safe?

Safety Tips at Home

Closing the door: Closing the door after you should be your number one safety measure to introduce at home. This will not only ensure that intruders cannot access the house and also the younger kids cannot find their way out.

Secure furniture to prevent tip-overs: Purchase furniture that has a wider base, heavier back panel, and/or interlocking drawers to prevent furniture from tipping over. You can also learn to anchor your furniture, at Anchorit.gov.

No Playing or Going into the Road: There is always motorist in a rush and may not even consider that they are driving where children play.

Safe sleep: Suffocation, often in a sleep environment, is the leading cause of injury-related death for children under the age of 1. Remember: babies sleep best alone, on their backs, and in a crib / bassinet that meets safety standards.

Teaching Which Rooms are Off Limits: In the early years you can use things like baby gates, but beyond a few years it is important they know which rooms are off limits (such as laundry, pantry where chemicals are stored, or tool room).

Recalls: On average, one or more children’s products are recalled each week. Manufacturers often don’t do enough to make sure everyone who has the product learns of the recall. To keep up to date on recalls and incident reports, check your products at https://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/index-eng.php.

Helicopter vs Free Range Parenting

The term “helicopter parent” was first used in Dr. Haim Ginott’s 1969 book Parents & Teenagers by teens who said their parents would hover over them like a helicopter. It became popular enough to become a dictionary entry in 2011. Are you a helicopter parent? Take this Quiz! How did you rate? Check here for some great tips on how to balance helicopter and free range parenting techniques, or talk to the staff at Creating Together for some supportive suggestions.

National Indigenous History Month: Honouring Our History

June 29, 2021 by Melanie

June is National Indigenous History Month, and the 21st was National Indigenous People’s Day. This year, we honour the 25^th anniversary of celebrating the heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

This year however, we all grapple with a very serious and tragic side of our history, and the month is dedicated to the missing children, the families left behind and the survivors of residential schools – a system set up by the Canadian government and administered by churches that had the nominal objective of educating Indigenous children and indoctrinating them into Euro-Canadian and Christian ways of living. The system forcibly separated children from their families for extended periods of time and forbade them to acknowledge their Indigenous heritage and culture or to speak their own languages. Accounts of horrific abuse among survivors are being shared today, however many children (The Missing Children) didn’t return home, either because they ran away or because they died of abuse or disease.

As families inheriting this history, we have many opportunities to learn about indigenous history and culture – but speaking about this history can be very hard. Yet, it is such an important part of our history as a country, and the evidence of this harsh history are all around us. Take a look at this article by Parenting Today, for quotes about the experiences of survivors, to help your children understand what happened.

You can also honour indigenous history and culture through things like art, crafts, language, stories. Be sure to check out all of the National Indigenous Peoples Day virtual activities happening across the country through Celebrate Canada, and learn more about indigenous history by trying some of these great activities.

Also, we encourage you to watch this reading of “We are Water Protectors” with your children, written by Anishinabe/Métis author Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Tlingit and Haida artist, Michaela Goade and discuss with children the history and ongoing settler-colonialism in what is currently known as Canada.

Back to the Books for International Literacy Day!

Talking Climate with Children

International Self-Care Day

National Injury Prevention Day

Safety Tips at Home

Helicopter vs Free Range Parenting

National Indigenous History Month: Honouring Our History

Creating Together Parkdale Family Resource Centre

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