Language,
Literacy and Healthy Development: The Work of CAPC and CPNP Projects
3. Providing
linguistically and culturally appropriate information
Language and culture are inseparable. Programming must reflect
what is appropriate for diverse participants. Of particular concern
are projects that serve First Nations and New Canadians. In the
Literacy Matters survey projects shared how they take a
linguistically and culturally responsive approach when they:
- Communicate in the first languages of new Canadians
- Provide written materials in multiple languages
- Honour First Nations and Inuit languages and traditions
Communicating in First Languages of New Canadians
Sometimes newcomers to Canada speak little or no English. CAPC
and CPNP projects have designed numerous strategies to reach and
teach them.
First contact in first language
Many projects select personnel from the community who understand
both the language and the local cultural context. In the words of
one project that serves new Canadians: It is important to have
staff and/or volunteers able to speak their language and aware of
the culture, traditions, and strengths/challenges they bring from
their homeland (Kathy Simpson, Simcoe County & York Region
CAPC).
The experience of sitting in one of our LINC partners'
waiting rooms that only had information posted in Chinese and
everyone there speaking Chinese made me realize how important it
was to provide supports in the family's first language. I was
surrounded by material that I knew was describing the programs that
we were partnering to provide, but I had no idea what the flyers
said or even whom I could ask for more information! |
Kathy Simpson, Simcoe County & York
Region CAPC |
|
Staff helps bridge the linguistic and cultural gap that new
Canadian families experience, assisting in the process of social
integration. As Lorraine Makus of Anna's House puts it:
- Having staff that speak their language also is very helpful
(otherwise we probably wouldn't be seeing as many of these
families). Very often they need someone to talk to and to share
their experiences with.
Home-visiting programs are effective because they offer ongoing
personal contact in the participant's first language. In some
projects, bilingual and multilingual home visitors are available to
disseminate health and parenting information in the family's
first language. Home visitors are particularly important for
immigrant women who speak neither English nor French:
- It is a lot more difficult for women to learn the language
than for their partners, and it is often difficult for the women to
come out to programs due to time pressures at home and
transportation difficulties (Lorraine Makus, Anna's
House).
The approach we use with our other CPNP Participants
(geared to lower literacy levels) also works well with our
immigrant women. As in the rest of our program, it is crucial to
have participant-driven groups (what do the women want to learn,
what is helpful for them). There also needs to be a balance between
celebrating their past/ heritage introducing them to new things and
helping them integrate to a new culture and country. |
Lorraine Makus, Anna's House |
|
Interpretation for ESL participants
Interpreters play a vital role for some families to access
health information and health services. However, for some
linguistic groups they can be difficult to find, hard to access,
and expensive.
Interpreters are very valuable, as we've learned not to
assume that individuals in our program understand what we're
saying. They might nod and smile but yet we're not able to
communicate with them and vice versa. |
Project name withheld by request |
|
In some locations it is virtually impossible to find
professional interpreters in the participant's first language,
so project personnel are resourceful. In addition to using staff
and community members as interpreters, they encourage
participants to bring family members to appointments for
interpretation [and] design flexible schedules for appointments
that allow family to attend for interpretation (Diane Hill,
Better Beginnings).
We don't use flyers or other printed resources; our
population cannot read in their own language (Low German is an
unwritten language) and English. We use the phone to communicate
scheduling changes etc. We keep our schedule consistent to avoid
confusion. |
Robin Hicken, Gesundheit Für
Kinder |
|
Print materials in multiple languages
Although accessing print materials for the many linguistic
communities served by CPNP and CAPC projects can be challenging,
some materials are available in multiple languages:
- We provide a range of print and multimedia material for ESL
families. Primary sources include the Talking with Your Child in
First Language program and our local Health Unit. (Kathy
Simpson, Simcoe County & York Region CAPC)
- We provide the Canada Food guide in eight different
languages(Yvette Nechvatal-Drew, Pre & Post Natal
Nutrition Project)
- We promote dual language literacy kits through toy lending
library (Wendy Pol, Families First in White Oaks CAPC)
|
Canada's Food Guides in Chinese.
