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Multicultural Book Buddies is a four-month program that focuses on the unique needs of families from diverse ethnic backgrounds building awareness and emphasizing the importance of first-language literacy in families. The program provides parents of preschool children with books and ideas to support shared reading and other literacy activities in their home.
Besides providing reading materials for families who face barriers in accessing services, the provision of multicultural literature also works to facilitate inter-group understanding and harmony.
- Working with the partner agency, a family literacy facilitator chooses books with the specific group in mind
- A facilitator spends a few hours a month talking with the participants about family literacy practices and models ways of using books that participants can use with their families
- Participants borrow age and stage appropriate books to take home and share with their children (once a week, for the duration of the program)
- Within a group setting, participants share strategies, questions and concerns about reading with their children
- Participants are shown how to choose books and how to make sure that books are not misplaced or lost
- Participants are given family literacy materials and free books at the end of the session
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- Parents increase their awareness of the importance of doing literacy and language activities in both their first and additional languages
- Parents understand the importance of shared reading
- Families have more books in their homes
- Parents and partner agencies are aware of the roles of adult and family literacy in the development of healthy families and communities
- Parents have the opportunity to learn about others’ values and beliefs through discussions of first language literacy and family and cultural practices
- Families have the opportunity to read books that have positive messages about other cultures, including Canada’s Aboriginal peoples.
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Multicultural Book Buddies is funded by:
Success By 6®
For more information on this program, please call (780) 421-7323 or e-mail info@famlit.ca
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What parents have said about the program:
"I read her the stories from the pictures and make up my own sentences. If I had to read it, because English is not my first language, it would take too long. And, this way I change the story every time and get many different ones from the same book."
"She (3 year old child) reads to her 6 month old brother."
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