We all know the saying “it takes a community to raise a child” and Wellington’s Australia Day ambassador Mary-Ruth Mendel went a step further on the issue of children’s literacy.
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The renowned speech pathologist and founder of the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation said that it wasn’t enough to expect a child’s literacy to be covered solely at school, but rather parents and whole communities should get behind a child’s education in the early years.
“Families need to recognise that talking to children reading to children all a pathway to school,” she said, adding that literacy was the foundation for any education.
She said during her visit to Wellington she was inspired by the focus on literacy shared by local teachers and community groups who were working with successful programs as well as council with the library and Communities for Children activities.
During her visit to Bellhaven, Elaine Cox shared her story of a love of reading from an early age when members of her family would each read passages from a book.
Ms Mendel said that hearing her story was a reminder reading was more than just a starting point for an education, it was also enjoyable, entertaining and a wonderful part of family life.
For Australia Day, she said that literacy tied in with Australia’s concept of a “fair go”, saying that Australians had a flair for storytelling and were “communicators” who were willing to listen to others from all walks of life.
