Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Jan 23/06) - Parents are their children's first and most important teachers.

That's the message of Jan. 27 Family Literacy Day.

The Nunavut Literacy Council sent out 400 packages of literacy resources and activities this month to schools, libraries, community learning centres, daycares and other groups around the territory.

The literacy kits are also available for parents and community organizations.

They contain recipes, word games and other activities, prizes that libraries or schools can give away, Inuktitut and English books and other items.

"We try to support communities so that they can carry out their own programs and events," said executive director Kim Crockatt. "Our goal is to help people design the events or programs they are carrying out and we can provide them with materials and a small amount of funding."

Parents can check with the hamlet office, schools or libraries in their community to find out about scheduled Family Literacy Day activities.

Among the council's other projects is the printing of syllabic fridge magnets. They will be sent out to each child in kindergarten for the start of school next fall.

"We're trying to make every day Family Literacy Day," she said.