Guest blog by Dr. Sam Wong
Ever since my childhood I have appreciated the entertainment and learning value of reading. As a child, I often spent my summer days curled up in a chair or lying in bed reading whatever book I could find in the library that struck my interest. Growing up in a small town in Saskatchewan I soon ran out of children's books and often had to find other subjects to read about. This led me to have a wide variety of interests today.
Now as a pediatrician, I often see the effects that literacy or low literacy can have on the health and well being of children. I see children with speech delay and behaviour issues that arise from their inability to communicate with their parents and peers. This has become so common that it is the norm with some people that their children do not speak until three or four years of age.
I often wonder what would have happened had the parents or caregivers spent 10-15 minutes a day reading and singing to their child. The Canadian Pediatric Society which represents all the pediatricians in Canada, promotes children’s health. That promotion includes a literacy program called Read, Speak, Sing. We are working with the NWT Literacy Council to give books to our patients and promote early literacy.
As pediatricians we see the importance to a child's development that literacy can play. We believe that one doesn't necessarily need to read a book to the child but that one should spend 15 minutes or more per day telling stories, reading, or singing to their children from the time that they are infants to the time they're in school and possibly beyond.
This would improve speech development, strengthen family bonds and improve literacy. Hopefully it would also nurture a lifelong love of stories and books.
The theme for NWT Literacy Week (September 21-27) is Literacy: Our health depends on it! Click here for more information about the links between health and literacy.
