Extended Literacy Adventure:
A Recipe for Fun
Reading, Exploring, and Writing Recipes
Aventura: Recetas - ¡Cocinando Con Palabras!
Age Range: K + up Group Size: exible Time Range: 45-90 min
June 2019
Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
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Adventure Outline
Making up recipes provides opportunities to practice free writing and to use writing,
in any language(s), as a tool to become familiar with new concepts. This adventure
includes:
1. Hook: What Are Recipes? Learn about the main parts of a recipe, including
ingredients and steps
2. Book Browsing Time: Browse cookbooks and select some to read/take home
3. Recipe Read-Aloud: Read a recipe together; discuss its ingredients and steps/
directions
a. (see Variations for optional additional activities, including making the recipe)
4. Activity: Making Our Own Recipes for a Fun Day
a. Writing/Drawing Our Own “Fun Day” Recipes
b. Sharing Recipes and Titling our Cookbook
5. Wrap Up: Review recipe parts and take home recipes, recipe templates, and/or
cookbooks
Adventure Goals
Our goal in every adventure is for children to have fun with books and reading! In
this adventure children will learn about the parts of a recipe; explore cookbooks (a
use as “mentor texts” to give them ideas for writing their own how-to recipes.
Measurable Objectives and Outcomes
Objective: Participants will gain practice in “how-to” writing, and be able to explain
the parts of a typical recipe.
Outcome: Participants will practice free writing, in their most comfortable
language(s), by creating a set of directions (including supplies or
ingredients) for a recipe or activity.
*Note: See Supporting Research for details on how these objectives and outcomes
support the reading processes of K-3rd grade readers.
*Note: This adventure could be presented in segments or variations over the course
of several programs, for example over the course of a week, month, or term. If it suits
your programming audience, you could nish a program series with a family potluck
or catered community event. (See Variations for suggestions.)
or tells us how to do something. Procedural writing is important in our day-to-day lives.
The National Council of Teachers of English suggests teachers help developing writers identify mentor or
exemplar texts. See Library & Aerschool Program Models Key Finding 17 in the Research Review.
Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
3
Considerations for Planning:
• Will you print the recipe templates on cardstock or regular paper?
• Where in your space will participants write their recipes?
• How will supplies be distributed? (E.g. Waiting on prepared tables?
Handed out mid-activity?)
• Will participants work on recipes individually, or in small groups? (See
Variations for small group suggestions.)
Supplies:
Enough children’s (or all-ages) cookbooks for all participants to have browsing
choices that match their reading levels, interests, and language needs.
Short, interesting recipe to read aloud. (See Additional Resources for sample
recipe.)
Optional: picture book to read aloud, in which characters have fun. (See
Variations for more on this activity extender.)
markers.
Drawing/writing supplies: pencils, pens, markers, crayons, etc.
Blank recipe templates, enough copies for all participants to use one during
the adventure and to take one home. (Templates can be found in Additional
Resources.)
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
Adventure Plan
Navigation
1. Hook/Getting Started: Recipes! What
Are They? (5-15 min)
Say: My dad makes the most delicious blueberry chocolate chip pancakes. I
should ask him for the recipe.
.
Got more time? Also say:
This weekend I had a picnic with my friends. I brought my dog, a frisbee,
and my ukulele. It was a real recipe for fun!
Oh, but what if I le my dog alone with a cat, a disgusting old smelly sock,
and some peanut butter? That sounds like another kind of recipe -- a
recipe for disaster!
(See Variations for alternative Hook activity ideas.)
Using the following prompts, lead a short discussion about what a
recipe is.
Say: I just used the word “recipe” a few times. What is a recipe, usually?
include these elements:
• a list of ingredients to make something;
•
•
Say: If I wanted to make cookies, what might be some of the
ingredients I would need to include in a cookie recipe? Ingredients
are the things you need to put together to make your recipe. Help the
soda, salt, chocolate chips, etc.
What might some of the steps or directions for my cookie recipe be?
Help the group brainstorm suggestions such as:
Preheat the oven; mix the ingredients together; form the dough into
balls; place the balls on a greased cookie sheet; put the cookie sheet in
the oven to bake; etc.
“Recipe” in Spanish =
una receta/la receta
“Recipe” in Spanish =
una receta/la receta
“Ingredients”
in Spanish = los
ingredientes
“Cookies” in Spanish
= galletas
“Directions” (for a
recipe) in Spanish =
instrucciones
or
preparación
Short on time? Skip
the “recipe for fun”
and “recipe for
disaster.” See more
ideas in Variations.