Adapted from Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating for People
Four Years and Over, Health Canada, 1992. Minister of Public Works
and Government Services Canada, 2002. Sponsored by the Ontario
Women's Health Council. Submitted by Colleen Logue, Nutrition
Resource Centre Ontario Public Health Association. Toronto, N.
<www.nutritionrc.ca/guide.html>. |
|
However, many projects note that publications in the first
languages of their participants can be hard to find and
expensive:
- We have received some written materials and videos (in
low-German) from the Mennonite Central Committee in Aylmer,
Ontario. It has been very difficult to access resources from
Canada (Lorraine Makus, Anna's House )
- Problem is that not many books are available in different
languages, and we have many different languages, more than
eight (Candace Wilson, Better Beginnings Now - CAPC)
- Dual language books such as "The Hungry
Caterpillar" are often difficult to find in many languages,
expensive (Wendy Pol, Families First in White Oaks CAPC)
- Not all material is available in the necessary
languages (Cheryl Booth, Port Cares: CAPC Niagara Brighter
Futures)
Translation as one solution
Some projects translate written materials from English to the
first languages of their participants. That requires human and
financial resources. Projects meet the need in various ways:
- Staff provide translations (Candace Wilson, Better
Beginnings Now - CAPC)
- We try to utilize staff and volunteers for translation when
needed and available (Yvette Nechvatal-Drew, Pre & Post
Natal Nutrition Project)
- Some material is translated. However, time is a
problem (Cheryl Booth, Port Cares: CAPC Niagara Brighter
Futures)
- We are advocating to have materials translated into a
variety of different languages, by volunteers who could work out of
their home (Project name withheld by request)
We provide critical information to parents translated into
a number of languages spoken by our parent population. |
Michelle Craig, Expanding Head Start in
Edmonton |
|
An Urdu Adaptation of Canada's Food Guide to Healthy
Eating
For People Four Years and Over
|
- These Guides have been sponsored by the Ontario Women's
Health Council. The Counsil is fully funded by the Ontario Ministry
of Health and Long-Term Care. The Guides do not necessarily reflect
endorsement by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
- Adapted from Canada's Food Guide to Health Eating for
People Four Years and Over, Health Canada, 1992. Minister of Public
Works and Government Services Canada, 2002. Health Canada does not
assume the responsibility for any errors and omissions which may
occur during translation.
|
Grain products in Urdu. Adapted from Canada's Food
Guide to Health Eating for People Four Years and Over, Healthy
Canada, 1992. Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Canada, 2002. Sponsored by the Ontario Women's Health Council.
Submitted by Colleen Logue, Nutrition Resource Centre Ontario
Public Health Association. Toronto, ON.
<www.nutritionrc.ca/guide.html>. |
|
Limitations of translation
Translation can offer access to information where there was
previously none. However, as the saying goes 'something is
always lost in the translation.' Helene Osborne comments that
"even perfectly exact translations may not make sense to
people. Their background or culture may give them a different frame
of reference than the one you are using, creating imposing barriers
to understanding" (Osborne, Helen. In Other Words. . . It
Takes More Than Just Words; Culturally and Linguistically
Appropriate Materials. On Call April 2000.
<www.healthliteracy.com/oncallapr2000.html>).
Honouring First Nations and Inuit languages and traditions
Context
First Nations and Inuit languages and cultural traditions are
central to the work of many CAPC and CPNP projects. The challenges
of preserving traditions and values in a rapidly changing society
are complex, and diverse for First Nations and Inuit participants.
Consequently project staff must strive to be sensitive to the needs
of individual participants within the context of their social and
cultural history. Kelly Lemoine, of Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies
speaks of the complexity in this way: Strengths and needs are
directly related to cultural traditions and values but have also
been affected by today's society. I have found that it is very
important to consider past family history and family dynamics when
working with these participants.
Cultural beliefs about child rearing definitely affect
parent-child literacy interactions. Parents struggle to balance
cultural history with new language, hard to decide which is more
important. |
Candace Wilson, Better Beginnings Now -
CAPC |
|
Commenting on the way in which cultural teachings and traditions
are valued in present child-rearing practices, Connie Epp noted
that, Cultural teachings and traditional parenting skills are
very important to the participants (Healthy Moms, Healthy
Babies). These traditional ways are incorporated in the approach
and materials of some projects. However, in others - particularly
those serving Aboriginal people off-reserve - staff observe that
participants have lost touch with traditional teachings, which
raises the question of how Aboriginal traditions should be treated.
