ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᕆᐊᕈᑎᑦ

General Support

ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᑎᑎᖅᑭᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ

ᓱᕈᓰᑦ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᓲᖑᒻᒪᑕ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ, ᓱᕈᓯᐅᑉ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥ ᑐᓵᔭᖏᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᐊᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᓛᖑᓲᑦ. ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕐᓂᖅ, ᑎᑎᕋᕐᓂᖅ, ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕐᓗ ᕿᑐᕐᖓᕐᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᖅᑭᕆᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑑᑎᖃᓛᖑᓲᑦ. ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥ ᐅᕝᕙ ᐅᑯᐊ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᕆᐊᕈᑎᒋᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᓯ ᑎᑎᖅᑭᕆᒋᐅᖅᓴᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ.

Teaching literacy at home

While children learn a lot of language skills at school, a child’s first and most consistent exposure to language is in the home. Reading, writing, and speaking with your child will help develop their literacy skills. Here are some tips to help you reinforce and support literacy skills development at home:

ᐊᔪᕆᖅᓲᔾᔨᒋᐊᕈᑎᑦ

  • ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒃᐹᓪᓕᕐᓗᑎᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥ. ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᑎᒍᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᓕᐅᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᓯ, ᓲᕐᓗ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑎᒋᓂᖅᓴᕆᓗᒍ ᕿᑐᕐᖓᐃᑦ, ᑎᑎᕋᕐᓗᓯ ᓱᓇᒃᑯᑖᑦ ᐊᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᕐᓂ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖕᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᑑᑎᕚᓪᓕᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᕐᓗᑎᒃ, ᖃᐅᑕᒫᓯᐅᑎᓂᒃ, ᐊᒡᓛᑦ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᓂᐊᖅᑕᔅᓯᓐᓂᒃ! ᓱᕈᓰᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᑐᓵᖃᑦᑕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᑎᑎᖅᑭᕆᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᕚᓪᓕᕈᑎᒋᓲᖏᑦ.
  • ᐊᐱᖅᓱᖅᐸᓪᓗᓯ. ᕿᑐᕐᖓᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒃᑎᓪᓗᒍᓘᓐᓂᑦ ᐃᓕᖕᓄᑦ, ᐊᐱᕆᖃᑦᑕᕆᑦ ᑭᐅᔭᐅᓇᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᑯᓄᖓᑐᐊᖅ “ᐄ” “ᐋᒃᑲ.” ᑭᐅᓂᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᐱᖅᑯᑎᖕᓂᒃ ᓱᕈᓰᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᕚᓪᓕᓲᑦ, ᑐᑭᓯᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᖏᓐᓄᓪᓗ ᐱᕚᓪᓕᕈᑎᒋᓲᑦ.
  • ᐱᖖᒍᐊᖃᑎᒌᑉᐸᓪᓗᓯ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᓂᒃ. ᐊᔾᔨᒌᑦᑎᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓇᓱᐊᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕐᓗ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᕚᓪᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᓲᖅ.

ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᔪᕆᖅᓲᔾᔨᒋᐊᕈᑎᑦ

  • ᐅᖃᓕᒫᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑎᑦᑎᕙᓪᓗᓯ. ᐊᔪᖏᒃᑯᕕᑦ, ᕿᑐᕐᖓᑎᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᖃᑎᒋᕙᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᐅᑕᒫᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᓯᕚᓪᓕᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕐᓂᕐᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᓗᑎᒃ. ᐅᖃᓕᒫᖅᐸᒃᑯᕕᑦ ᑕᑯᔅᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓂᐊᕋᕕᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᕐᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕐᓂᖅ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᒫᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᓐᓇᕐᒪᑦ.
  • ᐃᓱᒪᒋᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ, ᑕᒻᒪᕐᓂᖏᐅᖏᑦᑐᖅ. ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕆᐅᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᕚᓪᓕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᖅᐱᒋᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᑦ, ᓱᕈᓯᖅ ᖁᓱᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑦ.
  • ᕿᓄᐃᓵᕐᓗᑎᑦ. ᓱᕈᓯᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᓕᒪᖖᒋᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕆᐅᖅᓴᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐱᕕᖃᖅᑎᓐᓂᐊᖅᐸᑦ. ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᒋᑦ, ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᓇᓱᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᓕᖅᑭᒃᑖᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᒪᑕ, ᓱᕈᓰᓪᓗ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᓲᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓈᒻᒪᒋᔭᒥᖕᓂᒃ.

