Stop putting salt on the cat, please! and things a mom says…

Day 4 – Salt  Tables

So we are on DAY 4 of our                                                    

…31 Days of READiNG Rewards!

Please click on the button on the sidebar for ease in checking out the past posts for this topic!  And don’t forget to read through to the bottom to see the little video.

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Today’s post is about seasonings. Okay, maybe not really. But they DO involve some kitchen items.

This is a post for helping learning-to-read readers, by the way.

Start with an 8×8 baking pan. If you don’t have one, a box lid or even a 9×13 baking pan will do.  The larger size is kind of big for this, and you’ll see why in a moment, but it DOES work.  And you will want the sides, though in my photo and video below I am NOT using a pan with sides. This isn’t recommended for kids, because you will have a mess, lol.

And get out the salt (sorry, I don’t have salt in a name-brand container.  I had SO much salt I had to put it into jars. Those little canisters have a habit of falling out of the pantry in my house, and I end up with salt all over the floors.

Pour the salt into the pan. Gently shake the pan (leaving it on the table) from side to side in order to smooth out the salt.  And using your finger, carefully draw a letter in the salt. It is also beneficial to write a letter on a 3×5 card (or small cut of paper) and have your child mimic the shape. Don’t give him or her more than a few shapes (letters!) at a time, though. You don’t want to overwhelm them.  For older kids you could mark on the 3×5 card the directional arrows for the proper form of a letter (Do you remember handwriting in school?  There is no longer an old fashioned cursive lesson, but there IS a format for printing letters).

Look!

This tactile experience will benefit all preschoolers and elementary students, including those who are not typically tactile learners. In addition to the letter recognition practice, cognitive growth, and induction skills (some students don’t think in terms of deduction and tactile learning is a huge plus for them), it helps the child gain physical self-control, fine motor skills, and learn they can focus and have control of their experience.

While salt is the least expensive, you could try sand or a gushy flour and water mixture or whatever your imagination (and patience) desire!