Family Literacy Activities

Valentine's Day and Easter are fast approaching. If you are looking for ideas for activities, the Holiday How to Kit on our website has some ideas for you http://www.nwt.literacy.ca/famlit/howtokit/holiday/holiday.pdf. You'll find craft ideas, poems, songs and recipes for Valentine's Day, Easter and birthdays. You will also find all of the other How to Kits produced by the NWT Literacy Council. Have fun!

Parent/Child Activities for February

Check out the Parent/Child Activities for February at the Peel District School Board's website. It has new parent/child activities for all ages: preschool, elementary, middle and secondary school children. http://www.peel.edu.on.ca/parents/activities/act.htm.

The Northern Edge   

The third edition of The Northern Edge is now online at www.nwt.literacy.ca. The Northern Edge is an interactive online newspaper that has articles and online language quizzes written at a level and in a style that is accessible to a range of learners. The third issue includes articles on:

1. Learning about chat rooms
2. Consumer Math – Buying a big ticket item
3. Voices From Tuktoyaktuk
4. Wolverine research in the NWT
5. New Ideas Series: Learning to think in new ways

Adult learners from the Aurora College Community Learning Centre in Tuktoyaktuk did the ‘Voices From Tuktoyaktuk’ piece. They wrote stories about their community and also did the narration. The Consumer Math article deals with buying a big-ticket item like a snowmobile. It has an online calculator where learners can practice their numeracy while figuring out what their monthly payments and how much GST they have to pay.

Community Created Adult Literacy Resources  

The following literacy activities were submitted by adult educators from the NWT. Feel free to download and use these community-created resources. Thanks to those who submitted their work. If you have a resource you'd like to share with others, we'd be happy to add it to our website. http://www.nwt.literacy.ca/adultlit/adultlit.htm.

• What's the Problem? For Adults Who Like a Challenge Solving Math Word Problems by Evelyn Tregidgo, Hay River Aurora College Community Learning Centre
• April Raintree Novel Study by Evelyn Tregidgo, Hay River Aurora College Community Learning Centre
• Aurora Scoop - Fort Resolution Community Newspaper by Adult Learners, Fort Resolution Aurora College Community Learning Centre
• Fort Resolution Writing Booklets by Fort Resolution Aurora College Community Learning Centre
  • "Echoes" - Elders’ Writings
  • "Whispers" - Elders’ Writings
  • "Winning Stories" - Youth Writing Contest
  • "Writing Well" - Adult Writing Contest"

Websites

Learn the Net: Carolyn Coey-Simpson from Wha Ti recommended this website on learning about the Internet - email and the web. www.learnthenet.com/english/index.html

Resources

Looking for some new resources? The NWT Literacy Council Resource Library lends out books and resource kits. Call us at 867-873-9262 if you would like to borrow material from our Resource Library or would like more information.

• Teaching Reading Adults by Dr. Pat Campbell. A resource for adult educators who want to learn more about reading assessment and instruction. The tutor training videos show word recognition and comprehension strategies. You can borrow it from our Resource Library (867-873-9262) or purchase the material from Grass Roots Press at:
  
  Toll Free: 1-888-303-3213
  Email: grassrt@telusplanet.net
  Website: www.literacyservices.com
  
  Resource Package: (2 videos and book)                          $225.00
  Teaching Reading to Adults: A Balanced Approach          $ 39.95
  Word Recognition Video                                                 $ 99.95
  Comprehension Video                                                     $ 99.95
  
  
• Resource Kits - We have resource kits that have a selection of books and videos on various topics. Call us at 867-873-9262 if you would like to borrow a kit from our Resource Library or would like more information. Here is what we have right now.
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
  • Photo Literacy
  • Storysacks

Books by Mail

Did you know that you can borrow books from the library even if you don't have one in your community? The NWT Public Library Services (NWTPLS) offers library service by way of their Borrower-By-Mail (BBM) Service to any individual living within the NWT who does not have access to a local community library. Each shipment sent to you will have prepaid return-mailing label. This enables you to receive and return material at no cost.

As a Borrower-By-Mail patron, you will receive a NWT Public Library Services borrower's card. This will enable you to borrow material from any NWTPLS Community Library should you happen to visit a community with a local community library.

Items sent to you will have varying loan periods:

• Books from NWTPLS are loaned for six weeks
• Talking books and kits (book & audiocassette, book & video, etc.) are loaned for six weeks and will be supplied only if available within NWTPLS
• Videos are loaned for four weeks and will be supplied only if available within NWTPLS
• Music CDs are loaned for four weeks and will be supplied only if available within NWTPLS
• Books borrowed from outside our library system must follow the lending library's regulations

For more information you can call:

NWT Public Library Services
Kevin Lafferty
E-mail: kevin_lafferty@gov.nt.ca
or: toll free phone at: 866-297-0232
or: fax: (867) 874-3321
http://www.nwtpls.gov.nt.ca