“A disaster” in
Spanish = un desastre
See Variations
for more ideas
on discussing
Family Favorites in
Variations.
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
2. Book Browsing Time: Cookbooks
& Recipes (5-10 min)
A child’s literacy development is dependent on the interconnection
between reading and writing. Make time for books!
Browsing Cookbooks for Intriguing Recipes
Say: Today we’re going to talk some more about recipes, and try making
some creative recipes of our own. To get us started, let’s take a few
minutes to look at some books with recipes in them. What kind of books
have recipes in them? Cookbooks! (See Variations for talking points
about reading recipes online.)
Let’s have a cookbook treasure hunt. Take some time to look through
these books for a recipe that looks good to you, looking at its words or
pictures or both. Maybe it’s something you might want to taste, or have
someone help you make. Bring your choices back to your seat.
Open Exploration
interesting and readable. Encourage participants to:
•
• Read a little bit, silently or with a caregiver/peer.
• Pick a book or two to borrow!
3. Read-Aloud: Reading a Recipe
(5-10 min)
“Cookbook” in
Spanish = libro de
cocina or
libro de recetas
See Variations for
discussing.
Kids read more and
develop lifelong
reading habits and
strategies when they
are allowed to choose
their own books, have
time to read, and have
the chance to talk
about what they’re
reading.
Got more time? See
“Neighbor Share” in
Variations for ideas
about talking about
book picks with one
another.
Is it important to do the steps in a certain order?
Variation: exploring recipe metaphors: See ideas for exploring the
metaphor of “A Recipe for Disaster” and brainstorming some “Dog
Disaster” recipes in Variations.
Read a recipe aloud to the group.(Variation: read aloud and discuss a
picture book about a fun day.)
See Additional
Resources for
a sample recipe
and more recipe
resources.
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
Before Reading
Say: I hope everyone was able to nd a recipe that looked interesting to
you. I did! I’ll share it with you.
While Reading
Read aloud a short, interesting recipe. Make sure to point out the
recipe’s title, ingredients, steps/directions, and the resulting dish.
Aer Reading
Say:
1. What was the name of this recipe? Did the recipe sound good to you?
2. What ingredients did the recipe say I would need? (Do you think the
recipe should have included any other ingredients? What would you
suggest?
3. What directions or steps did the recipe tell me to do? Were the steps
clear? Do you think you could follow these directions to make this
recipe?
Tip: Things to try during discussion: validating individual views;
connecting observations; restating with rich vocabulary; and pointing
Say: So, a recipe usually has:
• a name or title;
• some ingredients;
• some steps or directions;
• and when you put it all together, you wind up making something.
A “recipe for fun”: If you didn’t use this line during the Hook,
introduce the idea of a “recipe for fun” now.
Say: Remember I told you that this weekend I had a picnic with my
friends. I brought my dog, a frisbee, and my ukulele. I said it was a
“recipe for fun”!
So if that was a “recipe for fun,” then my ingredients for a Fun Day
included: my dog, a frisbee, a ukulele, and a picnic with friends.
What ingredients would your fun day include? For today’s adventure, we
will each think of a recipe for a Fun Day. Then we’ll write our recipe down,
using words or pictures or both, in any languages we like, so that someone
else could follow our recipe to have a fun day.
Transition
See Variations for
ideas for reading
aloud and discussing
a picture book about
a fun day.
“Recipe name” (or title)
in Spanish = el título de
la receta
Welcome/encourage
responses in the
language(s) or
language mixture in
which participants
feel comfortable.
Tip: Discussions
provide opportunities
for vocabulary
enrichment.
See Variations for
discussing.
Got more time? Ask
participants to talk
with a partner or
small group about
their “fun day”
experiences and
ideas. Being inclusive
of all languages helps
multilingual people
feel welcome and part
of the community,
and supports
biliteracy.
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
4a. Activity: Creating Our Own Recipes
for a Fun Day (20-30 min)
Mini-brainstorm: to help participants get started (5 min):
Help participants get started by brainstorming an example of “fun day”
ingredients and directions. Write participant suggestions on the board/
paper. To model writing in a recipe format, use the headings “Recipe
Name,” “Ingredients,” and “Directions.”
