When I started at the NWT Literacy Council in August 2015, I was a 23-year-old recent graduate. This feels like quite a long time ago now! Over the years I’ve worked in a few different positions and on a variety of projects at NWTLC; but I started off in one of our flagship programs, which is Family Literacy.
To say I learned a lot during this time would be an understatement. I learned about emergent literacy skills in babies and toddlers, the importance of talking to your baby using rich and varied language (including “serve and return” interaction), all about the early years of brain and language development (85% of brain development happens between birth and age 3), and a lot more. Now, all these years later, I am finally able to put all my family literacy knowledge to use with my own baby.
As a NWTLC employee, I have a strong belief in the role of parents as babies’ first teachers. I know the importance of using books, singing songs and talking to help babies’ early language and brain development. One of my favourite parts of working in Family Literacy was all the great books that were involved in my work. That being said, I was happy to receive so many great books for baby, from friends, family and of course all my lovely NWTLC co-workers! These are some of our favourites:
- Black and white books are great for very young babies who are working on developing their eyesight! High contrast books are a great first selection for baby’s library.
- Black White: A High Contrast Book For Newborns by Tana Hoban
- Babies love to look at other babies’ faces, which is why we love baby face books! A baby face book where the babies show a range of emotions is a great choice.
- Making Faces: A First Book of Emotions by Abrams Appleseed
- It’s great to see the ever-growing selection of books written by Indigenous and northern authors. It’s important for children to be able to see themselves, their friends and their home environments represented in books and media, which makes this book genre a favourite for us!
- Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk
- You Come from the Stars by Tanya Snow
- Some of my favourite books are “classics” that were read to me by my parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Now they have been passed along to me to read to my child!
- The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
I am thrilled that we’ll get to continue adding books to our home library through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program! For more information on how you can sign up for the program, please email Nicole at nicole@nwtliteracy.ca
- Charlotte Upton, Project Specialist- Three for Change
We wish Charlotte and her partner all the best in the start of their parenthood journey! We will miss having Charlotte at the office, but can’t wait to hear about all the books she and baby Mac are reading. Congratulations from all of us at NWTLC!
If you are looking for assistance with Three for Change or Skill Builders for Youth while Charlotte is on leave, please email nicole@nwtliteracy.ca for Three for Change or belinda@nwtliteracy.ca for Skill Builders.
