As our staff worked away, on another edition of the Wellington Advertiser, an email showed up from The Learning Foundation to remind us that Tuesday was, in fact, Family Literacy Day.
A week or two ago, Bruce Schieck, an Upper Grand District School Board trustee, commented that kids learn to read until the age of five and then spend a lifetime reading to learn. For some, reading is very simple and natural. Others truly have to work at it, but in the end, people who acquire the skill are at a marked advantage when it comes to higher education or their careers.
In recent years, the County of Wellington has embarked on the mammoth task of upgrading library facilities throughout the county. Comfortable space has been generated in these new facilities to foster an environment of learning, whether that is the fumbling steps of a young child learning phonics, or a senior citizen poking away at a keyboard on the Internet. The option of learning, aided by capable staff, is a benefit to us all.
Obviously we have a bias for the printed word and the need to read. We cannot imagine a world without tales of adventure in far-away places, nor without books on history and other hobbies. Our lives are enriched with the work of poets and artists. And now, after centuries of text and engravings, the new generation is blessed with access to the world through the Internet. But at the nub of it all is the ability to recognize words and read a sentence, then a paragraph, and chapter.
Some years ago, an acquaintance was learning to read after working for probably 30 years. Road signs and the basics got him by, but it was not until he was introduced to story books, books where a tape accompanied a book, that he really got it. He was like a kid with a new toy, reading many classics and learning more about his hobbies and areas of interest. Now at a party or in conversation he could add his own comments because he was plugged in and could read. His confidence improved, which was fantastic on one hand, yet a little sad too, that so many years had been wasted hiding the fact he could not read.
One of the greatest gifts for a child is getting in on reading. The libraries in Wellington County have numerous opportunities for parents with young children, so by all means, check out their website or call your local branch.
Literacy is one of the key building blocks to productivity and a peaceful existence.
