News release

Atlantic Provinces to Promote French Reading Literacy

Council of Atlantic Premiers

ATLANTIC PREMIERS--Atlantic Provinces to Promote French Reading Literacy


With the launch of literacy booklets, school principals, teachers and parents now have more tools to promote French reading literacy in the Acadian and francophone communities of the Atlantic provinces.

Under the auspices of the Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation, and on behalf of the four education ministers in the Atlantic provinces, Dennis Furlong, New Brunswick Education Minister, today launched four literacy booklets in Moncton, N.B. The books are:

  • Mot de passe : littératie -- Livret destiné aux parents
  • Mot de passe : littératie -- A Booklet Intended for Parents
  • Mot de passe : littératie -- Livret destiné au personnel enseignant
  • Mot de passe : littératie -- Livret destiné aux directions d'école

These booklets promote the concept of literacy in everyday communication situations. The booklets put forward strategies and pathways for encouraging the development and maintenance of literacy, creating an environment favourable to the development of reading, and helping to awaken and cultivate a positive attitude in the child toward reading.

The booklet Mot de passe : littératie -- Livret destiné aux parents is intended to enable francophone parents to identify and develop sound practices at home in order to promote reading. It is also intended to develop aptitudes and attitudes in reading outside the school setting and to create opportunities for discovering the joy of reading.

"All forms of literacy begin in the home," said Mr. Furlong. "It is hoped that this booklet will encourage parents -- their child's first model -- to demonstrate an interest in reading and take advantage of every opportunity to read with and for their child. The best place for children to learn their mother tongue and discover reading is in the home."

Mot de passe : littératie-- A Booklet Intended for Parents is a resource for homes in which at least one parent speaks English. It is designed to help parents provide support to their children's language development in French.

Newfoundland and Labrador's Education Minister Judy Foote believes this booklet is important in helping improve literacy among young francophones in the province.

"I am pleased we can provide these supports to parents and children seeking to acquire or improve French language skills," she said.

Mot de passe : littératie -- Livret destiné au personnel enseignant presents reading literacy strategies for the classroom.

Jeff Lantz, Education Minister for Prince Edward Island, believes that teachers play a fundamental role in teaching students to read.

"I encourage teachers to continue to provide students with opportunities to read texts that are adapted to their reading level and their stage of cognitive development in order to create the conditions essential to fostering and maintaining reading skills in the classroom."

Mot de passe : littératie -- Livret destiné aux directions d'école advocates a reading culture in the schools and explains how literacy underlies the educational mission of schools.

According to Jane Purves, Education Minister for Nova Scotia, school principals play a leading role in literacy.

"One of the most important mandates of school principals is ensuring that every student learns to read and that mechanisms are put in place to promote reading," Ms. Purves said. "School principals must see to it that reading strategies are integrated in all school subjects."

The education ministers all support the concept of early childhood literacy. The provinces face the same challenges and the same issues relating to reading literacy. The ministers said they are pleased that these co-operative efforts will have a positive effect on Acadian and francophone schools and communities in the region. The regional initiatives support the literacy initiatives that are planned or under way in each province.

The Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation is an agency of the Council of Maritime Premiers. It is composed of the education ministers of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Its goal is to promote regional co-operation in education.