Celebrate Literacy All Year Long!

| January | February | March | April | May | June | July |
| August | September | October | November | December |

January 27 - International Family Literacy Day

Practice your literacy skills with your family by building blocks, singing, cooking or reading. Or try one of the fun activities below:

1) Cook “Pancake Books” together with your family.

Pancake Books

In a large bowl, mix together:
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

In a different bowl, mix together:
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons oil

Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until just blended. The batter should be a bit lumpy.

Pour 1 teaspoon of oil into a large skillet or griddle. Turn the heat to medium. Measure out ¼ cup of the batter and pour into the skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes.

Flip the pancakes when bubbles form on top of the pancakes. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 minutes on the other side. Remove the pancakes.

Put powdered sugar and sliced bananas on top of one pancake. Then place another pancake on the top.

Your “books” are now ready to eat!

For the “filling” of your “book”, you can also use:

plain yogurt with strawberries
a dribble of honey over raisins 

2) Build a house with toy blocks together.

Make your own Toy Blocks!

Use empty cereal boxes, milk cartons with the tops cut off, or any empty square containers.

Cover with wrapping paper, newspaper, or construction paper.

Print letters on each side of the blocks.

Or, cut pictures out of a magazine and glue onto each side.

February 18 - World Music Day

Celebrate by creating your own instruments and forming a “family band”!

Make a hummer or horn.

Cut out a circle of wax paper larger than the end of an empty toilet paper roll. Put the circle over one end of the roll. Use a rubber band to hold it in place. Sing “o-o-o-o” into the open end of the roll.

To turn the hummer into a horn, poke two or three holes along the side of the roll. Hold the roll so the holes are facing up. Sing “o-o-o-o” into the open end of the roll. See how different your voice sounds as you cover one or more holes with your fingers.

How to Make a Gong

You will need a round, metal lid (from a can). Pound two nail holes on the edge of the lid, a few inches apart. Thread a piece of string through the holes. Tie the ends of the string together. You can hold the gong by this string.

  To make the mallet, wrap a piece of cloth around a large spoon. Use an elastic band to hold the cloth in place.

Now hit the gong with the mallet!

(You can also use a lid from a cooking pot for the gong. Tie the string to the handle of the lid. See the difference in sounds when you hit different sized lids.)

April is National Poetry Month

Celebrate by reading a poem a day! Try one of the following great poets:

April 23 - Canada Book Day, World Book Day

Read a book by a Canadian author. We have many in the Sturgeon area alone. Ask your local librarian for books by the following:

September 8 - International Literacy Day

Record the number of minutes you read on this day. Then phone Sturgeon Literacy to report your total.

Help us reach our goal: to have the day’s total minutes of all participants equal to the number of adults in Alberta (1 out of 3) who have difficulty with literacy. 

Last Sunday in September - Word on the Street Fair

Celebrate this day by reading the street signs. Play with your preschool children by having them find the different shapes:

First Week in October - Read-In Week

Celebrate by reading one of the literacy quotes each day for seven days!

November - Children’s Book Week

Take time to reminisce. Read one of your favourite books from childhood.

Show your children the “real” you - act out one of your favourite stories with your children. Or, act out your favourite poem.