How to Build Academic Skills While Baking During the Holidays by Dr. Emily Levy, Founder & Director, EBL Coaching<\/h2>\n
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During the holidays, most of us enjoy relaxing, spending time with family, and eating delicious foods. Many people love baking special holiday treats during this festive time. Engage your child in your holiday baking and help them build important reading, writing, and math skills while having a blast and spending quality time together.<\/p>\n
Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n While it\u2019s important for your child to continue reading books and being read to during the holidays, you can also help them develop their reading skills while you bake. Start by perusing recipes with them in cookbooks and online sources. Have them read the recipe titles and instructions (and of course look at pictures of the final product for inspiration) before selecting which items you\u2019ll bake. Once you\u2019ve selected the recipes, have your child read\u00a0aloud to you the ingredients list for each recipe\u00a0and make a list of all the items you\u2019ll need to buy at the supermarket. They can also watch online videos of recipes for an added dimension.\u00a0\u00a0Additionally, you can\u00a0discuss important vocabulary words related to baking \u2013 a key component of reading comprehension \u2013 like blend, stir, whisk, puree, and other terms you come across that your child may not have previously known.<\/p>\n Math<\/strong><\/p>\n There are many ways to integrate math concepts into baking. Take your child to the supermarket with you and give them a budget for all the\u00a0items you\u2019ll need to purchase for your recipes. Then have them look for these goods and compare the prices of different items to help stay within your budget. For example, if you need to buy a bag of chocolate chips, compare the price of a name brand bag to a generic store brand bag and see which one fits better into your budget. Your child may learn that store brands are often just as good but much cheaper!\u00a0You can also look for items on sale for extra cost savings. If, for instance, a jar of vanilla is buy one get one free at a certain supermarket and you need a lot of vanilla for your recipes, you\u2019ll save money by\u00a0buying vanilla at that supermarket. Before you check out, have your child\u00a0estimate the total cost of all\u00a0the items in your cart before you pay, then compare it to the actual cost, to work on estimation skills.<\/p>\n When you get home and begin to bake, have your child use a measuring cup to measure out the ingredients you need for a recipe \u2013 like 1\/2 cup of sugar, 1\/4 cup of oil, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, etc. Ask them how much more of each ingredient you\u2019d need if you double the recipe or cut it in half to further work on important math skills.<\/p>\n Writing<\/strong><\/p>\n Tie in some creativity and fun by having your child use frosting tubes to practice writing! Young kids can practice writing letters and numbers on top of cupcakes or even on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Older kids can write their spelling words using frosting. They can also write out math problems and solve them using frosting, rather than pen and paper. Your child can even use\u00a0food coloring markers for added fun!\u00a0It\u2019s great to integrate hands-on activities while working on academic concepts to help make the learning process more enjoyable.<\/p>\n The holiday season is a fun, festive time of year. Help your child continue building key academic skills with these ideas and they will likely\u00a0begin the new year on a much stronger note.<\/p>\n EBL Coaching specializes in one-on-one in person and virtual tutoring for students in grades pre-K-12 with specialized learning needs. They use research-based, multi-sensory techniques, including the Orton Gillingham method, to develop students\u2019 reading, writing, math, note taking, test taking, and executive functioning skills. Each student is evaluated and then receives an individualized learning plan to address their specific academic needs. Learn more at http:\/\/www.eblcoaching.com\/<\/a><\/span>. Dr. Emily Levy, Founder & Director, is happy to hear from anyone who is in need for their child. You may reach her thru her website, and mention you heard of her thru MotherhoodLater.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n