Nourishing Foundations for Literacy Development helps make parents of young children (2-5 years) aware of their role in their children's future educational experiences. The program helps train parents on how best to carry out this role through caring, playing, oral language and print activities. This motivates young children towards literacy, develops healthy personalities, sound bodies, sound minds, positive self-concept and positive social relationships. New target participants included elders, babysitters, family learning centre workers and daycare workers.

During discussion it was noted that these programs are geared towards adults who can read. What about adults who can't? The Mother Goose Program, for example, provides information in both print and tape format. It was reiterated that parents who can't read can still interact with their children in language development. Program facilitators can assist the parent/caregiver to effectively interact with the child. To encourage the participation of adults with low literacy skills the programs need to be fun, informal and not structured like in a school setting.

A2 -- Supporting Family Literacy Through Community-Based Programs

Presenters: Hope Colbourne, Program Coordinator, Northern Peninsula/Labrador Straits Family Resource Centre Inc.; Deborah Capps, Program Coordinator, Brighter Futures Coalition, St. John's; Lois Roberts, Program Director, Aboriginal Family Centre, Aboriginal HeadStart Initiative, Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

The presenters began by outlining some of the programs their centres have been involved in. The following programs are community-based programs or provide support and resources to community-based literacy programs:

Book of the Month - provides access to good books
Books for Babies
Computer literacy projects - develop and extend computer skills
Early Learning Canada- three foci: 1) Parents are primary caregivers and teachers, 2) Learning is a natural process, 3) Parents who know how their children learn will be best equipped to help their children learn.
Healthy Baby Program- health support during pregnancy
Home Play Program
Literacy and Parent support - meets the needs of people who wish to improve their literacy skills
Mother Goose
Nobody's Perfect-- For 0 - 5 years, 6 - 8 week sessions
Nutrition workshops - informal group sessions, assisted by a nutritionist
Parents as Teaching Partners
Programs for effective parent support - support groups led by trained parents, based on parents being supported in their roles as parents
Paired Reading -- Positive Reading Practice

PRINTS
Read to Succeed
School Readiness Program
Toy and book lending