Say: I’m going to start my recipe for a fun day with some ingredients. If I
were thinking of ingredients for a fun day, I might include [list examples,
such as]:
• Some people I really like, like my sister and my good friend;
• My dog;
• A yummy snack like popcorn;
• Playing outside.
Say: Let’s think of some ingredients you might include in a recipe for a
fun day. What do you like to do, to play or have fun? Who do you like to
spend time with? Where do you like to be?
people, pets, foods, games, activities, toys, and places. Write these up
for everyone to see.
Say: These are just some ideas to get us started. You might think of
something else.
Say: If I were writing directions for a fun day, I might start by saying
“Invite my sister to join me” and “Go outside to the park.”
Got more time? Also say: What are some directions you might suggest in
a recipe for a fun day? Write a few of these up.
Say: I might call my fun-day recipe “Sister Surprise,” or “Play Outside Pie.”
You can decide what you would call your recipe.
Say: It’s your turn to write or draw a recipe!
What ingredients would you include in a fun day?
What steps or directions would you give?
What will you call your recipe?
Tip: To model writing
in a recipe format,
write participant
suggestions on the
board/paper under
the headings “Recipe
Name,” “Ingredients,”
and “Directions.”
Tip: The best
way to develop
comprehension
strategies is through
the gradual release
of responsibility: I do,
we do, you do!
Short on time?
Model writing up a
few possibilities and
skip asking for group
input; or ask the
group for ideas for
ingredients but not
for directions.
Tip: Your group
could also work in
teams, or in family-
or language-based
groups, if preferred.
See Variations for
more ideas.
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
Hand out blank recipe templates (found in the Additional Resources).
Make sure participants can see the guiding words “Recipe Name,”
“Ingredients,” and “Steps” “Directions” written up somewhere in
languages they read.
Say: Using your recipe paper, write down a recipe with a few dierent
ingredients. You can write the ingredients or draw pictures, or both; it’s
up to you! You can work alone or with another person. Any language or
combination of languages is ne. Make sure to include directions. Give
your recipe a title. You can look at your cookbook(s) for ideas of what a
recipe looks like, too. Don’t worry about spelling all of the words correctly;
this is a time to let your imagination loose and get creative! Just focus on
creating your recipe.
time.
Use Spanish
vocabulary as
appropriate.
Mentor texts help
beginning writers by
providing examples.
Tip: If some
early, you could
suggest they draw
illustrations for their
recipe. See Variations
for more ideas.
Short on time? Just
share recipe titles,
or only some of the
titles. Got more time?
Have everyone share
their recipe titles,
and/or some of their
ingredients and
directions. Encourage
participants to point
of their recipes.
4b. Activity Conclusion: Sharing Our
Recipes and Titling Our Cookbook
(5-10 min)
Sharing Our Recipes
Say: Wow, we’ve got a whole room full of creative recipes.
Ask for volunteers to share some of their recipes (or simply titles) with
group.
Giving Our Cookbook a Title
Say: What a lot of great Recipes for Fun Days. You know what, I think
we’ve got a whole cookbook! What should the title of our cookbook be?
make a decision about the title.
5. Wrap-Up: Review and Take Home
Say: Today we have blank recipe cards for you to take home if you’d like
to create some more creative recipes. Or maybe you’d like your friends or
family to join you in creating some recipes together! You can help them
learn more about recipes by teaching them the usual parts of a written
recipe. Do you remember what they are?
Short on time?
Simply say: I’d say
we’ve got a whole
Cookbook of Recipes
for Fun Days!
See Variations for
sharing. If time, your
wrap-up/review
could include sharing
actual recipes and
talking about Family
Favorites.
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
Tip: Make copies
of the recipes to
display in a binder in
your programming
location so that
others can enjoy the
group cookbook.
Got more time? Share cookbook choices: Go around the group and let
participants share the cookbook they’re going to take home or read and
why they chose it.
Say: I hope everybody had fun today learning about cookbooks and
coming up with our own interesting how-to recipes. Now, at the end of an
adventure, I like to ask these three very important questions! I’ll give you
a hint: the answer to these questions is always… ¡Que sí! Or Yes!
1. Are we happy to help you nd good books to read? (Yes!)
¿Nos gusta ayudarte a encontrar buenos libros para leer? (¡Que sí!)
2. Do we love to talk about books with you? (Yes!)
¿Nos gusta conversar sobre los libros contigo? (¡Que sí!)
