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  • Tweed

    ,

    ON

    An Early Words family tells their story

    Krista Rogers did not expect to walk away with a free book for her 10-week-old baby when she visited the Gateway Community Health Centre in Tweed, Ontario.

    Waiting for an appointment, Krista was approached by Rene Young, a Gateway early childhood educator, who told her about the Early Words program. Krista immediately saw the value for her newborn daughter, Sadie.

    Speech and language delays

    Krista’s frst child, Harley, is now six years old. When he was three, the family realized he had speech and language delays.

    “In the early days of the pandemic, Harley was only around me and his dad. We were so focused on making sure he had whatever he needed and keeping him safe. When he pointed, we knew what he wanted and never really encouraged him to use his words to ask for things.”

    It was only when Harley started daycare that Krista and her husband learned of his delays in speech and language development skills. The guidance they received included reading regularly with their son. “We started reading every single night, a couple books before bed to really drive it home and to help him learn.”

    When Sadie came along Krista and her husband were encouraged to develop the baby’s language skills by reading and talking to her. At first, they were not sure what to say.

    One of the Gateway Community nurses suggested talking about daily activities and pointing at and naming objects.

    “Mommy’s washing the dishes! Or mommy’s doing this. Might sound a little bit silly with a newborn, but it helps, right? … Little ones absorb everything.”

    Krista loves the connection she feels with Sadie, particularly when she sings. “When I sing to her, she locks eyes with me and just smiles and coos the whole time.” And as soon as Sadie starts to explore her grip — tugging on hair, grabbing blankets, and hanging onto her shirt — Krista knows the little board book from Early Words will come in handy.

    Krista reflected that many parents and caregivers may be unaware of the little things that help kids develop in these crucial early years. She appreciates the information and support from the Early Words program to encourage her to read, talk, sing, and share stories with Sadie in the years leading up to school.

    Krista Rogers, mother of two, shares how early literacy counselling changed the way she approached raising her children.

  • Healthcare providers and families love Early Words/Premiers mots!

    Three Early Words healthcare professionals to share their Early Words program experiences with us.

  • Winnipeg

    ,

    MB

    Jasper’s new book: Early Words through the eyes of a child

    Nine-month-old Jasper loves his new book. He holds it and flips the pages. He puts it in his mouth. And he points and smiles as he looks at all the bright pictures.

    Jasper has just come home from his latest visit to the doctor in Winnipeg, who gave his mom, Katie, a brand-new board book along with some great tips on early literacy.

    “I love that it slows things down for a second, allows Jasper a moment to come and sit and pause,” Katie says. “Our family is Indigenous, and storytelling is at the heart of who we are. It is really special to have received a book with Indigenous language in it, so Jasper has his own stories he can share and appreciate and look at.”

    Katie says receiving the book was a great reminder of the importance of sharing books and telling stories together. It also gives Jasper’s big brother something fun to do with the baby. Katie adds, “Jasper is already grasping the concept of flipping to the next page, which is cool. He loves the faces. During COVID the only faces he saw were his family, so it was nice to see faces in books. It’s a different world he can look into.”

    The book that Jasper received came through the Early Words program. While she wasn’t expecting to head home from the clinic with a book, Katie loves the idea.

    “It was such a lovely surprise,” she says. “It is nice to know that families have opportunities to grow their libraries, and it’s not something you have to sign up for or apply for. If the books are going to everyone, it doesn’t alienate people and that is beautiful.”

    “Our family is Indigenous, and storytelling is at the heart of who we are. It is really special to have received a book with Indigenous language in it, so Jasper has his own stories he can share and appreciate and look at.”

  • Whitehorse

    ,

    YT

    Lost & Found Interview: Emily Lowe, Early Years Program Director, BGC Yukon Early Years Centre

    Emily Lowe is the Early Years Program Director at BGC Yukon’s Early Years Centre. She spoke to us about the importance of storytelling, and how literacy is more than just reading and writing.

  • Provencher Pediatrics: An Early Words clinic tells its story

    Community-based pediatrician Dr. Rachael Gardner has always been passionate about the connection between healthcare and literacy. Since starting practice seven years ago, she has focused on guiding her patients in supporting their child’s development through building word-rich environments.

    She was excited to learn how the Early Words program could enhance her literacy efforts by providing her clinic with resources and books for families.

    Provencher Pediatrics, a family-run clinic in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is one of this year’s newest Early Words sites. Dr. Gardner leads the clinic with her husband Daniel O’Halloran, who serves as clinic manager. Occasionally, their seven-year-old daughter Lucy takes the Early Words inventory, a process she describes as “easy.”

    When the clinic participated in a pre-survey measuring families’ awareness of early literacy, Dr. Gardner was shocked by the results: only 14% of respondents could recall hearing her talk about the importance of talking, singing, and reading. “I realized that as much as I’m passionate about talking about literacy, I need to actually be doing it every time.”

    Since Provencher has started delivering the Early Words program, Dr. Gardner has seen a shift in her own approach to literacy counselling.

    She can already see the program’s impact: after just six months, 92% of families surveyed can now recall hearing Dr. Gardner talking about the importance of talking, singing, and reading.

    Families who previously did not know they could start reading to their children at such a young age are visibly finding joy in the act of sharing books. “It’s been really nice seeing patients come back with that memory of having got a book, and hearing how they enjoyed it. That definitely sticks out for me: people reporting back how interested in the book their baby was, and how surprised they were by that, or even that they started reading a little bit more with a sibling!”

    Community-based pediatrician Dr. Rachael Gardner reflects on how the Early Words program changed the way her clinic delivers early literacy conversations.

  • Transforming children’s primary healthcare in Canada

    In 2022, the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation (CCLF) and TELUS Health partnered together on an exciting, new project. With the help of EMR technology, we’re reminding health professionals to talk to families about the importance of early literacy at children’s routine health visits.