New Resource Supports Early Literacy Development at Home, School

Parents and teachers are partnering to help primary students develop their oral language, reading and writing skills at home and in school with the new Play-Talk-Learn resource bag.

The new resource complements Succeeding in Reading as part of the Kids and Learning First education plan.

Lunenburg MLA Pam Birdsall, on behalf of Education Minister Ramona Jennex, joined a Primary class today, Feb. 27, at Bayview Community School, Mahone Bay, as the bags were distributed to parents and their children. The materials support learning through creative play and conversation.

Ms. Birdsall said the Play-Talk-Learn resource, a component of the province's $6-million Succeeding in Reading initiative, "will not only help Primary students develop their listening, reading and writing skills, it will help them develop positive attitudes toward school, an important first step in encouraging a life-long love of learning."

Each bag contains colourful books, animal counters, a magnifying glass, magnetic letters and numbers, glue, scissors paper and other hands-on items to spark children's curiosity, encourage them to ask questions, experiment with language, use their imagination and think creatively. The bags also include a music CD by Halifax children's musician Maria Alley.

Succeeding in Reading will also provide Primary classes with print and picture books as well as non-print resources, such as puzzles and sequence cards chosen to engage students and promote vocabulary development, reading and writing. Succeeding in Reading, which will extend into Grade 2 beginning next year, also focuses on smaller in-class group discussions, led by literacy specialists, that support classroom teaching.

"The objective is to support more students, in more creative and effective ways, at an earlier age," Ms. Birdsall said.

Along with the Play-Talk-Learn bags, which double as lunch bags, parents were given ideas to support their children's learning in ways linked to what is being taught in school. Parent workshops will be held to provide helpful tips on how to use the Play-Talk-Learn bags at home.

"Families play a vital role in the development of a child's language skills," said Karen Wyatt, Grade Primary teacher at Bayview Community School. "When children begin their education, strong links between home and school can be encouraged through continued sharing and discussion of activities. Playing, talking and asking questions are a vital part of a child's early learning experiences, enabling them to grow as thinkers, readers and writers."

The Play-Talk-Learn and French Immersion Jouer-Parler-Apprendre resource bags, are initially being distributed to the parents of Primary students on the South Shore, Annapolis Valley, Cape Breton-Victoria and Strait regional school boards. Provincewide distribution is set for 2012-13 primary orientation.

For more information on Kids and Learning First, and the province's Succeeding in Reading initiative, visit http://novascotia.ca/kidsandlearning .