3. Is all reading good reading? (Yes!)
¿Toda lectura es buena lectura? (¡Que sí!)
Take Home:
• The recipe they created today
• Blank recipe templates
• Cookbooks to borrow
A Tip Time
Spanish
word
Choice
Variations/
More ideas
ICON KEY
Key Element
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
Variations and Extended Learning
Consider some of these tips for engaging participants of various ages, cultures, languages and abilities.
If some participants nish early
• Illustrate their recipe;
• Add some more ingredients or directions;
• Brainstorm and begin a new recipe they might like to continue
later;
• Think of a food they like, and try to think of and write down all
the ingredients it might have;
• Copy the recipe they found during book browsing, so they can
take it home and make it.
Working in Small Groups
You can ask participants if they would enjoy being grouped with family members, friends, or by taking
into account languages that they have in common.
Maybe small groups would like to create recipes together. Post the primary elements of a recipe, then
invite smaller groups to decide on their group’s recipe ideas in small-group discussion. Each group could
then share their creations with everyone at the end.
Shortening the Program
Try one or more of these ideas to shorten your program:
1. Read aloud the sample recipe;
2. Browse cookbooks for intriguing recipes;
3. Share the idea of a recipe for a fun day;
4. As a group, create a recipe for a fun day;
5. Participants leave the program with cookbooks to read/check out, and the recipe template to create
their own recipes at home (perhaps prepped with the suggestion to ask adults for their childhood
favorite recipes; or to ask adults for help writing down a favorite recipe).
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
The Hook
Extended Learning
Try “Thinking Back: Favorite Childhood Foods” (5-15 min). Encourage
participants to remember foods they liked eating as kids. (Kids enjoy
reminiscing too! They can think of foods they liked eating when they
were “little” or younger.) Break a large group into smaller groups for
discussion, then invite people to report back.
Getting Started: What Is a Recipe?
Extended Learning: Explore the metaphor.
• Explain the metaphor:
Say: Earlier I said that “mixing” my dog with a cat, some smelly socks, and peanut butter would be a
“recipe for disaster.” Is that a real recipe that someone would want to follow?
No, that’s using a recipe as a metaphor, which is like a comparison. It’s saying that “mixing” other
things with my dog is kind of like mixing ingredients for a recipe. It’s also being funny, pointing out
that if you mix together those “ingredients” you might “cook up” a disaster!
• Brainstorm a Dog Disaster recipe:
Say: What if we had a recipe called Dog Disaster? What are some other ingredients we could combine
(mix) with my dog to create a Dog Disaster?
• Brainstorm for just a minute or two, modeling thinking of creative “ingredients” (like my dog + a
Read-Aloud: A Book About a Fun Day
Extended Learning: Try a read-aloud + recipe discussion for a book about a fun day
Read aloud a picture book in which listeners might notice ingredients that make up a fun day, for
example: A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee. (More title suggestions can be found
under Additional Resources; but any short book in which characters have fun will work.)
• Aer Reading
Say: I thought these characters had a fun day. What were the ingredients that helped them have a fun
day?
•
“Ingredients.” (E.g. friends, sunshine, yummy snacks, adventures, rocks, sticks…)
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
•
“Directions.”
• Thinking of this story as a recipe for having a fun day, would you give it another title? What would you
name this recipe?
Book Browsing, Online Reading and a Neighbor Share
Book browsing time is an opportunity for a low stress, less structured part of your activity. It can provide
great opportunities for connecting with and listening to families.
Discussion on a topic that interests children provides authentic and meaningful language opportunities
— the perfect environment for language acquisition! Remember to allow for plenty of “think time.” And, if
opportunities for deeper thinking and more oral literacy.
“Pair sharing” is an opportunity to deepen children’s thinking through think time and partner discussion.
Reporting back/sharing with the whole group allows for practice sharing prepared ideas in front of a
larger group. Both help with language acquisition!
Variations:
• Reading recipes online: Many people these days do the
our recipes online, instead of (or in addition to) in cookbooks.
In your recipe discussion, why not point out (or support the
recipes online, too. This is a great time to make the point that
online reading = reading!
• Browsing online recipes: If you have access to the appropriate
technology, you could project a few online recipes for your participants to see, or provide tablets set
to online recipe sites (see Recipe Resources for suggestions) or displaying cookbooks in e-format,
for participants to browse in addition to the physical books. Interacting with children as they browse
these materials would help to foster joint media engagement.
