February 4, 2014
Education and Advanced Learning Minister Recognizes I Love to Read Month
– – –Province Increases Funding for Early Literacy Intervention: Allum
Education and Advanced Learning Minister James Allum stressed the importance of reading today in recognition of February as I Love to Read Month.
“We all know that reading is an essential skill that is the foundation for lifelong learning,” said Minister Allum. “But reading also develops a child’s imagination and through reading children learn about people, places and ideas beyond their own experiences. The benefits go far beyond the classroom.”
The minister added that funding for early literacy intervention will increase in the coming year by more than $240,500 to help give more children the help they need to develop this essential skill, adding the government is investing $7.8 million annually to help more than 2,000 students in Grade 1 with one‑on-one supports to help them succeed in reading at an early age. One of the programs that will benefit from this funding is Reading Recovery, which gives students valuable one-on-one instruction to help students accelerate their learning and reading capabilities, he said.
I Love to Read is an annual month-long celebration to encourage reading, writing and sharing in the joy of literacy. This year’s theme, Invent Your Future, encourages children to stretch their creative minds and think like inventors, scientists and mathematicians.
Manitoba Teachers’ Society President Paul Olson concurred and said, “Literacy is the academic foundation not only for further study or for employment, but for engaged citizenship. As teachers, we work hard to bring our students rich and diverse reading experiences to make them literate with a wide range of forms and styles of reading. We do this all year round but I Love to Read Month really celebrates and highlights that work.”
The minister noted parents, guardians and family members play a major role in helping young children learn to appreciate the power of pictures and stories.
“Reading to your child every day increases literacy skills and is one of the most important things you can do to prepare him or her for learning to read,” Minister Allum said. “I encourage families to share the excitement of reading together, as parents, grandparents and other family members are a key to success in helping kids learn to love reading."
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