Learn Together – Grow Together is a program for parents and their children (ages 3-5 years old), to attend and participate in activities together as a family. We encourage the parents to recognize their role as first teacher of their children. In order for parents to help their children become lifelong readers and writers, we show the parents simple activities they can do at home to help foster the early literacy skills needed for their little ones to grow into literacy.
At Learn Together – Grow Together, a fun activity we have done was to make a homemade book. We showed the parents that you can use inexpensive materials and/or materials you may already have at home, to make your own books.
One of the books the parents created with their children is called a “Straw Book.”
- 3+, 8 ½ x 11 plain white sheets of paper
- 1 piece of coloured construction paper
- 1 pair of scissors
- 1 drinking straw
- 1 elastic band
- markers and/or pencil crayons and/or crayons
- optional: stickers
- Fold the white pieces of paper in half, as they will become the inside pages of the book
- Fold the piece of coloured construction paper in half, as this will become the cover of the book
- Carefully cut two small triangles into the folded sides of the plain paper and the folded side of the construction paper. Make sure the triangles are a long enough distance apart to be able to weave your straw in between them
- Put the straw through the holes on the inside of the book
- On the outside cover, put the elastic band on the top and bottom ends of the straw, keeping the cover and inside pages together
- Have fun decorating, writing, and drawing in your book!
At Learn Together – Grow Together, the families used pencil crayons, markers, stickers, objects cut out of magazines, etc. to decorate, draw, and write in their straw books. The children were very pleased that they were able to scribble and/or write whatever they wanted in their book; it gave them a sense of pride and ownership!
It was exciting to see that even a simple and inexpensive activity, like making a book from a drinking straw, an elastic band, and some paper, was able to foster early literacy skills. The children were able to be creative on their own and practice their writing and drawing skills. The parents learned that it doesn’t cost a lot of money, or take a lot of time, to have a literacy activity for their children to work on.
Have you made any other types of homemade books with your children? We would love to hear more of your ideas to help foster early reading and writing skills in young children!