TEACHER-LIBRARIANS AND
PROMOTION OF READING
R. Cantelon: Yes, today is Drop Everything and Read a book, and that's good advice to everybody in this House and in our communities. We have today with us some teacher-librarians who are facilitators in helping students find the magic of books and learn from it. They will develop, among other things, critical thinking — something that we could all use more of, and I'm sure you're very well aware of that concern here in the House. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Yes, the Internet is fine, but teacher-librarians today are facilitators in helping to answer the questions, encourage the questions and encourage students to seek the answers in books. The Internet is very well and fine, but to give a whole context to proper thought is to pick up a book and read it. A lot of that is happening. It's very, very helpful to the students. It's very important, personally, in my family. My son is married to a teacher-librarian and carrying what will be, I hope in January, a grandchild to our family. So I'm informed very directly and personally about the importance of teacher-librarians. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
There's new forms of it, new forms that we're taking reading to the students in the schools. The WOW Bus, Words on Wheels, is working. It will be in Pouce Coupe, in Dawson Creek, and it's a very prominent feature in my own riding as well. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Early learning is extremely important. So we have a simple message today: drop everything and read. Take a book home with you. Read, it will make you think. It will make you a better person, and we think this is a message we would like to take to children, parents, government, communities. So let's celebrate and support our valuable teacher-librarians and all the work in getting that message out today. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
DROP EVERYTHING AND READ DAY
D. Thorne: As my colleague just told us, October 26 is National School Library Day and the third anniversary of the B.C. Drop Everything and Read Challenge. The Drop Everything Challenge has grown by leaps and bounds since 2007. It's a simple yet powerful idea that promotes the importance of literacy in our society. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I was lucky today to be able to participate in the challenge. I read aloud to about 100 students at James Bay Community School under the supervision of teacher-librarian Stephen Marta. It was a great experience. It brought back many memories to me of reading aloud to my own children when they were young, definitely one of my favourite memories. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
All over B.C. today, parents, politicians and local celebrities converged on their local schools to point out the pleasures of reading and the importance of school libraries. For many years studies have proven that next to socioeconomic factors, the single greatest influence on student achievement is a healthy school library program. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Student achievement is up to 20 percent higher in schools where the library has a robust collection of resources which have been selected by a fully trained teacher-librarian who has adequate staffing time to teach both students and teachers. Public education aims to provide a level playing field for children, and the school library program is at the very heart of that equity. Sporty or clumsy, brainy or arty, introverted or out there, there is a place for every student, teacher or administrator in the library. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
So let's all take up this challenge from our school librarians: when we get back to our offices today, every single one of us, drop everything and read. Let's do it now. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
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