Literacy Coalition says early intervention must be improved

The Gallant government will act quickly to implement the recommendations made in a new report to improve literacy in the province, according to one expert.

Frank Hayes, the president of the Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick,said he believes re-directing money to fundearly childhoodinitiatives should be thetop priority for the provincial government.

Hayes said those funds would help identify children who are having literacy problems because of their home life or disabilities. And if they are caught early, the proper supports can be put in place so they are ready for kindergarten.

• Literacy Secretariat makes major recommendations to improve low N.B. rates

The report by co-chairs MarilynTrenholmeCounsellandLianeRoy was presented on Friday and includes 37 recommendations, but Finance Minister Cathy Rogers says there is no new money to implement any of them.

Hayes saidthe recommendation thatlegislation be introducedtoensure mandatory participation ofeverychild in an 18-month assessment is "exceedingly important."

We're trying to move fromthose who work in the woods and on the oceans and in the mines to become more sophisticated ... as technology changes people must develop better skills.- Frank Hayes

"The diagnostic testing of children at 18 months should occur so that if there were deficiencies and problems with individual children, interventions could be taken before those children enter the public school system," he said.

Hayes also wants to see regular testing of children throughout their school careers, so supports and interventions can be providedwhenever necessary.

Parents are the final piece onhis priority list.

"I really think that money should be focused on helping coach andtrain parents, who are with the children the rest of the time when they're not inschool," he said.

Hayes points to Alberta'sexample

Hayes saidmany literacyinitiatives in New Brunswickare led by volunteer groups and he hopes that after looking at what is available and measuring what difference programs are making, more money will be redirected to groups like his.

"Literacy is a pretty demanding areawhat we're doing is pretty broad and it probably needs to be re-focused a bit so that we re-prioritize the dollars."

Information Morning - Fredericton11:29Literacy Report - Frank Hayes

The president of the Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick weighs in on the new literacy report released on Friday.He points to Alberta as a province that is performing well when it comes toliteracy scores.

He said New Brunswick should follow its example to encourage students to be criticalthinkers and problem solvers.

"Family and social supports are tied very closely with education," Hayes said.

"[Alberta] also empowers teachers to have flexible and innovative curriculum and I think sometimes our curriculum is tied so closely to outcomes that we don't leave enough room for flexibility and part of literacy in the 21stcentury is the ability to critically think and to be innovative."

Hayes saidliteracy is essential to improvingproductivity and New Brunswick won't be able to move forward without improving the reading and writing abilitiesof its citizens.

"We're trying to move fromthose who work in the woods and on the oceans and in the mines to become more sophisticatedas technology changes people must develop better skills."