Extended Learning:
participants to share with another participant about one of the cookbooks they found interesting.
Say: Take a minute to share with your neighbor or someone you know about one of the books you found
interesting. You might want to tell them why they might want to read the book, and share a favorite picture,
recipe or page. If you have trouble thinking of what to say you could try:
• Name the book you looked at and liked.
• I looked at _______.
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
• Why someone should want to read the book.
You might like reading this book because ______.
• Show and tell about your favorite part of the book.
This is my favorite part of the book (so far) because ______.
Sentence prompts give structure that supports young children, reluctant speakers, and those learning
English to share their ideas. You can allow participants to alter and/or deviate from prompts depending
on their need.
Getting Started: What Is a Recipe?
Extended Learning: Explore the metaphor.
• More creative recipes your group could write:
Everyone write a recipe for disaster.
Ask participants what other kinds of recipes they might want to make up. Help them brainstorm
babysitting; preparing for a trip; having a movie night; cleaning the house; playing or making up a
game.
• Learning about additional parts of a recipe:
• Say: Take a look at the recipes in your cookbooks.
Do they all have ingredients and directions? Do you
see any other parts to recipes? What other kinds of
information might we nd in a recipe?
Some possibilities: Title, a recipe description,
information about where the recipe came from,
ingredients, directions, how many people it serves,
temperature for cooking, cooking time, etc. Write
everyone’s contributions up on a board/paper.
Encourage creative uses of these recipe parts when
participants write their own recipes.
Group Discussion Variations or Home Activities
Extended Learning: Explore the metaphor
• Family Favorites:
Say: Ask your grown-up family members if they remember a favorite food from when they were children.
Can they remember the recipe? Maybe you can cook this recipe together, or you could draw a picture or
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
write a recipe based on what they describe.
• My Favorite Foods:
Say: I bet you have some favorite foods. What is something you like to eat at home? Does someone at
home make some of those favorite foods for you? Could someone help you write down the recipe? Maybe
they can help you make that food.
Do you have a favorite food you eat somewhere else, not at home? To gure out that recipe, ask
someone who makes it; look in a book; look online; or do your best guessing to learn or gure out the
recipe for that favorite food.
• Best Guess Recipe
Read aloud your short, sample recipe. Have the group close their eyes and think about a food they
like to eat. Ask them to make their best guess and then write down/draw a recipe for that food, with
ingredients and steps. Encourage them to show the recipe to adults at home and ask for ideas about
how to change their recipe to make the food they have in mind. (Or, with adult help, they could try
making the recipe as they wrote it, and then consider whether they’d like to change it.)
Wrap Up (or Book Browsing) Extended Learning:
Extended Learning:
Share cookbook choices. Go around the group and let participants share the cookbook they’re going
to check out and why they chose it. This could also be a fun discussion for your program in partners,
family groups, or small groups, followed by some sharing with the larger group. What do the adults
in the room remember about foods they ate when they were children? What do kids remember eating
when they were younger?
Actual Food Options (Snacks; Potlucks; Making the Sample
Recipe)
A note on food in programs: Bear in mind there can be challenges around including food in a program,
such as safely accommodating food allergies or intolerances; family and cultural preferences about when
gauge the needs of your own group. Some programs do provide snacks regularly. For some audiences,
• Snacks: You might include the preparation of very simple recipes children could assemble on the
spot, such as:
Ants on a Log: Spread peanut butter or cream cheese on cut celery. Dot raisins on top.
Apple Ladybugs: Slice apples in half from top to bottom and scoop out the cores using a
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
knife or melon baller. Place apples cut side down. For the
ladybug’s spots (and eyes, if you like), stick raisins to the
apple’s red skin using nut butter or cream cheese. For
antennae, poke two skinny stick pretzels (topped with
raisins, if you like) into the apples.
(For one example, see “Apple Ladybug Treats” on Allrecipes.
com at https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/29926/apple-
ladybug-treats/.)
• Potluck: For many Latino families, a potluck is a culturally appropriate way to invite family
participation. If you have regular attendees, you might consult with them to determine interest
drinks, and a simple entree to supplement what others bring.
Or perhaps your group will decide on a lighter snack potluck.
Maybe a few families can come early to help set up or stay late
to help clean up. Children can set the table and do other tasks.
Ask your participants what would work for them!
