On one of our recent rainy days, a couple of the staff at CFL decided to try our hand at making homemade chalk, bubbles, paint, and gak. What initially began as two staff members quickly became three, then four, and finally five. It was hard to resist joining in! We were laughing, talking, mixing, and measuring in the kitchen, hard at work testing recipes, when our new Operations Director walked by. After watching us for a bit he asked, “So, what does this have to do with literacy?”
Research recognizes that the home environment and parent-child interactions are an important influence on a child’s literacy development.
Positive and meaningful parent and child interactions can lead to enhanced language, literacy, and emotional and cognitive development. (Jacobs p. 193)
So, when you and your child…
- talk together and make plans for the day
- read through a recipe book together and decide which recipe to make
- talk about the ingredients and what they are
- write a grocery list together and talk about the words you are writing down
- go to the grocery store and notice the different road signs or count the red cars along the way
- read your grocery list together to make sure you have everything you need
- read the recipe together and measure out ingredients and talk about the fun things you will do with your chalk, bubbles, paint, or gak…
…you are providing your child with rich literacy experiences and positive interactions that strengthen family bonds and promote literacy development.
Here is the recipe for homemade watercolour paints we made. Enjoy!
Homemade Watercolour Paints
- 4 tbsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp light corn syrup
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- Food colouring (liquid or gels)
- Container to keep your paints in – you could use an ice-cube tray, mini muffin tin, small plastic cups, plastic egg carton, etc.
1. Mix your baking soda and vinegar together and wait for the fizzing to stop. It’s handy if you mix in a container that has a spout.
2. Add your corn syrup and cornstarch, and mix well until the cornstarch has dissolved.
3. Pour into your containers.
4. Add the colours using toothpicks and popsicle sticks, and stir for about a minute to make sure the colour is mixed in.
5. Let your paints “set up” and dry, which could take up to two days, before using.
Use your paints to make cards for the people you love!
Make family portraits, then host an art show.
Decorate large sheets of paper for colourful placemats.
What kinds of things do you plan on making this summer?
Recipe adapted from the following site:
Handbook of Family Literacy ( 2nd ed.) Edited by Barbara Hanna Wasik
Routledge, New York, 2012.