Stories offer one time-honoured way in which Inuit and First
Nations people preserve and transmit their cultural traditions;
they have been a cultural art form used for generations as a
teaching device. Projects observe:
- Families often have a thirst for knowledge about stories to
tell their children (Marg Mitchell, Otenwa Iyniuk/Ben Calf
Robe Society)
- We use traditional Aboriginal songs and tales, and we
invite our Elder in to share a story with the children (Barb
Desjardins, In A Good Way)
- Storytelling by elders is very popular (Connie Epp,
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies)
Increasingly, these stories and legends are being told in
children's picture books, many of them illustrated by
Aboriginal artists using both traditional and contemporary visual
art forms. While such picture books can be enjoyed by everyone,
they are especially helpful for beginning readers, making the vital
connection between oral, visual, and print literacies. Lynda Doige
of the Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Institute at the University of New
Brunswick has compiled an extensive booklist. She can be contacted
at ladoige@unb.ca
|
Increasingly, stories and legends are being told in
children's picture books, many of them illustrated by
Aboriginal artists using both traditional and contemporary visual
art forms. Photo submitted by Barb Desjardin, In A Good Way.
Brandon, MB |
|
The preservation of First Nations languages has been the subject
of much discussion. In an article entitled Exploring Northwest
Territories Literacies, Helen Balanoff comments that "the
health of the Aboriginal languages varies widely, but most are
declining. The language shift is clear on the chart [below] which
shows the number of people whose mother tongue is an Aboriginal
language compared to those who use their Aboriginal language in
their home."
Aboriginal Language Shift |
|
Inukitut*
|
Slavey
|
Dogrib
|
Chipewyan
|
Gwich'in
|
Cree
|
Mother Tongue |
835
|
2075
|
2000
|
515
|
250
|
185
|
Home Language |
160
|
1190
|
1355
|
210
|
40
|
30
|
Change Index |
-80.90%
|
-42.70%
|
-32.30%
|
-59.20%
|
-84.00%
|
-83.80%
|
* Includes Inuvialuktun and Inuinnaqtm
(Source: Government of the Northwest Territories)
|
In spite of this language shift, says Balanoff, "literacy
models and practices of many families and communities still reflect
those of Aboriginal language and culture: their purposes for using
literacy; their ways of supporting children's literacy
development; their attitudes towards literacy and the role that
family members play in literacy development." To facilitate a
better understanding of these literacy practices among people
involved in literacy development, The Northwest Territories
Literacy Council, in partnership with an Aboriginal language
community, is presently seeking funding to research traditional and
present-day home and community literacies (Balanoff, Helen.
Exploring Northwest Territories Literacies. Literacies #1,
Spring 2003. <www.literacyjournal.ca>).
The importance of teaching Native children Aboriginal
languages and traditions from a very early age has been stressed
repeatedly (Assembly of First Nations 1994; Joint First
Nations/Inuit/ Federal Childcare working group nd.) ... By
empowering First Nations children and youth through such vehicles
as ancestral language training and the instillation of pride in
their culture and traditions, improved outcomes are likely on a
number of fronts, ranging from personal health to economic
productivity." |
M. D Stout and G.D. Kipling Report of
the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples: Perspectives and
Realities, Vol 4, Ottawa: The Commission, 1999
<http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fnihb-dgsppni/fnihb/sppa/ppp/emerging_priorities> |
|
Print Materials in Inuit and First Nations languages
Print materials can obviously make a significant difference in
the preservation of language and culture. When people have access
to books in their first language they have a head start on learning
to read because there is a clear connection between what is
understood and spoken, and the printed words that represent these
ideas.
