Since 1966, International Literacy Day has been celebrated on September 8th. The day was chosen by UNESCO as an opportunity for communities to reflect on their achievements and work toward new goals in expanding literacy.
International Literacy Day 2020 focuses on “literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond,” especially on the role of educators and changing teaching approaches and methodologies. The COVID-19 crisis has been a stark reminder of the existing gap between policy discourse and reality: a gap that already existed in the pre-COVID-19 era and negatively affects the learning of those with lower literacy skills, who therefore tend to face many disadvantages.
This is an opportunity to reflect on and discuss how innovative and effective strategies can be used within literacy programs to face the pandemic and beyond. Additionally, it is a chance to explore the role of educators, as well as the policies and structures that govern them, in order to best support students’ learning.
This year, WITS asks you to join us in recognizing the importance of International Literacy Day as we forge ahead in our mission to support students across the City of Chicago.
INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY ACTIVITIES
Check out these great ways to celebrate International Literacy Day from NationalToday.com
- Donate books to neighborhood schools/libraries. Elementary school classroom libraries always need fresh reading material to keep young students interested in reading. Ask your child’s teachers for a wish list of books they know students will enjoy and donate them to the class. If you don’t have a child in school, ask coworkers, relatives or neighbors about donating to their children’s classroom libraries. Also, check out https://www.donorschoose.org/ for wish lists from teachers around the country.
- Gift a book. Children are naturally curious about the world around them. Reading satisfies their desire to learn and stirs their imaginations. Don’t forget that adults appreciate receiving books as gifts, too!
- Start a community lending library. Start a small lending library in your neighborhood. In 2009, Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin started the first “Free Little Library” to make book sharing easily accessible and available anytime for people in his community. His concept of “take a book, return a book” is based on the honor system. These little libraries are accessible 24/7 and there are never any late fees or fines. To find a Free Little Library near you, visit: https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/
LITERACY IS IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE
Reading is a workout for the brain! Not only is it important for young learners, reading, writing, and working with numbers strengthens brain cells as we age, reducing the changes of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia later in life. Learning to read and write improves our ability to communicate with others by enhancing our language skills, allowing us to express emotions, opinions, and ideas more clearly and effectively. Literacy is the key to personal empowerment and can give us a positive sense of self-identity and confidence.
Literacy is a global value, and it is deserving of our attention and efforts. Reading matters. Everywhere we go, we encounter written language – and we are more equipped to handle the world around us when we are able to interpret written messages. International Literacy Day is an opportunity to thank those in our lives – whether they are teachers, family members, mentors, or friends – who invested the time to help us learn to read. Literacy is a gift and a tool that stays with us throughout our lives.
