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Recipes and Reading – 10 Easy Ways to Incorporate Literacy and Baking with Your Kids

Check out my podcast episode about this right here!

Honestly right now…it…is…hard.  Baking brings me joy…what about you?  Did you know that you can incorporate literacy right into your baking?  Is it a little chaotic baking with kids?  Yes.  A little stressful at times?  Yes.  Worth doing?  Absolutely.  Worth teaching through it?  YES!  Let’s see 10 easy ways to do it!

1. Interactive Writing (Shared Pen)

-Ideally on chart paper but also on any paper

-brainstorm “word bank” of ingredients with small visual

-write sentences together for each step of the recipe

-read through together

2.  Sequencing 

-draw and cut out or print out and cut pictures of each step

-ask kids to glue in order on a sentence strip or piece of paper

-talk through or write about each step

3.  Reading Left to Right

-Use a visual recipe card or your interactive writing to model reading from left to right

-point to each word and show what reading looks like

https://pocketofpreschool.com/pizza-centers-for-preschool-pre-k-and#more

4.  Visual Recipe Card

  -plenty online that incorporate simple text and visuals to make reading approachable to early readers

5. Initial Sounds

-picture of ingredient

-child writes the letter of the initial sound of the word next to pic

https://pocketofpreschool.com/pizza-centers-for-preschool-pre-k-and#more

6. Labeling

-label the ingredients with invented spelling

-cut and paste labels next to ingredients

7. Dramatic Play/Retell

https://dreambig-littleone.com/2018/10/08/apple-dramatic-play-center-theme-for-preschool-and-kindergarten/

-dress up and use manipulatives to dramatically “show” how to make the recipe

-be the “chef” on a cooking show

-builds language and reading skills

8.  Vocabulary

-ingredients with visuals

-highlight initial sound of each

-identify the verbs used in the steps and use movement to remember

9.  Journal Writing

-reflect on the recipe and experience cooking through journal writing

-leave vocabulary/steps and/or the interactive writing chart up as a reference

10.My Little Recipe Book (visuals and text)

-keep on a ring and add to

-include link to resource

https://royalbaloo.com/my-first-recipe-book-printable-for-charity/

It’s all about interacting with, reading, and manipulating language and text AND referring back to the language and text often!

Messy, chaotic, and challenging.

Challenge you to try one of these with your kids and let me know!

“An apron is just a cake on backwards.” -Anonymous

Cooking and baking is time together, time to explore, make mistakes, laugh, and learn. 

Embrace the mess and have fun!

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