• Making the Sample Recipe: Ice Cream in a Bag If it makes sense for your group, try making the Ice
Cream in a Bag recipe. Once the ingredients are assembled it usually takes fewer than 15 minutes for
the “ice cream” (actually ice milk) to congeal. This works even on a very hot day. It’s easiest to clean
up outside! (Try to avoid emptying melted bags of salt water on grass.)
Kitchen Show and Tell
Bring in kitchen tools (or pictures of them) to show the group. Some
examples to get you started:
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Spatula
• Egg beater
•
Tip: You could ask the group to guess what each item is for.
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
Vocabulary Extension Activities
Introducing new vocabulary provides many opportunities for extension activities. Here are a few you
might try:
• Write the word on an index card or small poster so children see the word as well as hear the word.
• Say and use the word as many times as possible and reasonable during your introduction to the word
and throughout the activity.
• Ask the children to say the word aloud. Turn to a partner and say the word. It’s important that they
get used to pronouncing the word.
• Playful interactions with the word help reinforce comprehension. Ask children to make a face
that look like the word, act it out, draw it in the air, etc. If there is a antonym (word with opposite
meaning) ask the children to act/draw this out as well.
Passive Program Idea: Recipe Creation Station
On a table or at an activity station, set out cookbooks to browse; an example of a fun recipe; blank recipe
templates; a 3-hole punch; and a 3-ring binder “cookbook” in which to collect contributions. Alternately,
post recipes on a bulletin board. (Your recipe examples could include actual recipes for food, and/or
recipes for a fun day or similar.) Include a sign inviting participants to:
• Browse the cookbooks for inspiration
• Write and/or draw a recipe to take home and/or contribute to the group “cookbook.” Your sign might
specify any combination of the following:
Could be a real recipe they know and love;
Could be a recipe they make up;
Could be a recipe for a fun day or similar.
•
inclusion in the group “cookbook.”
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Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
• Using the word in context is the single best way for new word learning to solidify. Try to use the
word throughout your activity. Encourage the students to try out using the word as well. Celebrate
student’s attempts as a whole group.
• Invite the children and families to try using these words throughout the rest of their day when
possible.
Beginning Reader Storytime Ideas
Here are some suggestions for how to incorporate elements from this adventure in a storytime for
beginning readers:
• Read aloud a story about food, perhaps one that includes a recipe. (See Resources for suggestions.)
•
result.
•
• For the caregivers in attendance, include explanatory messages (see Family Engagement: Messages
for Caregivers).
Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
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Vocabulary
Picture book = libro de cuentos ilustrado
Recipe = una receta/la receta
Ingredients = los ingredientes
Directions [for a recipe] = las instrucciones or la preparación
Recipe name = el título de la receta
Metaphor = Una/la metáfora
A disaster = un desastre
See Variations and Extended Learning for a few activity options when introducing
vocabulary. See Variations and Extended Learning for a few activity options when
introducing vocabulary.
Adventure Suppports
Family Engagement
Family Engagement Suggestions
Encourage adult participants to support their young readers/writers by asking open-
ended questions about their work.
You could write discussion prompts such as these for adult participants to see and
use with their young writers:
• Tell me about...
• I noticed you added…
• What do you think you could add?
• How would you draw that?
• What words do you know that describe that?
• Can you picture it in your head?
Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
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Family Engagement: Messages for Caregivers
Writing can be powerful communication: It’s exciting when we see our ideas written
down so others can understand them -- and especially powerful when other people
write the words to express themselves and explore that power of communication.
Playful writing: Playful writing motivates children to learn how to write and makes
them better readers.
Call it “reading”! Point out all the ordinary reading you do: We read all the time!
But we don’t always point out that it’s reading. Using a recipe? Reading! Checking
your shopping list? Reading! Looking something up online or checking Facebook? It’s
all reading! Help your kids notice the ways reading connects with everyday activities
by using the word “read” to describe what you’re doing.
Writing that explains things is useful and important — and it’s writing!: Writing
that explains or tells us how to do something (called procedural writing) is very
important in our day-to-day lives. Creating recipes helps beginning writers practice
procedural writing and picking good words to make their message clear.
Useful daily reading: Reading labels, recipes, instructions, and other informational
reading is just as important as reading books!
Useful daily writing: Writing grocery lists, to-do lists, notes to other people, and
of writing is just as important as creative and school writing!
