Most people on the West Shore can read and write, some expertly, some not B次元官网网址� but the vast majority are literate in the common sense of the word.

That doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean people donB次元官网网址檛 need a little help with literacy. Your Literacy Connection West Shore has been launched to promote literacy with a broader meaning, for everybody from tots to seniors.

B次元官网网址淥n the West Shore thereB次元官网网址檚 not a huge gap in literacy skills when it comes to reading and writing,B次元官网网址� said Shantael Sleight the outreach co-ordinator for the program. B次元官网网址淏ut there is a decline in people understanding literacy is embedded in all aspects of life.B次元官网网址�

Your Literacy Connection is about building partnerships between agencies B次元官网网址� Capital Families and the Sooke School District, for instance B次元官网网址� with people who could use guidance, Sleight said. Parents, for instance, might need a few tips to teach their kids good reading habits.

B次元官网网址淧eople get very defensive when you bring up literacy. This is about re-educating people on what literacy means in a creative way,B次元官网网址� Sleight said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not just reading and writing. ItB次元官网网址檚 about life-long learning.B次元官网网址�

Existing literacy programs on the West Shore include kids reading programs such as Books for Breakfast and Metchosin Reading Buddies.

The Greater Victoria Public Library does cross generational training B次元官网网址� teens teach seniors how to use computers and navigate the Internet.

Sleight said technical and financial literacy programs are in the works for West Shore residents.

The program is funded through a Legacies 2010 grant. Sleight has two years to help establish enough partnerships to make the literacy program self-sustaining.

The effort is encapsulated in its website sookewestshoreliteracy.ca, launched in early January. The site is a clearing house for information on literacy-linked programs and events.

The site also features stories about what people in the community are reading. Langford fire Chief Bob Beckett reveals he is into the B次元官网网址淪caredy SquirrelB次元官网网址� series of books with his seven-year-old son.

B次元官网网址淭here is not a lot of access to services on the West Shore, there is no place that is a hub that people can access,B次元官网网址� Sleight said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 why we created the website B次元官网网址� it is an interactive hub for literacy.B次元官网网址�

Check out sookewestshoreliteracy.ca. Family Literacy Day Game-a-thon is Jan. 30, 1 to 5 p.m. at Ruth King elementary, 2764 Jacklin Rd. Kids and their parents learn literacy skills using games.