Having A COW

(Page 7)

By Todd Curran
The Centre for Family Literacy and Literacy for Life moseyed their Classroom On Wheels (COW Bus) over to the Okotoks Public Library on October 7th.
The COW Bus partners designed the rolling Holstein to encourage home literacy activities for children up to six years-old. The Bus tours communities across Alberta at the invitation of local literacy groups, promoting family literacy through trained literacy facilitators. The program educates parents on the importance of early language development and leaves a small library of children's books at each community they visit.
“The books we receive are a resource to be shared by the whole community,” says Jennifer Munro of the Centre for Family Literacy. The Classroom is also stocked with educational games and toys that parents can use to act out stories, encourage children to put on a play or help children create a story in their own words.
“We partner on many programs to bring literacy to the forefront,” says Tessa Nettleton, Director of Okotoks Public Library. “The COW Bus is highly visible and invites questions from people wherever it goes.”
The COW Bus has been on a mission of childhood development and education since 2003 and will be touring the Foothills region again next year.
Visit:
www.famlit.ca/programs_and_projects/projects/acow.html to find out when the Moo will be near you!