Welcome to the Early Literacy Specialist section of our website.  We have compiled an exciting listing of literacy websites for Parents, Children and Professionals.  For example, on the www.starfall.com site, children have access to interactive literacy and numeracy activities.  Free writing journals for classroom use are available for teachers. You can contact our Early Literacy Specialist directly at: Early Literacy Specialist 9 Selkirk Street (inside the public school building) Box 1209 Terrace Bay, ON P0T 2W0 Phone: 807-825-1713 Fax: 807-825-1863 Email: Brass Bell-eyls@shaw.ca   History The Early Years Study  The Early Years Study was commissioned at the Spring 1998 Throne Speech to advise government on the best ways to prepare all of Ontarios young children for scholastic, career and social success.  The Early Years Study, chaired by Dr. Fraser Mustard and the Honourable Margaret McCain, synthesizes the latest research on child development and examines Ontario's experience with successful community initiatives focused on improving outcomes for children aged birth to six years.  Literacy in the Early Years Study  The Early Years Study finds literacy critical to a child's lifelong health, behaviour and learning.  It concluded that literacy skills are established early in development and are a foundation for childrens' academic success.  Some deficits in literacy or numeracy development are preventable if parents and other service providers know how to stimulate healthy language development.  Problems that are not preventable but could be treated via the Preschool Speech and Language Program can be recognized earlier by alert and knowledgeable parents, or by professionals providing family literacy programs.  Treatment is essential for diagnosed children to become proficient readers and successful at school.  Treatment delays can further disadvantage children in linguistic development and put children at further risk of failure in other school subjects.  Therefore, one of the components of an early years program is:  Quality programs that teach family literacy and numeracy to parents and other caregivers from diverse cultural, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds (p. 11).   Family Literacy   The parent/child relationship is the most powerful influence on childrens' early brain development particularly in the first two years.  Learning to respond to and stimulate children from birth builds core competency and coping abilities before they enter the formal school system.  Parents and other caregivers receive parenting support, nutrition advice and education, access to community resources and learn to support prenatal, infant and childrens development and play-based learning.  They learn that literacy begins by birth and develops at the same time as oral language (p. 159).  The importance of the parental role in childrens' emerging literacy and language development cannot be overstated.   Role of the Early Literacy Specialist   A.  The Early Literacy Specialist Role is to strengthen, support and promote family literacy and numeracy for ALL in the community.  The focus is on ages 0 to 6.   B.  Innovative workshops for parents (Raising Readers) and professionals are available on request.    C.  Newborn Literacy Kits Newborn literacy kits were developed to promote family literacy and make the literacy connection with families at birth.  These kits also underline the importance of family literacy in the community.  They will be distributed to all parents of a newborn through the Healthy Babies/Healthy Children program.  The kits contain a cover letter from the Minister of Community, Family and Childrens Services, information brochures, a passport with a place to keep a childs information and records, an audiocassette or CD of childrens songs, a video explaining why children should be exposed to reading in their early years, a fridge magnet and a book by an award-winning  Canadian childrens author.  Parents of a newborn baby born January 2003 or later who have not received a Newborn Literacy Kit from the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program can visit the local Ontario Early Years Centre or the local Thunder Bay District Health Unit to receive a free kit.    D.  Literacy Kits containing 44 books are distributed to staff of organizations receiving literacy training from the Early Literacy Specialist.    E.  Early Literacy Checklist       Download Early Literacy Checklist