Why We Do It
Yukon’s children deserve the best possible start in life, and the Yukon Imagination Library is here to help. Early literacy is the reading and writing that children are exposed to, often through being read to, before they can read and write themselves. Experts have found that early experiences with books and reading – especially birth to age 5 – helps set children up for success at school, and eventually the workplace. Reading together gives babies and children a chance for caring and nurturing interactions with the adults in their lives.
- Providing new, age-appropriate books can triple an interest in reading within a few months.
- If children are read to regularly, they show greater levels of language comprehension and cognitive skills than peers by the age of 2.
- Young children that are read to, and engage with reading, are better able to understand written and spoken language, giving them an advantage heading into school.
- Studies have shown that reading for fun leads to greater imagination, focus, and mood regulation, and this begins with early literacy.
How you can help
Each year the Yukon Imagination Library gives hundreds of free, age–appropriate books to Yukon families. Help us by donating today.
Information from
- The Canadian Paediatric Society position statement on Early Literacy. http://www.cps.ca/en/documents/position/read-speak-sing-promoting-literacy
- Shaw. Canadian Paediatric Society , Community Paediatrics Committee Paediatric Child Health. 2006;11(9):601-6
- (Harris, Louis. An Assessment of the Impact of First Book’s Northeast Program. January 2003. https://ferstreaders.org/resources/fifty-top-literacy-statistics)
- (Raikes, H., Pan, B.A., Luze, G.J., Tamis-LeMonda, C.S.,Brooks-Gunn, J., Constantine,J., Tarullo, L.B., Raikes, H.A., Rodriguez, E. (2006). “Mother-child book reading in low-income families: Correlates and outcomes during the first three years of life.” Child Development, 77(4). https://ferstreaders.org/resources/fifty-top-literacy-statistics)
- (Wolf, M. (2007). Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. New York: Harper Perennial. https://ferstreaders.org/resources/fifty-top-literacy-statistics)
- (https://childrensliteracy.ca/Literacy-Matters)
