Learning Together: Read and Write With Your Child is a new kind of program where parents and children learn and have fun together. There are three different parts to the program: sessions for parents where they learn about how their children become readers and writers, and learn ways to help their children in the early stages of reading and writing. Parents can also improve their own reading and writing skills at the same time, and earn a certificate; sessions for children where they receive an enriched early childhood program that will help them acquire the necessary skills for being successful readers and writers; and sessions for parents and children together where parents practice what they've learned about supporting their children's language and literacy development.

 
The first Learning Together sessions will run from January to March 2000. Over a period of twelve weeks, parents and children will take part in 96 hours of sessions.

Learning Together is so exciting! It's the first time a program like this has been offered in Canada. But we know that it holds a lot of promise, because it's been very successful in the United Kingdom. A research study done in 1994/95 showed that programs resulted in significant benefits by boosting children's literacy, parents' ability to help their children, and parents' literacy.

Because these first programs are going to provide a model for subsequent programs across the province, they will be thoroughly evaluated by a research team from the University of Alberta. Funding for project development and initial evaluation is being provided by the National Literacy Secretariat of Human Resources Development Canada. Funding for program delivery is being provided by Community Programs of Alberta Learning.

For more information on Learning Together, contact: