The Hawthorne Community Clinic in Kincardine is helping to promote childhood literacy with a program that encourages parents to read to their infants and toddlers.
It’s called the Early Words program.
Clinic manager Chrystel Murphy says that taking time to read to your baby helps them grasp language early on.
“Literacy development is really important for your kids. It helps create a bond between the child and the parent, but also those first words during the early years are crucial to success later on.”
She says the response from patient families has been positive, and families who bring their babies in from birth to two years of age for their regular check-ups will receive a book from each visit.
“So over the first two years of check-ups, you end up with a small library of books to read at home.”
The program is supported by the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation.