Family Literacy Day

Family going for a walk holding bags of recycling, a bag of fresh local produce, books, and binoculars

 

Happy Family Literacy Day 2025! Celebrate with us on January 27 as we recognize the vital role family literacy plays in helping children develop the skills they need to succeed. From reading stories together and playing word games to writing letters or making shopping lists, family activities can strengthen reading and writing skills. This year, we're learning to be green, together.

Parents' reading skills and their involvement in early learning have a significant impact on children’s language development, school success, and overall well-being. When parents read aloud, it helps children improve listening, vocabulary, language skills, and creativity. Here's some of the research behind this important day and our Every Child Ready to Read programming. 

  • One year of parental education has a bigger positive impact on whether a son or daughter will attend a postsecondary institution than an extra $50,000 in parental income. (Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, 2011)
  • Parents’ reading habits play a large role in determining how often kids read: 57 percent of kids who are frequent readers have parents who read books 5–7 days per week. (Kids and Family Reading Report – Scholastic, 2017)
  • The positive impacts of family literacy programming are greater than interventions including giving homework to children or reducing class size. (Impact and Implementation of Family Literacy Programmes: Review and Recommendations – National Adult Literacy Agency (Ireland), 2018)