Teaching Reading to Children Thru Storytelling and Cooking

Inside your kitchen is a magical place for children to play and explore, to bang pots and pans, to flour a hand, to laugh at mistakes, to make a new shape, to watch something grow, to read, touch and smell, to hear and tell family stories. Lost Recipes from Old Titles encourages teaching reading to children through family traditions like storytelling and cooking.

Here’s a handy list of websites, recipes and ideas to enjoy with your families and children.

Websites for read-a-loud, reading in the kitchen, family time

Activities That Require Reading - Cooking (reading a recipe)
http://parenting.kaboose.com/education-and-learning/learning-resources/how-can-encourage-my-young-child-to-read.html

Betty Crocker Kids-In-The-Kitchen
http://www.bettycrocker.com/slideshowlibrary/kids-in-the-kitchen

Better Parenting – Recipes as Skills
http://www.betterparenting.com/get-your-kids-in-the-kitchen/

Hodgen Mills A Kitchen With Kids
http://www.hodgsonmill.com/our-kitchen/a-kitchen-with-kids/

Homestead Homemaking Book Review
http://www.homesteadhomemaking.com/fun-at-home/book-reviews/

Nostalgic First Cookbooks
http://www.culinarytypes.com/id2.html

Overcoming Learning Disabilities
http://www.overcoming-learning-disabilities.com/benefits-of-reading-aloud.html

Tips on sneaking reading into your family time
http://www.rif.org/kids/leer/en/barrio/lecturavidadiaria_english.htm

Words That Cook
http://www.wordsthatcook.org/

Recipes for Reading, Storytelling, Family stories

Campbell’s Kitchen never tires of showing the big dish that everybody “goes over the river and through the woods for”. Try preparing a Green Bean Casserole from a Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup with the little ones while telling a family story about the serving.

Night Before Christmas Cookies featured in food holiday at Better Homes and Gardens, December 2011 are cookie recipes done in minutes. Use for all-occasion and boost reading and cooking thru cookies.

Frugal cooks and swift readers may want to try Delicious on a Dollar, Better Homes and Gardens, September, 2011 recipe. Teach the little one how to make Vanilla French Toast, a family favorite, on 97 cents per serving.

Buy one box of Birds Eye Steam Fresh Vegetables, read the box, prepare the dish and when your youngster ask the “why” question. Tell him why fresh is best, freeze-dried is next and cans are last.

Ideas for Reading, Storytelling, Family Stories

Kim Hays from babytalk.com featured an article in August, 2010 entitled, “grandma’s home remedies”. If there’s a doctor or holistic being brewing in your house, here is a way to grab their attention. Teach kids how to read labels or tell the family story behind the recipe or remedy.

Written just for preschoolers, children cookbooks like Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes for children ages 5 to 8 recommended by the School Library Journal. Other children book ideas at About guides or Amazon.com.

Select three beverage cartons or containers from the refrigerator and try the pour test. Let the kids read the ingredients, alternate drinks, decide what foods they go best with the drink or why they are so delicious.

Bake a name day cake from a box brand or your favorite recipe card. Have someone recite the little story from a name day card about how the custom was started or practiced by grandma or read-a-loud the recipe from the cake’s box.

Last by not least, if your boy or girl likes riddles and dragon stories, I hope you will visit my other blog, Herme Meets a Dragon and other Read-a-Loud Stories. And don’t forget the wondrous field trip to the neighborhood libraries and bookstores for stories, poetry and rhyme. Something I hope to do till I’m 99.