MONTREAL, Nov. 1, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - As part of the 14th edition of The Gift of Reading, the Literacy Foundation and program spokesperson, actress Marie Turgeon, invite you to buy a brand new book for a poor child in your region. Through this simple act, you contribute to preventing the reading and writing difficulties that can lead to young people dropping out of school, and then to illiteracy. Help us reach our goal of collecting 30,900 books!
"I invite the general public to share their joy of reading with young people," says Marie Turgeon. "Why not choose a book that you or your children have loved, and give it to an underprivileged young Quebecer? Use the bookmark included in the gift kit to write a personalized word of encouragement to the child who will be receiving your book. Help pre-schoolers get hooked on reading, to prepare them for school and foster their educational success."
The importance of acting early
"A Canada-wide study entitled Early Years Study 3, published by the Margaret & Wallace McCain Family Foundation, shows that early intervention is needed in children's lives so as to give them a strong start at school and throughout their lives,"1 adds Diane Mockle, CEO of the Literacy Foundation. "The study emphasizes the importance of reading daily to pre-school-age children for them to acquire the vocabulary they need to do well at school. It is in that spirit that The Gift of Reading is joining this year the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation's early childhood program, Naître et grandir, to remind the public of the importance of giving books to infants and toddlers aged 0-4."
The joy of reading as a family
Parents who read regularly at home pass on the joy of reading to their children. Indeed, it is a proven fact that parents play a major role in the relationship young people will have with reading. The Gift of Reading is a means of raising parents' awareness of the importance of their input in their family's education. The Info-Alpha line (1-800-361-9142) can also help them acquire the tools to perform this role fully.
Buy a book and pass on the joy of reading
During November and December, buy a new children's book and ask for the Gift of Reading donation kit at one of the 150 participating bookstores or libraries. This kit contains a dedication bookmark for writing a message to the child, along with a postcard for hearing from the child. To find out all about collection sites and activities, visit fondationalphabetisation.org/en.
Once upon a time . . . at Montreal's Salon du livre
Come and meet us at the Salon du livre de Montréal—Montreal's book fair—from November 14 to 19, 2012, in order to give and receive the gift of reading. Visitors to the fair will be able to take part in a reading by one of the personalities present, including Marie Turgeon, Christiane Duchesne, Alain Zouvi, Micheline Bernard, Salomé Corbo, Frédéric Barbusci, Philippe Beha and several others. They will also be able to buy a new book on-site for donation to The Gift of Reading.
Distribution of books
Each book collected in a region is given to a child from that region. The books collected will be handed out to children in May 2013, through hundreds of organizations targeted using deprivation indicators established by the Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports (MELS). These establishments include schools, daycare centres and Famille grassroots organizations. Since 1999, more than 286,000 new children's books have been distributed in this way.
A big thank-you to our partners
The Foundation thanks all the program partners and collaborators, who have been contributing to the success of The Gift of Reading for the past 14 years.
Literacy Foundation
Founded in 1989, the Literacy Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to involve all Quebecers in meeting the challenge of reading in a knowledge society. To support the Foundation's work, make a donation at fondationalphabetisation.org/en.
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1McCain, M.N., Mustard, J.F., & McCuaig, K. (2011). Early Years Study 3: Making Decisions, Taking Action. Toronto: Margaret & Wallace McCain Family Foundation. Online: earlyyearsstudy.ca/media/uploads/report-pdfs-en/i_115_eys3_en_2nd_072412.pdf.
SOURCE: LITERACY FOUNDATION
Andrée Turmel
Communications advisor
514-289-1178, ext. 226
[email protected]
Source:
Awareness Department
Literacy Foundation
fondationalphabetisation.org/en
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