Please welcome Kristal to Minds in Bloom today. She’s sharing a fun guest post with us about how we can connect cooking to literacy. The next time you’re reading a book that talks about food, see whether you can incorporate cooking!
Cooking with children can provide many benefits:
- It creates a sense of togetherness. Whether this is done at home or in a whole classroom setting, it helps bond us with our children.
- It teaches children an important life skill. Something often lacking in homes today, many parents don’t have time to explicitly teach children how to cook. This gives them opportunities that they may not have in their own homes.
- It gives children a sense of accomplishment. Many feel that they can’t cook at such a young age. By giving them the tools they need and guiding them, they get an immediate reward when they see their hard work come to fruition when they taste their food.
- It can provide sensory memories that just talking and reading can’t.
What would this look like in homeschool or in the classroom?
This week my children and I read the book Blueberries for Sal. Given that many farms have fresh blueberries available for picking right now, I thought this book would be perfect for a quick summer read.Want more cooking and literacy ideas?
Goldilocks and the Three Bears (any version): This is one of my favorite cooking connections for kids. Many kiddos can tell you what oatmeal is, but they will look at you blankly when you ask them to describe porridge. I can guarantee you that porridge will be a vocabulary word they will never forget if they can make it and try it in the classroom! Thundercake by Patricia Polacco: Make the thundercake recipe listed in the back of the book. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess: Cue the chorus of “ewww, green eggs!” This is a great one to see which of your kids will be adventurous enough to try them. Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie DePaola: Make the pancakes from scratch. Many will be surprised that you don’t just add water to a box of pancake mix. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman: The recipe is in the back of the book. If you have access to an oven at your school, this will hands down be a favorite of your students! These are just a few ideas. There are many ways to incorporate cooking with literacy, especially with non-fiction books. I encourage you to think outside the box, find recipe connections, and create many fun-filled (and delicious) memories in your classroom.Here is a different way to cook with kids that is kid-centered, fun, and very, very hands-on. Kids feel a sense of pride and accomplishment as they follow the recipes – often with little adult help to create something yummy. These recipes can easily be used with a whole class by setting up a cooking center and calling kids back a few at time. Click here to check it out!
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