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Bula Ghosh plays literacy games with children at the Literacy Day event at The Swift Current Mall.

Yesterday, the Southwest Literacy Committee celebrated Family Literacy Day to promote literacy and create awareness.

Bula Ghosh, Literacy Coordinator at Great Plains College and a member of the literacy committee, said, "Our focus is that families make learning fun so that children will have the love of learning and this will stay with them all of their life, that is, lifelong learning and wanting to learn."
 
Formed by various organizations including Great Plains College, Newcomer Welcome Centre, Chinook School Division, ESAP, the Family Advocacy Program, Family Resource Centre, and Swift Current Library, the Southwest Literacy Committee offers programs including Book Bins, Pre-school kits, an International Adult Literacy Day in September and Books for Babies.

Bula said, "Books for Babies are handed out through the Cypress Health Region when the parents come with their babies for their four-month immunization. Cypress Health Region is also a partner in the distribution of our Books for Babies."

Books for Babies packages contain books and child development information such as how to use nursery rhymes effectively and make it fun so children develop fine and gross motor skills while playing and learning.

Chris Harrow, Swift Current Library's Head Librarian was pleased to be involved in this year's Family Literacy Day, saying, "Literacy's extremely important in people's lives. As a library, we like to reach beyond the walls of just the books and reach out to the community at large."

Celebrities Deputy Mayor Ryan Plewis, Tekeyla Friday, Anthea Loran and Chris Harrow read Elsie's Bird to grade three students, a story about moving out west relating to this year's theme 'Journey Through Time' in conjunction with Swift Current's Centennial.

Ghosh added, "Every child will get the book that they have been read to so they will take the book home to their parents and talk about the book. That is a good way of them getting involved in their own learning and then they will ask their parents to read."

Last night, English learners at the College brought their children along with books they read to their children in different languages.

Children were also introduced to the book Elsie's Bird and parents were given tips on how to read to their child.

Bula said, "Because we have a dedicated audience of students who come and they have children with them, this is an opportunity to talk to the parents and find out what they do for their kids, how they use books. It's going to be a cultural learning for everybody. We're hoping that we're going to learn what happens elsewhere and we're going to share with them some of the tips that work very well."

She also stressed the importance of having these programs to encourage early learning and literacy.