INUVIK
"Without literacy, it's really hard to survive in this world," said Patricia Davison, executive director of the Children First Society.

Levi McCarthy, left, Children First Society executive director Patricia Davison, Ahmad Taifour and Const. Joanne Lauer play together on family literacy day Friday, Jan. 28. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

She and elders, community members and many children played and read together on national family literacy day Friday, Jan. 28.

For the children ages two to four, learning language skills, in whatever form that takes, is vital, said Davison.

"The stories they're telling about making their cupcakes and what kind they are, the pictures in the books they're talking about, the stories they're hearing and the songs they're singing - that's all building their communication skills and that's what literacy is about," she said.

"It's the different ways we communicate."

Four-year-old Autumn Crawford took a break from playing to say she enjoys learning literacy skills.

"Because it's fun to read," she explained.

Davison said she can tell the difference between children with high and low literacy skills. "The children with low literacy skills have a harder time socially," she said.

"That's what we notice at this age with the younger children. It's all about communication, so they struggle."

Children with low literacy skills struggle communicating with their peers and adults, making life in general harder.

"Developing those literacy skills and giving them all those opportunities to enhance them, it just makes it easier in life for them to communicate and for them to learn and grow in all areas of development," said Davison.

Const. Joanne Lauer was on hand to help the children have fun with literacy, too.

Coming from Alberta, she was on a three-week stint in Inuvik filling in for vacation time but spoke highly of the local children. She said she was grateful to be here.

"Oh my gosh, they're lovely," she said.

"They're so spirited. "They were very welcoming and kind. It was nice joining them, to sit with the elders and have the children be a part of that."