September is Literacy Month

In B.C., we celebrate Literacy Month. Literacy is important for everyone. This year’s theme is “Literacy: The Ripple Effect.” Literacy skills can improve life at home, at work and in the community, creating a positive ripple effect. Get Involved! Enter the Literacy Month Contest 1. Complete the following sentence by providing one or more examples:…

March Break staycation tips

This March Break take a staycation. A staycation is a stay-at-home vacation. You can do fun things in your own town or city. You can save money on travel, airfare or hotels. Here are some staycation tips. Free activities  Look for free concerts, movies, festivals and fairs in your community. Check online or visit your…

How to pack a picnic

One of the best ways to enjoy the summer is to eat outdoors. You can go on a picnic with your family and friends. You can picnic at a park, a beach, a campground or by a lake. What to bring on a picnic: a blanket a picnic table cover a picnic basket or tote…

How to make the perfect snowball

A friendly snowball fight is a great way to have fun with your family in the winter. You can learn how to make the perfect snowball. Make sure the snow is wet Good snowballs need to be made from clean snow that is a little wet. Test the snow before making a snowball. Give it…

Get out in the community

What can you do with your family during spring break? Here are some ideas. Visit a museum Some museums have free entry for children or families during spring break. They might also have special activities for young children. Go to the library Many public libraries have free programs for children or families during spring break. Visit…

Backpack the right way

Choose the right fit of backpack for your child. Do not make the backpack too heavy. The wrong fit and a heavy backpack can give your child “back pain, neck pain and headaches,” says Julia Brooks. Brooks is a physiotherapist at Alberta Children’s Hospital.  The right fit   The right backpack for your child should:   be a size that is…

Popular baby names

Level 2 What did parents in British Columbia name their babies in 2015? Find out more. Read the whole story. Try the exercise Popular baby names Listen and read with Global News: The world’s most popular baby names for 2016   Story reprinted from The Westcoast Reader newspaper,  November 2016  

Fun things to do with your children outdoors

LEVEL 2 It’s healthy for children to spend time outdoors. It’s good for their physical and mental health. They get better at: thinking moving creating Children need help learning how to play outdoors. What do you need to do? Stay nearby and keep the children safe. Let the children play on their own. Play with them…

New country, new babies

LEVEL 2 2016 is a year of new beginnings for many Syrian families in Canada. The Ktifan family is from Syria. They arrived in Vancouver on January 7, 2016. Amjad and Wadaa Ktifan left Syria with their children. They fled to Jordan. Now they are in Canada. They are refugees. New babies On February 29…

Chores

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 November 2010 Chores are small jobs around the house, such as washing dishes and doing laundry. Chores are part of family life. Studies show that doing chores helps children to become more successful adults. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Chores-PDF What parents can do:

A logging family

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Spring comes to the Cariboo in June. The snow melts. The ground gets firm. The logging season begins. Derek Woollend is a logger. His father started logging in 1955. They work together. Read the PDF and do the exercise A logging family Visit the links Learn more about trees…

Successful foster kids: Robert Davidson

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 It is hard for foster kids to finish high school. Only 32 percent graduate by age 19. Foster kids move a lot. They change homes and schools often. This makes keeping up at school difficult. The BC government stops supporting youth in foster care at age 19. They…

Successful foster kids: Bayleigh Marie

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Bayleigh Marie lived in foster care all her life. She lived in 10 different foster homes. She lived in three group homes. “When I turned 19, they gave me the boot,” said Marie. “They said I was grown up. Now go face the world on your own.” Marie…

Surprise!

Level 2 November 2011 Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Rachel Suttle did not know she was expecting a baby (was pregnant). The strange story began in December, 2010. Rachel became pregnant, but six weeks later, she lost the baby. Read the PDF. Surprise-PDF In January, Rachel visited her family doctor. He told her she was…

Family, the first school for young children

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 How does a child become a good reader? How does a child become a good speaker? The answer is simple. The family is the first school for a child. A child becomes a good reader because people at home read to him. And read often. A child learns…