General Tips

  • Increase language in the home. You can do this in many ways, such as speaking frequently with your children, labelling common items or places in your home to help develop their vocabulary, and writing stories, journals, or even grocery lists! When children see and hear more language at home, they are more likely to develop strong literacy skills.
  • Ask questions. When your children are reading, writing, or speaking with you, ask questions that cannot simply be answered with a “yes” or “no.” Answering your questions prompts your children to think more deeply, which will help boost their comprehension and analysis skills.
  • Play word games. Playing matching and memory games with vocabulary words is a fun way to boost word recognition skills.

Reading Tips

  • Model good reading practices. If you are able, read every day with your children to develop their reading skills and to show them that reading is an enjoyable task. Reading yourself every day also demonstrates to children that reading is a lifelong activity. 
  • Focus on successes, not mistakes. All early reading experiences should focus on praising success, as this will build confidence in the child.
  • Be patient. When children are practicing to sound out a new word, give them time to do so. Remember, learning to read takes a lot of practice, and children learn at their own pace.

ᑎᑎᕋᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᔪᕆᖅᓲᔾᔨᒋᐊᕈᑎᑦ

  • ᑎᑎᕋᕆᐅᖅᓴᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑲᔪᖏᖅᓴᖃᑦᑕᒃᑭᑦ. ᓱᕈᓯᓛᑦ ᐃᒻᒥᖕᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᓱᕆᓲᖑᒻᒪᑕ, ᓱᕈᓰᓪᓗ ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᒡᒐᕐᓇᕆᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂ. ᓱᕈᓯᓛᑦ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᓲᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐃᓚᖏᓪᓗ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓘᔭᓲᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ, “ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑐᕆᒻᒪᑕ,” ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓕᓵᖅᑐᓪᓗ ᓇᐃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᖅᑑᔭᖅᑕᖏᑕ ᐊᑖᒍᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᓲᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᐃᓐᓇᕆᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᐅᒃ! ᐃᓱᒫᓗᒋᖏᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᑦᑎᐊᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᖁᓱᖏᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑎᖖᒍᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖏᓪᓕ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᕐᓗᒋᑦ.
  • ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖏᑕ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕐᓗᑎᒃ. ᐊᖏᔪᒃᑏᑦ ᓱᕈᓰᑦ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᑉ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᕙᓪᓕᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ ᑐᓴᖅᑕᐅᖁᔨᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᐊᔪᕐᓇᖏᑦᑕᕌᖓᑦ, ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑎᑉᐸᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖏᑕ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ. ᓱᕈᓰᑦ ᑎᑎᖅᑑᔭᓲᖑᒻᒪᑕ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑐᑎᒡᓗ ᓄᓇᖖᒍᐊᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᕙᓗᐊᕈᑕᖖᒍᐊᖏᑕ ᓇᓃᓐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ; ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕆᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᐊᔪᕆᖅᓲᔾᔨᔾᔪᑎᓂᒃ ᐱᖖᒍᐊᒐᖏᑕ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒡᓘᓐᓃᑦ; ᐊᑭᓐᓇᕐᒥᐅᑕᓕᐅᕈᓐᓇᕐᒥᔪᑦ ᐱᓪᓚᕆᖕᓂᒃ ᑐᓴᖅᑕᐅᖁᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ; ᐊᓯᐊᓗᖏᓪᓗ.
  • ᑎᑎᕋᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᒪᔭᒥᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᓗᓯᐅᒃ. ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᓕᒫᖏᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᐅᑉ ᑎᑎᖅᑭᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᕚᓪᓕᕈᑕᐅᖕᒪᑕ. ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᓕᒫᖏᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᓯᕐᓂᒃ ᒪᓕᒃᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᖏᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᐸᑕ ᖃᓄᐃᖏᒻᒪᑦ “ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᒨᖓᓗᑎᒡᓗ.” ᕿᑐᕐᖓᐃᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖃᑦᑕᖁᓗᒍ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᒪᔭᒥᑕ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᑲᔪᖏᖅᓴᖃᑦᑕᕈᒃ, ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᒋᔭᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ. ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᓖᑦ ᖃᐅᑕᒫᖅᓯᐅᑎᓂᒃ, ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐅᖃᓗᕋᐅᔭᐅᓯᐅᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐃᖖᒋᒐᕐᓂᒃ, ᐊᓯᐊᓗᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ. ᑲᔪᖏᖅᓴᖃᑦᑕᕈᒃ ᕿᑐᕐᖓᐃᑦ ᓇᓕᐊᓐᓂᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᑖᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᑎᑎᕋᖃᑦᑕᖁᓗᒍ.

ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓈᓚᖕᓂᕐᒥᒡᓗ ᐊᔪᕆᖅᓲᔾᔨᒋᐊᕈᑎᑦ

  • ᐃᖖᒋᖖᒍᐊᕈᑎᓂᒃ, ᐅᖃᓗᕋᐅᔭᐅᑎᓂᒃ, ᐃᖖᒋᐅᑎᓂᒡᓗ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᓪᓗᓯ ᐅᖅᑲᕆᓕᕈᑕᐅᕙᖕᒪᑕ. ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒃᑲᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᑦᑎᐊᓲᖑᒻᒪᑕ ᓂᐱᖏᓪᓗ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑕᖅᑐᑎᒃ. ᐃᖖᒋᖖᒍᐊᕈᑎᑦ, ᐅᖃᓗᕋᐅᔭᐅᑏᓪᓗ, ᐃᖖᒋᒐᐃᓪᓗ ᓱᕈᓯᓛᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕆᐅᖅᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᖕᒪᑕ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒋᐅᖅᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ. 
  • ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᐅᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᕆᑦᑎ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᒡᓗ. ᒪᒃᑯᒃᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᑐᓪᓗ ᐃᓱᒪᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᓂᖅᓴᐅᓲᖑᒻᒪᑕ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑐᓵᔭᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ. ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᑎᑉᐸᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑎᒋᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᓕᖕᓂᒃ, ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᐱᕆᕙᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓈᓚᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᓪᓗᒋᓪᓗ ᑭᒡᒍᑎᖏᑦ. ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᑕᑭᓂᖅᓴᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᖃᑎᒋᕙᖕᒥᓗᒋᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᖁᑎᑦᑎᑦ (ᓲᕐᓗ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᖅᑎᐅᖃᑎᒌᑎᑐᑦ) ᓱᖖᒍᐊᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐊᑲᐅᖖᒋᓕᐅᕈᑎᖖᒍᐊᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ, ᐃᓄᖖᒍᐊᖏᑕᓗ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑎᑉᐸᓪᓗᒋᑦ. 

Writing Tips

  • Encourage all writing. Young children are just beginning to think of themselves as writers, and some children find writing overwhelming. Very young children may draw pictures and scribble to “write,” and early school-age children may simply create short labels for drawings. Celebrate all of it! Worry less about the accuracy of their writing and more about developing their confidence as writers.
  • Write about interests. Older children are learning a lot about the world around them and often like to share their new interests. Whenever possible, connect writing tasks to these interests. Children can draw and write maps to secret forts or real places; they can write how-to manuals for a new game they learned to play or a new stitch they learned in sewing; they can organize interesting facts about a topic into an informative poster; and so on.
  • Focus on authentic writing. All opportunities to write are important for a child’s literacy development. Not all writing needs to follow a specific structure or be “for the teacher.” Encourage your children to write in ways and about topics that are authentic, or important, to them. They may enjoy writing in a journal, creating blog posts, writing stories, poetry, or songs, and so on. Encourage your children to write in any of these formats.

Speaking and Listening Tips

  • Use chants, poems, and songs to help develop fluency. A fluent reader can read smoothly and expressively. The patterns in rhythmic text such as chants, poems, and songs help young children develop fluent reading and speaking skills.
  • Discuss books and current events. Preteens and teens are beginning to think more critically about what they read and hear. Help develop those skills by having more in-depth discussions with your children about a variety of topics, making sure to ask for their opinions and listen respectfully to their responses. You may also consider reading a novel alongside your teenager (like a book club) so that you can discuss the plot, conflict, and character development in more detail.