Children are taught numbers, letters, words (flashcard
type) and songs in Dogrib. |
M. Matheson-Munro, Gameti Early
Intervention |
|
Some projects report difficulty in accessing print materials in
First Nations languages. First Nations linguistic communities are
small enough that publishing is not an economically viable
proposition for commercial publishers. This means that such
resources are extremely limited. As one project comments:
Pemmican Press seems to be our only relevant publisher; we have
difficulty in obtaining any materials that celebrate cultural
diversity. (Lorise Cablik, Futures Program).
This is a serious problem for Inuit and First Nations trying to
promote authentic literacies that reflect their traditions and
cultures. To some extent, the government is helping fill this void.
One project noted that the First Nations Inuit Health Branch
has some interesting materials that focus strictly on Aboriginals.
They contain simple text and lots of pictures. The order form
for these materials can be found at:
<http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fnihb-dgspni/fnihb/bpm/prc/pc_orderform.htm>
Aboriginal literacy: finding a balance
Priscilla George uses the image of a rainbow - balanced,
light, multifaceted and full of hope, to speak about Aboriginal
literacy. In this image every colour of the rainbow symbolizes a
different aspect of literacy: "red represents literacy in the
language of origin of First Nations individuals and communities;
orange, oral literacy; yellow, the creative means by which
Aboriginal people learned to communicate with others who spoke
another language by using pictographs (and in contemporary times,
artwork, music ... ) and/or sign language; green, literacy in the
languages of the European newcomers to this land several hundred
years ago English and/or French, which are recognized as
Canada's official languages; blue, the skills required to
communicate using technology; indigo, the skills required for
spiritual or cultural literacy - the ability to interpret natural
things, which are seen to be messages from the Spirit World - the
sighting of an animal, the shape of a cloud ...; and violet, the
holistic base to aboriginal literacy, dealing with spiritual,
emotional, mental and physical outcomes - striving for
balance.
|
Priscilla George
Family Literacy through Aboriginal Eyes, Foundational
Training in Family Literacy: Practitioners' Resource 2002 |
|
|
This poster is also available in English through the
Health Canada website . Source:
FAS/FAE, Health Canada, June 2002 © Reproduced with the
permission of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Canada, 2004. |
|
|
These beautifully reproduced children's books could
provide a model for publications in other First Nations Languages.
Submitted by Brenda Hall, Growing Healthy Together. Hay River, NT.
Produced by The NWT Cree Language Program, Canadian Heritage,
Department of Education, Culture and Employment. The
Government
Photographed by Joy Cummings, UNB
Integrated Technology Services
|
|
Cultivating healthy communities
Accessing health, social, and educational services is a
complicated and politically charged process. At a practical level
there are bureaucratic procedures and legalistic forms to
negotiate. The sheer amount of paper is forbidding, and fine print
can be intimidating to those who read poorly. There are many
factors that can impact on the facility to read, especially when
literacy is already an issue. For instance, family and personal
crisis can diminish a person's ability to cope with written
material. Furthermore, pride may stand in the way of admitting
confusion about technical words or jargon. And new parents, new
immigrants or those who have been rendered homeless may all be
unfamiliar with the range of services available and uninformed
about how to access them. Whatever the reason, some parents and
prospective parents require literacy support to:
- Access information
- Claim their rights
- Take advantage of services to which they and their children are
entitled
- Comply with laws and regulations
Literate people who have just been diagnosed with a
life-changing condition or life threatening disease may also have a
hard time taking in a lot of information. The emotional shock of a
cancer diagnosis, for example, can render people with good reading
skills incapable of processing a large amount of
information.
|
Canadian Public Health
Association Directory of Plain Language Health
Information, 1999 <www.pls.cpha.ca> |
|
Negotiating paperwork to access services
By helping parents negotiate their way through paperwork, CAPC
and CPNP staff help parents improve the quality of life for their
families. Indeed, help with reading and writing can make a
significant difference to sustaining the family unit. Project staff
help parents fill out forms, including:
- Rental agreements
- School registrations
- CPNP Welcome forms
- Financial aid applications
- Applications for further education
- Housing applications
- Income tax returns
Advice, advocacy and support
Support may take the form of advice and advocacy. Sometimes just
a 'guide by the side' makes a big difference. And whatever
task is the primary goal, countless incidental literacy lessons
will occur while it is carried out, building confidence and skill
with print. Projects report that they:
- Provide volunteers to go grocery shopping with parents who
can't speak English
- Advocate on behalf of participants by attending
appointments, etc. and help them understand what is being said
and/or written (Wendy Trylinski, The Child/Family Resource
Center Inc.)
