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And That's The Scoop: Build your literacy and social skills at the same time
Richard Froese
for Smoky River Express
Literacy skills for adults – and people of all ages – are important and essential in order to communicate, function and survive in today’s world.
As we celebrate Family Literacy Day on Jan. 27, take time to ensure that as adults of all ages, we have strong literacy skills to our best ability.
For the younger generations, the language of social media has become a wishy-washy dialect that is corrupting the language of their mother tongue.
To ensure your language and literacy skills are strong and effective, always use proper full words and sentences and correct grammar and punctuation whenever you communicate.
Remember, literacy skills are is like a muscle – if you don’t use it, you lose it.
With the language of the social media, would you want to learn a dialect that more suits cave men, not a modern language?
If you want to build your skills locally, contact Smoky River Community Adult Learning and Literacy located in the office building of the Municipal District of Smoky River in Falher or phone them at 780-837-3013.[-
Life Literacy Canada offers several tips to encourage adult literacy.
Reading and writing are important elements in everyone’s daily lives.
Spending just 15 minutes a day engaged in these activities can enhance your skills and lead to living a fully engaged life in all areas.
Life Literacy Alberta offers several tips
to build literacy skills for adults
Here are a few ideas you can use to add reading and writing to your day:
.When choosing a book to read, start small.
There are great stories of all lengths available at the public library in Falher and McLennan.
.Try something new like a puzzle, crossword or other brainteasers to work your abstract thinking skills. These activities can be found in newspapers, books, online and as downloadable apps on your phone.
.If you feel like you’re getting bored or your mind is going elsewhere, make a switch. Try reading aloud for a few pages, take a break and then go back to reading aloud. This also improves verbal communication skills.
.Listening to books on tape is a great way to develop the story and captivate the setting in your mind.
.When deciding what to read next, it doesn’t always have to be a novel. Picking up the newspaper on the way to work, reading the latest issue of a magazine or even flyers that come in the mail all provide new information and reading resources.
.Read a few times a week to your child, niece, nephew or grandchild.
.Try writing notes to a loved one such as a spouse, parent, friend or child. When sharing a card, whether it’s for a birthday, Mother’s or Father’s Day, graduation, or other special ceremonies, write a few paragraphs to show them how much they mean to you.
Developing these literacy skills enhances confidence in the workplace and in your personal life.
Making the process enjoyable will create lifelong literacy skills and provides opportunities you may not have considered before.
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