Family Literacy

What is Family Literacy?

A mother enjoys quality reading time with her young daughters, bonding at home.

Family literacy focuses on parents as a means to improve children’s literacy skills from a young age. Parents model literacy as an important skill needed to take part in society. These programs can increase adult literacy when literacy instruction for adults is incorporated into programs as well. Adults can also learn how to support their children’s learning.

5 times

Children spend five times as much time outside the classroom as they do in school, so parents and caregivers play a vital role in their learning. (ABC Life Literacy)

10 points

Children whose parents are involved with them in family literacy activities score 10 points higher on standardized reading tests. (ABC Life Literacy)

$50,000

One year of parental education has a bigger positive impact on whether a son or daughter will attend a post-secondary institution than an extra $50,000 in parental income. (ABC Life Literacy)

The Impact of Family Literacy

Family Literacy Statistics

Family literacy plays a crucial role in shaping children’s educational success and overall development. In Canada, research highlights the importance of early literacy experiences within families. For instance, more than one million children in Canada are estimated to have below-grade-level reading skills.

More facts:

Parents’ reading habits play a large role in determining how often kids read: 57% of kids who are frequent readers have parents who read books 5–7 days per week, compared to only 15% of kids who are infrequent readers. Kids and Family Reading Report – Scholastic, 2017

A mother’s reading skill is the greatest factor affecting her children’s future academic success, outweighing other factors, like neighborhood and family income.
National Institute of Health, 2010

Fact Sheets

Family literacy has far-reaching benefits, shaping both children’s and adults’ lives in meaningful ways.

Resources

Family Literacy First

Free resources for financial literacy. To access all of them, create an account.

ABC Life’s Family Literacy Day

The program offers resources in different languages.

Burnaby Public Library for Families

Find your next read for kids.

Family/Children’s Literacy Programs

Programs to help raise young children in the Burnaby / New Westminster area.

LIFE LITERACY

Life literacy is the willingness and ability to keep learning at all stages of your life. It represents the skills you need to live fully, as well as all the skills you could acquire over your lifetime. Imagine what you could accomplish if you could do something new every day.

Learn more

Adults engaged in a classroom setting, raising hands and taking notes.