- Accompany many women to their doctors' appointments,
housing appointments, financial aid appointments, etc. to advocate
and support them (Connie Epp, Healthy Moms, Healthy
Babies)
- Cook, shop, deal with health issues, read books, and help
with letters that come to residents (Debbie Smith, Buccaneer
Bay Outreach Centre)
- Help with school work, income tax, etc. (Debbie Smith,
Buccaneer Bay Outreach Centre)
- By taking them through tenant applications, resume
building, storytelling, bookmaking, chart/poster design,
formal/informal discussions, crafts, theme teaching both orally and
as written, we begin to bridge the gap between being able to make
sense of our world and approaching it with confidence (Lorise
Cablik, Futures Program)
Some of our teens are very responsible when it comes to
their children while others struggle with a variety of demons in
their lives. They are on fixed incomes and tend to struggle with
meeting the basic needs for them and their children. Much staff
time is spent by staff advocating on their behalf for having their
basic needs met.
|
Waltraud Grieger, Growing
Years Family Resource Centre |
|
Empowerment
There is no single, correct source of information on healthy
family living or parenting. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey have
a powerful voice. So do our own mothers and grandmothers, fathers
and forefathers. However, so do the companies who spend millions on
advertisements prompting us to eat those very same trans-fat laden
foods that Health Canada is cautioning against. And even when we
'listen to the experts' we find that 'the experts'
sometimes disagree.
This diversity of ideas is something to celebrate. In a
democratic society, everyone is entitled to a voice. But how do we
develop a discerning ear, weigh the evidence, and sort out which
information is pertinent to us? And how do we find our own voices
in this multi-voiced, multi-cultural conversation?
A voice in decision-making
When participants have a voice in the decisions that affect
them, staff report these positive effects:
- More control over their lives
- Improved listening skills as well as more confidence to weigh
the evidence and speak out accordingly
- Greater understanding of the politics of decision-making
Participants are frequently asked to sit on committees:
- Parents sit on an advisory committee to help with overall
planning (Ruth Adamchick, Yellowknife Family Centre)
- Each site in the East Kootenays has their own steering
committee to ensure the needs of the communities are being met
(parents are also included on these committees), and parents at the
groups also give feedback (Cindy Hoffman, East Kootenay
Community Action Program for Children)
- Two former participants sit on Steering Committee (one ESL)
and both say they learn a lot from it (Gail Wylie, Healthy
Start for Mom & Me)
- Parents sit on the Board and Advisory Committees
(Wendy Trylinski, The Child/ Family Resource Center Inc.)
- Participants sit on hiring committees (Healthy Start
for Mom & Me)
|
A Healthy Start... one of nine posters from a postnatal
poster set produced by parents and staff and available for purchase
from Healthy Start for Mom & Me. Winnipeg, MB.
|
|
Oral and written participant feedback is solicited. Projects
report that they:
- Solicit continuous feedback - simple written anonymous
comments dropped in a can, or verbal (Gail Wylie, Healthy
Start for Mom & Me)
- Maintain content relevance through regular feedback from
participants (Michelle Margrait, Maggie's Place - A
Resource Centre for Families)
- Hold focus groups periodically to gather information and
evaluate the program so that there is opportunity for clients who
are less literate to participate and respond/ evaluate the services
we offer (Diane Hill, Better Beginnings)
- Adjust content according to discussion direction of the
group (Gail Wylie, Healthy Start for Mom & Me)
Media literacy: To Swiffer©, or not? Advertisements use
pictures and print in combination. Even though we might doubt their
claims, the messages are compelling. Debbie Smith, at the South
Shore Family Resource centre in Lunenburg, helps participants
critique the claims of multi-million dollar ads, thereby resisting
the 'hidden persuaders'.
"When participants at the South Shore Centre came
talking about the merits of the Swiffer© mop they'd seen
advertised on TV, their program facilitator suggested that they
should find out for themselves if the advertisement was accurate.
