National Adult Literacy Database

This week, we are launching 7 stories written by students from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. These students are enrolled at SIAST-Kelsey Campus, at the Literacy Centre. As a special event you can read their stories as well as hear them.

The family unit is the key to the success of any family literacy program. It is through the family that the seeds of literacy grow. The role of the parent as a model cannot be under-estimated. It is through modeling that the child establishes lifetime patterns. When parents read to their children, reading becomes a positive. Not only are the parents showing the child that reading can be an enjoyable thing, but the experience allows the parent to develop his or her own skills. The promotion and encouragement of family literacy is one of the mandates of the SIAST Kelsey Campus Literacy Program. In our efforts to achieve and validate this the students from the literacy class have created children's storybooks. The students receive a copy of the book that is theirs to take home. The books are to be shared with their own family and extended family units in the spirit of family literacy. These are some selected stories from the two children's book Unicorns and Dragon Tales.

My name is Ernestine Shingler attending literacy class at SIAST, Kelsey Campus in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I enjoy exercising, walking and dancing. The reasons why I went back to school are to get my education so I could get a better job and to read to my two grandsons. I couldn't do that before. I couldn't read or write.

 

Play an audio version of this story

Unicorns

by Ernestine Shingler

There once was a beautiful valley; no one knew about it, expect for one man. He had kept this a secret for many years. He had made a promise to a family of unicorns to keep them safe.

The two beautiful unicorns had gold colored horns on their foreheads; their coats were a shinny white. They had a baby unicorn. She had a little horn on her forehead. The small unicorn never left her parents sides for a minute. She would not go to anyone expect for the old man that lived there down in the valley.

One moonlit evening I decided to go for a walk. All of sudden I noticed a bright light. It was coming from this beautiful valley. Once I had dreamed about a secret valley; I had always wanted to go there.

This was my chance to find out where all the lights were coming from. I decided to check it out. I began walking quickly toward the light. To my surprise I met the old man. He asked me where I was going. I told him I was going to check out the light from the valley.

The old man told me about the unicorn family that lived there. He made me promise not to tell anyone. If I promised he would take me to meet the unicorns. I was so excited.

When we arrived in the valley, I just stood there and stared at three beautiful unicorns. I was speechless.

The unicorns were surprised and afraid of me, but the old man at my side assured the unicorn family that I could be trusted. The unicorn welcomed me as a friend. I was so happy; I started asking the unicorn questions. I asked about how they came to this earth and how they got the horn on their foreheads. The three beautiful unicorns, their horns lighting up the sky, laughed. They said one day they would tell all about how they got their horns.

Just then the old man, who was standing beside me, said it was time to go. It was getting too late and it was time for the unicorns to move on. I was sad and happy at the same time. The unicorn family promised one day we would meet again in another lifetime.

The old man walked me back to where he had found me. He made me promise to think it was just a beautiful dream. I'll never forget it.