Who we are The Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation (CCLF) is a charitable organization providing a national voice for children’s literacy. To ensure that all children in Canada are equipped to achieve their full potential, we raise awareness of the importance of building early literacy, promote and develop children’s literacy initiatives, champion literacy partners, and empower people to build literacy skills in their homes and communities. Literacy Matters Building literacy skills in children is one of the most effective ways to ensure they can achieve their full potential in school and throughout life. Literacy opens doors to understanding, empathy, critical thinking, and the capacity for lifelong learning. A more literate nation is healthier, more productive, and more socially engaged. Yet too many of Canada’s children are lacking the literacy skills they need to navigate in society. News releases More than 130,000 books are on the way to children served by food banks across Canada through new Read On Canada! initiative (June 23, 2020) Spring 2020 Newsletter (Apr. 27, 2020) Winter 2020 Newsletter (Jan. 27, 2020) Too many of Canada's children are being left behind (Dec. 12, 2019) Fall 2019 Newsletter (Sep. 27, 2019) The Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation Welcomes Ariel Siller as CEO (July 18, 2019) Spring 2019 Newsletter (May 29, 2019) Winter 2019 Newsletter (Feb. 15, 2019) Heather Munroe-Blum, Heather Reisman, and Col. Chris Hadfield Announce the Launch of the Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation in Honour of Canada's 150th (May 18, 2017)
13.8% of Canadian Grade 10 students do not have the baseline level of reading skills needed to navigate in our society, according to a recent international study from the OECD. (Source: PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)) Click to See more facts & figures
Reading for fun can lead to many emotional benefits Research shows that children who read for fun have greater levels of imagination, focus, relaxation and mood regulation. (Source: The Reading Agency. “The Impact of Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment”) Click to See more facts & figures
Literacy levels and income are strongly linked. Research shows that people with more literacy skills earn more money over time. (Source: Insights on Canadian Society, Statistics Canada: “The association between skills and low income.”) Click to See more facts & figures
Reading can increase social well-being. Reading for pleasure can create a greater sense of community, a stronger feeling of social inclusion, a stronger ability to enjoy social occasions, and enhanced openness and talkativeness. (Source: The Reading Agency. “The Impact of Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment”) Click to See more facts & figures