She purchased a Swiffer© mop for the centre so that
participants could test it and see if it lived up to its claims.
After personal experience with the mop, no-one wanted to spend
their money on a Swiffer©!"
|
Debbie Smith, South Shore
Family Resource Association, Lunenburg site |
|
From consumers to critics
When participants move from being mere consumers of information
to producers, they begin to sharpen their critical awareness about
how pictures and print can be used to shape or inform, divide or
unite, control or empower. Many projects involve participants in
the empowering process of producing information, including videos,
posters and pamphlets. As one project puts it: Our student
parents are also active in focus groups for the creation of
pamphlets. They were recently chosen to model for the Nobody's
Perfect provincial posters. This encourages them to be aware of the
important information that can be found in pamphlets and how they
can make a difference in making this information current
(Lynne Cornish-Braun, Saskatoon Friends of Students and Kids).
Cultivating the confidence to speak out
Participants have a lot to bring to discussions about health and
family life since their socio-cultural experiences offer
perspectives that are often absent in published literature. Sadly,
many participants enter CAPC and CPNP programs with a history of
having been silenced, and lacking the confidence to offer their
opinions and expertise freely. Program facilitators must work hard
to affirm participants' knowledge and perspectives, and provide
support for them to find and raise their voices.
Some ways in which participants are encouraged to speak out:
- Provided with opportunities in peer and community groups to
share particular health and childrearing concerns
- Invited to share their stories with other participants
- Encouraged to write poetry, stories, and other items for
newsletters
Children finding their voices
Much has been written in the child development literature about
the importance of oral language development and receptive
vocabulary as a foundation for literacy. However, the current
emphasis on 'normal' development and standardised testing
can obscure the importance of socio-cultural variations in language
and literacy. Critical educators and literacy experts are concerned
that normative, psychologized definitions of what counts in
language, literacy and readiness only serve to silence and
marginalize many of the cultures/languages that make up the
cultural mosaic of which Canada is so proud. It is particularly
damaging to diminish what young children know.
Working from a strengths-based model, CAPC and CPNP projects
strive to honour and build on the cultures, languages, and
literacies of children as well as their parents. One way to do this
is by encouraging children to express their own experience in
pictures, gestures and print, whether in Dogrib or low German,
English or Cree. This is how children learn that their lives and
what they have to say about them matters.
One project cultivates authorship and authority in children by
developing books with children to be read by parents. Many of the
programs outlined in Section 3 are designed to help children find
their voices by:
- Offering
opportunities for talking, singing, dancing and dramatizing
- Encouraging children to tell, draw, and write their own
stories
- Supporting children to keep records of their experience -
collectively and individually
Collective voices
The strength and solidarity of belonging to a group is
important, whether the common interest is pregnancy, Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome, diabetes, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder,
learning to read or raising a family. For one thing, knowing that
others have similar experiences is affirming, and speaking out with
a collective voice can be a powerful activist tool for effecting
social change. To this end, projects report:
- Referring participants to community literacy and health support
groups
- Encouraging families to develop networks with each other
Able-bodied persons parking in handicapped spots? We
don't think so! Even small children can act collectively to
effect change. Derman Sparks tells of an incident where pre-school
children observed able-bodied persons parking in spots reserved for
the physically handicapped outside their daycare. With the help of
their teacher, the children ticketed every offender, and were
successful in stopping most unauthorized parkers. The children
learned 'the power of the pen'. And their collective,
activist voice was affirmed.
|
Louise Derman Sparks
Anti-Bias Curriculum: tools for empowering young children
Washington, DC NAEYC. 1989 |
|
Supporting everyday needs: Healthy eating
Cooking/community kitchen
- It helps people
learn to cook as well as read.
- The community kitchen is community run and the project has
access to it (Lynne Cornish-Braun, Saskatoon Friends of
Students and Kids)
- Single moms cook a meal and take it home with them. There
is usually a literacy related theme or focus in each session.
Nutrition is also discussed (Robin Hicken, Gesundheit Für
Kinder)
- We host breakfast and have only $25 a week to spend. We
believe we need to feed your body before you feed your mind.
