What to do with this activity?
Cooking provides an opportunity to build reading and writing skills.
Encourage your child to read and follow a recipe when cooking. Once you have read the recipe you might have to buy some ingredients. Your child could make a list of what you need to buy for the recipe.
Measure out the ingredients, both liquid and solid as required, and read the scales accurately with your child. Be there to help with reading, measuring, weighing and mixing.
Here's a recipe from Irish firm Odlums for delicious oat cookies. Notice how the amounts have been given in both grams (written as "g"), or ounces (written as "ozs."). You can choose whichever system of measuring suits your kitchen scales. If you don't have kitchen scales, then two tablespoons is approximately 1 ounce.
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Why am I doing this?
It’s important to encourage whatever reading your child is doing at this age. Children have their own interests and hobbies so they will be more inclined to read information about these subjects. Having comics, papers or magazines around the house will make it easier for your child to get into reading. Your child might find it appealing to read online and you might like that the book can be read by an automated voice. E books can be looked at when you are on the move, making sure that your child is careful with your computer or phone.
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How can I do more?
Your child might like to read a section of the newspaper or a magazine – the sports, fashion or cooking sections - depending on their interests. They might like to read a short piece from a newspaper and underline facts with a pen and opinion with a pencil. You can then talk about the difference between fact and opinion (there are good examples in sports writing). Encourage your child to read instructions for mending bikes, building models and playing new games.
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