Respond positively to kids’ early eorts at writing — doesn’t need to be perfect
yet!: Children who are learning to speak don’t start out talking perfectly, and we
don’t expect it -- nor do we expect them to keep quiet until they’ve mastered all
the elements of language! Well, it’s the same with writing. As kids experiment with
expressing their ideas through writing, they won’t start out with perfect skills in
grammar, spelling, letter formation, and punctuation. But they will start out with
enthusiasm, and we adults can keep that enthusiasm and motivation going by
responding positively to children as they experiment with writing their ideas down
to share with others.
Choice builds engagement: Kids read more and develop lifelong reading habits and
strategies when they are allowed to choose their own books.
Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
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Additional Resources
Recipe templates
• Fostering Readers Recipe Template
• Recipe template from ReadWriteThink.org:
pdf
• Recipe template from Cincinnati Engineering Enhanced Math and Science
Program:
https://ceas.uc.edu/content/dam/ceas/documents/CEEMS/instructionalunits/
Sample Recipe
Recipe for Ice Cream In a Bag
Receta Para Hacer Helado en Una Bolsa Ziplock
Ingredients:
• 1 cup whole milk
•
• 1-3 Tablespoons sugar
•
Other Things You’ll Need:
• Small (sandwich size) ziplock baggie
• Large (1-gallon size) ziplock bag
• Ice
• Rock salt
• Measuring spoons
• Liquid cup measure
• Bowl and spoon or cup and straw
• Masking tape (optional)
• Gloves (optional)
• A buddy
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Directions (How to Make the Ice Cream):
Ask your buddy to hold open the small ziplock baggie. Measure out one cup of
milk and pour it into the bag. Measure and add the 1 teaspoon vanilla and the 1-3
tablespoon sugar. (You can add your mix-ins now, but they may change the color
zipping the bag closed, you can make sure it’s sealed tightly by folding masking tape
over the top. (You can also double-bag it to prevent punctures.) Set the small baggie
aside.
Ask your buddy to hold open the large ziplock bag. Fill this bag about 1/3 full of ice.
Pour in about a quarter cup of rock salt.
Drop the small (sealed!) baggie into the bigger bag of ice. Seal this bag carefully too,
so you don’t splash yourself with salty ice-melt.
Shake shake shake the bag for about 10-15 minutes (you can also roll it on the
friend), until the ice cream has attained the consistency you like. Add mix-ins. Now
you eat it! You can eat it right out of the bag, or transfer it to a bowl or cup. Enjoy!
-Deborah Gitlitz
Recipe Resources
•
• Cooking with Kids: http://cookingwithkids.org/: “Cooking with Kids educates
and empowers children and families to make healthy food choices through
• Spanish/English pictorial recipe sets. The Oregon State University (OSU)’s
Extension Service has created several sets of print-ready, illustrated, culturally
appropriate recipes in Spanish and English. Designed for limited-literacy,
limited-income audiences.
• Food Hero: simple, healthy, kid-friendly recipes in Spanish and English
produced by OSU’s Extension Service. Searchable by both recipes and
ingredients. https://foodhero.org/ and https://foodhero.org/es/node
• San Diego Zoo Kids page: search for “recipes”: http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/
index.php/activities
• 100+ Easy Kid Friendly Recipes from Delish.com
Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
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“Fun Day” Picture Book Suggestions (if you
choose to do a Fun Day read-aloud)
Read aloud any short book in which characters have a fun day. Some engaging “fun
day” picture book titles include:
• Chalk by Bill Thomson, 2010
• A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee, 2008
• Es un buen juego, querido dragón / It’s a Good Game, Dear Dragon by
Margaret Hillert, 2010
• An Elephant and Piggie book such as Are You Ready to Play Outside? (2008) or
Can I Play Too? (2010) by Mo Willems
• Frank and Lucky Get Schooled by Lynne Rae Perkins, 2016
• I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Flor Ada, 2002
• I Stink!
• Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas, 2011
• Let’s Eat! / ¡A Comer! by Pat Mora, 2008
• Max va de paseo / Max’s Fun Day by Adria F. Klein, 2008
• Monster Hug! by David Ezra Stein, 2007
• Pete the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes by Eric Litwin, 2011
• Pie is for Sharing by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard, 2018
• ¿Qué puedes hacer con un rebozo? / What Can You Do with a Rebozo? by
Carmen Tafolla, 2009
• ¿Qué puedes hacer con una paleta? / What Can You Do with a Paleta? by
Carmen Tafolla, 2009
• Shhh / Shhh by Juan Gedovius, 2004
• Wiggling Pockets / Los bolsillos saltarines by Pat Mora, 2009
• El rey Hugo y el dragón / King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bentley, 2011
• Tacos de lodo! by Mario Lopez, 2009
• Un gran día de nada / On a Magical Do-Nothing Day by Beatrice Alemagna,
2017
Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
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Storytime Suggestions: Picture Books With
Recipes
• Apple Cake: A Recipe for Love by Julie Paschkis, 2012
• Arroz con leche: un poema para cocinar / Rice Pudding : a Cooking Poem by
Jorge Argueta, 2010
• Arturo and the Bienvenido Feast, by Anne Broyles, 2017
• Bee-Bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park, 2005
• The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred by Samantha R. Vamos, 2011
• Cosechando Amigos / Harvesting Friends by Kathleen Contreras, 2018
• Dumpling Dreams: How Joyce Chen Brought the Dumpling From Beijing to
Cambridge by Carrie Clickard, 2017
• Gazpacho for Nacho by Tracey Kyle, 2014
• Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert, 1987
• Guacamole: un poema para cocinar / Guacamole: a Cooking Poem by Jorge
Argueta, 2012
• Las Empanadas Que Hacía la Abuela / The Empanadas that Abuela Made by
Diana Gonzalez Bertrand, 2003
• Panqueques Panqueques! / Pancakes Pancakes! by Eric Carle, 2017
• Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni Morrison, 2009
• The Red Hen by Rebecca Emberley, 2010
• Salsa: un poema para cocinar / Salsa: A Cooking Poem by Jorge Argueta, 2015
• Sopa de frijoles: un poema para cocinar / Bean Soup: A Cooking Poem by Jorge
Argueta, 2017
• Tamalitos: un poema para cocinar / Tamalitos: a Cooking Poem by Jorge
Argueta, 2013
• Wild Boars Cook
• Booklist: Picture Books with Recipes (from Olathe Public Library)
• Booklist: This Book Includes a Recipe (from LiztheLibrarian, Palo Alto City
Library)
Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
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• Best Practices in Reading and Writing Key Finding 4: Gradual release of responsibility
• Best Practices in Reading and Writing: Key Finding 5: Access, choice and time reading
and discussing engaging text increase reading achievement.
• Best Practices in Reading and Writing Key Finding 6: Interactive read alouds increase
reading engagement, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Best Practices in Reading and Writing Key Finding 7: Ensuring children are immersed
in language and reading aloud helps develop reading readiness.
• Best Practices in Reading and Writing Key Finding 13: Using Language Experience
Approach (LEA) allows for shared and meaningful experiences that connect to print.
• Best Practices in Reading and Writing Key Finding 15: Embracing the multilingual
perspective is essential for literacy learning (vs. the monolingual perspective).
• Best Practices in Reading and Writing Key Finding 17: Translanguaging acknowledges
and utilizes the bilingual child’s complex language repertoire as a resource.
• Best Practices in Reading and Writing Key Finding 18: To acquire language children
need to be immersed in meaningful and authentic language opportunities.
• Library and Aerschool Program Models: Key Finding 2: Centering books and reading
in programming improves children’s attitudes toward reading and books.
• Library and Aerschool Program Models: Key Finding 10: Encouraging joint media
digital tools.
• Library Program Models Key Finding 12: Oral storytelling programs help children
develop literacy skills and honor cultures with strong oral storytelling traditions.
• Library and Aerschool Program Models Key Finding 17: Since writing is key to
• Family Outreach and Engagement Key Finding 2: Elevating family perspectives is
essential to family engagement.
• Equity Key Finding 2: Library is well-positioned to confer public legitimacy on
bilingualism/biliteracy (and translanguaging).
• Equity Key Finding 4: Opportunities to share experiences and perspectives can help
immigrants and refugees feel more welcome.
• Equity Key Finding 7: Latino families from a range of backgrounds have a preference for
activities that build and maintain cohesion within the family.
Supporting Research
Fostering Readers: A Recipe for Fun (Extended)
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Creative Commons License
Fostering Readers by Deborah Gitlitz, Jen Burkart, Kari Kunst, Kelli Scardina, NPC Research,
OregonASK, and Washington County Cooperative Library Services is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Credits
Fostering Readers is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library
Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.
