Exploring the Language of Baking: Creative Ways to Infuse Language into Your Baking Experience

This fun and engaging way to teach language concepts and vocabulary in the kitchen.

Let your child be involved as much as possible. It’s not meant to be perfect and it will probably be a bit messy, but as long as your kids feel involved and connected, they are learning. Here are some ways to input language into this activity:

Vocab: naming and finding all the ingredients/materials in the kitchen.

Functions: What do we need for stirring, pouring? What do we put all the ingredients in?

Question form ‘Where’: ‘Where are the (bowls, spoons, spatulas, baking sheets, etc.) ?’. Use prepositions to answer the questions e.g. It’s in the… on the…, under, next to

Size: big/little bowls, spoons, cups etc.

Verbs: pouring, mixing, stirring, rolling, pushing, eating, wiggling (the cookie cutters)

Familiar phrases: pour it in, mix it around, watch out! It’s hot!

Exciting words: e.g. Poooouuur, mix mix mix, rolly polly rolly polly

Sing a Song: mix mix mix it up, mix it all together (to the tune of row row row your boat)

Sequencing: e.g. First you pour the flour in, then you…next… last.  Take pictures of your child doing each step, print them out and make a “How to make cookies’ book

Smarties or M&Ms: Colours and counting e.g. My cookie is going to have green, blue and yellow smarties. What about yours? Count the smarties (or whatever you chose)

Personal pronouns: this is MY cookie and that one is YOURS.

Possessives: That one is mummy’s, teddy’s

Cleaning (common phrases): wipe the table – wipe wipe wipe, wash the dishes wash wash wash,  put the rubbish in the bin, put the milk away etc.

Sharing cookies and using social language: Offering other family members and friends cookies. What language could you use (e.g. Mum,  Would you like a cookie?) Learning that it is ok if the other person says no

Directing attention for social sharing: e.g.– Look what I made!.. yum, they taste good, I like them

Slow down the pace of the activity. Embellish each step and enjoy the mess and the memories you are creating!