All kits have picture books, and activities for your family to learn and read together!

Request the Families Kit
Hello Families! Our theme is all about families. When we share stories about our families, we learn about who we are and where we are from. This kit will take you into the exciting world of family stories.

Request the Kindness Kit 
Hello Friends! Our theme is about friendship and kindness! Friendship and kindness bring joy to all. They help children build social skills and self-confidence. Invite a friend to join the fun of reading together. This kit is a fun way for parents and children to talk about friendships and practice using empathy and kindness.

Request the Nature Kit 
Hello Nature Explorers! Our theme is about enjoying the outdoors! Step outside together and use your senses to listen to nature and to look around carefully. What do you see, smell, feel and hear outside? This box will help explorers experience nature in their community.

Guiding Questions While Reading

When you pick up a book, think of these questions before, during, and after reading it. They will help your child to think aloud, find key points, make connections, and spark their imagination.

Before reading:

• Look at the front cover and the title. What do you think the book is about?
• What do we know about this topic already? What do you think we will learn?
• I wonder who the author is and why they wrote this book?

During reading:

• What have we learned so far from the story? What questions do you have?
• What do you think will happen next?
• What word do you think should come next?
• Can you describe what you see on this page?

After reading:

• What did we learn from the story?
• What are you still wondering about?
• Can you come up with a different ending?

Squishy Letters

Make your own No-Cook Playdough (with an adult).

Ingredients:

• 3 cups boiling water (** ask for help!**)
• 1 1/2 cups salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 3 cups flour

Steps:

1. Grab your 5 ingredients. It is going to get messy so you might want to put on an apron!
2. Mix the first 4 ingredients together.
3. Slowly mix in the flour. Add 1 cup of flower at a time for a total of 3 cups.
4. Knead the dough. Once it is well mixed it should be in a ball shape. Flour your board and knead the ball until smooth.

Storage: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate. It should last for 2 months. Use your discretion.

Making Squishy Letters

Using the playdough is a perfect way to help build fine motor skills.

Roll the dough between your hands to make a long “snake”. Think of some words from the book. Say the letter name and the sound the letter makes. Build letters and words with playdough.

Family Literacy Activities to Try at Home!

Point It Out

• Use your pointer finger to follow the words on the page.
• Point to the pictures:
  • What do you notice?
  • Do you see your favourite colours?
  • What did it make you think of?
• Finger Pointer Wand: Add some fun and try this magic finger wand to point as you read.

Alphabet Race

Spread the alphabet cards face up on a table or the floor. The “reader” chooses any letter from the alphabet and reads it out. Players race to say a word that begins with the same letter. Keep track of points on the whiteboard or play for fun.

Alphabet Play

Choose a letter from the alphabet cards and list as many words as possible starting with it.

• A: Apple, Acorn, Animal, Auntie
• B: Ball, Bumblebee, Big, Best

Talk about what the words mean! If there is a new word from the book, try writing it out using the whiteboard and markers and talking about it.

Watch & Learn!

Here are some books to support your discovery and learning with the Family Literacy Kits.

Local Organizations

A number of local organizations provide diverse programming for children and adults including Family Literacy, Summer Reading Program, Financial Literacy, Family-friendly events, etc.

Kelowna: Project Literacy

Vernon: Literacy Society of The North Okanagan

Salmon Arm: Literacy Alliance of the Shuswap Society

Revelstoke: Revelstoke Life

Resources at the ORL

Here are resources to help you learn more about Literacy.

ORL eBook & eAudiobooks: With thousands of popular fiction and non-fiction eBooks & e-Audiobooks to choose from, this collection will have something for everyone. You can enjoy best-selling novels, classics, self-improvement guides, and much more.

TumbleBooks Library: Find animated talking picture books, read-along chapter books, and graphic novels for kids in Kindergarten through Grade 6.

Library programs: Visit your nearest library branch to see what programming is being offered including Story Time, Book Club, Great Reads for Kids.

Google Lens: Google Lens app can simultaneously translate texts that it captures into multiple languages. It can be used to read books in other languages and show how they sound.

Acknowledgements

Reading, Language, And Mathematics (ReaLM) Lab

This literacy resource was developed by a team from the Reading, Language,and Mathematics (ReaLM) Lab directed by Dr. Jessica Chan, Assistant Professor (Language Arts and Literacy Education), Faculty of Education, Okanagan School of Education, the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Jessica Chan, Julia Magacho, and Yukie Ueda

At the ReaLM Lab we study:

• how children from all language backgrounds learn to read (grades 1-6)
• why some students have difficulties with language and literacy skills
• how language and reading skills support learning in math
• what families and teachers can do to support early literacy

Our Funding Partners

We would like to acknowledge funding received from the: Faculty of Education - Elevate & Mobilize EDI Research Grants in Education (EMERGE) to support the development of the family resource literacy guides. UBC Community Engagement Office – Partnership Recognition and Exploration (PRE) Fund to support the sustainability of family literacy kits.

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Lending Policy

• Each kit can be borrowed for 4 weeks.
• 1 renewal if no one else is waiting for the item. 
• The borrower is responsible for lost, missing, and damaged pieces (see content list with prices included with kit).
• Return the kit to a staff member at the front desk of your nearest ORL location. Do not use the book drop or leave them outside the library. ·
• BC One Card patrons: Library of Things kits must be checked out and returned to one of the Okanagan Regional Library branches.