(Mark Turner, Father Goose, Hilye'yu Lelum (House of
Friendship) Society)
- We run a supper club where participants make and eat at the
library and take home the leftovers. While the Supper club is
running, the library offers homework help for the children of the
parents who are cooking. (Cheryl Booth, Port Cares: CAPC
Niagara Brighter Futures)
- We use community kitchen for our prenatal group (Lori
Lapine, Healthy Babies Right From the Start)
- Many of the teens we serve are single Moms. They are just
trying to survive in being a parent. They like attending our
community kitchen as it gives them the opportunity to take home
finished meals. They like being with other young parents - they
learn from each other (Waltraud Grieger, Growing Years Family
Resource Centre)
|
Excerpted from Joy of Life Recipe Book for Health Women and
Babies. Developed by the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency, Canada
Prenatal Nutrition Program and the OLO Foundation, Montreal,
Québec.
|
|
Reading recipes
- Participants are shown by example. We're not really
concerned with literacy in the kitchen, but find recipes are a
wonderful tool for literacy (Mark Turner, Father Goose,
Hilye'yu Lelum (House of Friendship) Society)
- Recipes are written at a basic reading level. Our parents
are literate enough to comprehend them (Lynn Cornish-Braun,
Saskatoon Friends of Students and Kids)
- We use pictorial recipe cards (Cheryl Booth, Port
Cares: CAPC Niagara Brighter Futures).
- We use a visual cookbook, The Joy of Life, distributed by
the Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program. The cookbook is simple and
easy to use. Kids can use it too (Yvette Nechvatal-Drew, Pre
& Post Natal Nutrition Project)
- Recipes are typed in large font. We ensure that selected
recipes meet the literacy needs of our clients (Jennifer
Sells, Bruce and Grey Brighter Futures)
|
Reading Recipes. Submitted by Mary Ann
Meagher, Brighter Futures. Peterborough Family Resource
Centre.
|
|
Shopping
- An outside literacy group make volunteers available to go
to the grocery store and help people who struggle with reading
(Cathy Leclaire, Kids Corp Family Resource Program)
- One thing that really worked well for us was to do a
grocery store tour with our immigrant women... imagine going to a
grocery store and seeing many unfamiliar foods and not being able
to read the labels. Our participants had many questions and we
tried to explain some of the more common foods that they might
encounter, as well as discussing what good prices were - since they
are used to different currencies and prices (Lorraine Makus,
Anna's House)
|
Northern Food Guide. Excerpted
from<http://www.saskschools.ca/~msd/2003/
farley/northernfoodguide.html> |
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Nutrition Bingo. Submitted by Barb
Desjardins, In a Good Way. Brandon MB. Produced by Department of
Health, Regina Sask. |
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Cooking Terms. Submitted by Jan Inguanez,
Woolwich Community Health Centre. Toronto, ON.
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Learning about nutrition
- Nutrition Bingo helps participants learn about the four
food groups. I.e. there would be a picture of a biscuit on the
bingo card with the name of the object next to it. (Leslie
Bernstein, Jewish Family Services of the Baron de Hirsch
Institute)
- We also provide gift cards for women to buy fruits &
vegetables and milk products. (Anita Harms, Family Education
& Support Project of Aylmer)
- Provide healthy snacks, eggs and juice program. (Mary
Britten-Belding, VON Healthy Baby and Me (CPNP))
- We have used a First Nations puppet/literature kit we
borrowed from Diabetes (B.R.H.A.) Education, for
food/nutrition/eating education. (Lorise Cablik, Futures
Program)
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Food Guides in multiple languages. Adapted
from Canada's Food Guide to Health Eating for People Four Years
and Over, Health Canada, 1992. Minister of Public Works and
Government Services Canada, 2002. Sponsored by the Ontario
Women's Health Council. Submitted by Colleen Logue, Nutrition
Resource Centre Ontario Public Health Association. Toronto, ON.
.<www.nutritionrc.ca/guide.html>
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A Healthy Start... one of nine posters from a postnatal
poster set produced by parents and staff and available for purchase
from Healthy Start for Mom & Me. Winnipeg, MB.
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