Blog

How does making something out of duct tape help increase youth literacy and essential skills? How can a cooking class develop literacy skills beyond just reading a recipe and measuring ingredients? Can digital technology get young people interested in learning again? The answers were covered in our recent Skill Builders for Youth training event. Nine participants travelled recently from Deline,… Read more.

Birds are returning, the ice is leaving, the first tentative flowers and leaves are boldly bursting out - summer is in the air! After a busy winter full of community visits, conferences, and training events we’re gearing up for summer family literacy activities. We’ve pulled our Book Mobile out of the shed and pumped up the tires to get ready for our weekly visits to the Yellowknife Farmer's… Read more.

Literacy is a life long journey. It begins at birth with parents talking, singing, cooking, making things, reading, playing games, telling stories and sharing experiences with their child. At the NWT Literacy Council, we call this stage of the literacy journey “family literacy”. It starts at birth and lasts until a child enters elementary school. Family literacy is about families doing things… Read more.

This is an exciting week for a lover of Canadian children’s books, a proud mom, and a very thankful daughter. It’s TD Canadian Children’s Book Week, May 6-13, and then Mother’s Day is on Sunday. TD Canadian Children’s Book Week celebrates the amazing work of Canadian authors. The many talented children’s authors in Canada make it hard to pick my favourites. My mom nurtured my love of Canadian… Read more.

We want photos of your child (aged 0-6 years) reading a book. Your photo will help promote the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program. We've teamed up with the Yellowknife Public Library to encourage all NWT families to read 1000 Books Before Kindergarten. We know the brains of babies develop fast during the first years of life. You can help that brain development by reading books with your… Read more.

I am passionate about physical literacy. Physical literacy is for all ages, skills, and abilities. It allows people to actively participate in their communities and with their families, as well as keep healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally. Physical literacy can be defined as “the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility… Read more.

Last week was such an inspiration! The elders at the Indigenous Languages Network Gathering in Yellowknife made statements such as: "The gift of our language is very powerful" and "It's all in our hearts" and "There's a magic to it." For the fourth year, the NWT Literacy Council has brought together the coordinators of the Indigenous language communities. They share information about their work… Read more.

I was reminded again of the power of personal stories last week. I listened to four women from Kenya, the Philippines, Iran and India tell their stories of coming to Canada at a conference in Calgary. Some were fleeing from persecution in their country. Others wanted to make a better life for their children. Some were highly skilled workers who came for employment for themselves or their spouse.… Read more.

It has long been a dream of CBC broadcasters and many people in the North to preserve the rich collection of content we have in Indigenous languages. CBC is now embarking on this project. It is a project ‘of the heart’. Our Indigenous language collection represents a living record of the languages and cultures of the North. The preservation and restoration of the collection speaks to the mandate… Read more.

What do health and wellness and literacy have to do with each other? A lot! Research shows that people with higher levels of literacy and essential skills are generally healthier and live longer. They are better able to communicate with health care providers, navigate the health care system, and have fewer medication errors. They tend to have higher incomes and are able to maintain an active,… Read more.