World Vision’s work in education is world class.

Our programs support girls’ and boys’ learning and development from infancy through young adulthood. We partner with leading experts in the education field, adapting new approaches for the unique situations where we work, always using research as our guide.

One of our key approaches in education is called Unlock Literacy, a project model that focuses on literacy development for children aged six to nine.

Unlock Literacy is built on the knowledge that children learn best when all the spheres of their lives—home, school and community—work together to support their education. It equips school and government officials, teachers, parents, caregivers and community members with fun, effective and child-centered ways of learning.

Recent research by World Vision Canada revealed that girls and boys who join these literacy programs demonstrate reading skills that are two years more advanced than children who don't.

For parents and caregivers, Unlock Literacy offers 12-week group sessions that give them practical tools for supporting their kids’ education and love of reading, including kid-friendly activities that can easily be incorporated into family life.

These concepts are very universal! In honour of International Literacy Day on September 8, read through to see which ones might work for your own family.

Five ways parents can support their kids’ literacy

1. Talk to your kids about their day.

Receiving kids at the end of their school day with a supportive, positive spirit lays the foundation for your evening hours together. Showing interest in what they learned signals that their education is important to you. During these conversations, Unlock Literacy facilitators emphasize that the sharing goes both ways.

Ask questions like:

• “What interesting thing happened to you today?”
• “What friends did you play with? What games did you play?
• “Did you do anything kind for someone else?” “Did anyone do something kind for you?”
• “What do you think that I did today?”

Share ideas from your own day, like:

• Something interesting that happened to you.
• Something you saw that made you think of them.
• Something new you learned.

Reflect on the day with roses, thorns and buds

Over dinner or before bedtime, start a family conversation with these questions:

• What was your “rose” —what happy, positive or successful thing happened?
• What was your “thorn” —a challenge you faced, or something you need support with?
• What was your “bud” —something you are looking forward to or want to learn about?

2. Support their learning with play.

Research shows that children learn best while playing because they are actively engaged. Playing with parents helps children build secure attachments, which gives them confidence as they explore the world. It also helps with the development of social, emotional, cognitive and physical skills.

For some of us, the idea of play is exhausting. We have so many responsibilities demanding our attention!

Here are four quick and easy ideas for incorporating a spirit of play and learning, even while doing routine tasks.

Four simple games to try

• Pick a letter as you pass a ball back and forth. Every time you throw the ball, call out a word that starts with that letter.
• While walking in your neighbourhood, pick a word and see how many rhyming words you can think of together.
• While driving, work as a family to complete the alphabet —in order—using words from road signs that start with the letters A to Z.
• Try a spin on the “I spy” game using rhymes or letter sounds: “I spy with my little eye, something that rhymes with ____.”

3. Create a “reading corner” in your home.

Unlock Literacy facilitators encourage families to set aside a physical space that is dedicated to reading and literacy development. Making space for reading tells kids that their parents see literacy as important and worthwhile.

A reading corner doesn’t need to look a certain way—it might take the form of a cozy nook, a special box or bag to store educational materials, or a space on the wall for literacy-related crafts.

• Make it clean, comfortable and safe for a child.
• Make it easy for all the children in the home to access.
• Make it clear to the whole family that this space belongs to the child and is to be respected.
• Make sure it has enough light so children can see well.
• Stock it with books, games and toys that relate to literacy, like letter blocks, flash cards or puzzles.

Encourage your child to spend a little time in their reading spot every day, and watch their interest grow.

4. Read and tell stories to your kids.

Reading to kids, reading with kids and—when they’re ready—encouraging them to read for themselves are all critical to their literacy development. Storytelling is also great for building creativity and vocabulary (and is especially helpful if caregivers aren’t able to read).

Here are some things to keep in mind throughout your child’s reading journey:

• When reading and storytelling aloud, use your voice expressively to keep kids interested and engaged.
• Ask simple questions before, during and after the story to build their comprehension and critical thinking skills.
• Encourage your children as they learn. Scolding and negativity are likely to decrease their motivation.
• Research shows that when children practice reading at home, they learn to read more quickly and they understand more of what they read.

5. Communicate with your kids’ school administrators and teachers.

As parents and caregivers, it’s helpful to think of ourselves as part of our child’s learning “team,” along with their teachers and school administrators. Open communication with teachers and principals keeps us on the same page about our children’s learning and helps us support them together.

Schools typically welcome this kind of engagement.

Going deeper than the occasional meeting—if possible—is even better. By volunteering at events and getting involved in school councils or parent-teacher associations, you can contribute to building a great school culture and giving your child the best educational experience possible.