We offer you Short Texts at Your Fingertips. Twice each week, we provide teaching ideas around a different type of short text that is easily found in the home, so that no family feels under-resourced. These ideas can integrate into virtually any curriculum and pedagogy, from Workshop to basal. If you are a caregiver, teacher, or curriculum director, these brief but mighty texts and lessons are our way of saying thanks. And our way of giving children authentic and enjoyable reading and writing engagements each day.
Written by Julie Wright & Elizabeth Keim
SHORT TEXTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: RECIPES
We are guessing you are more interested in recipes and cooking now, more than ever before. Since we are all at home during this time, recipes are the perfect short texts for us to dig into. Recipes are procedural texts, also known as “how-tos.” They tend to follow a prescribed structure and need to be read in a specific order. Reading (and following) a recipe is a great example of reading with purpose, and the rewards are - delicious!
While we have some children’s cookbooks at home, there is really no need to seek recipes written specifically for kids. There are lots of places where you can find recipes right at your fingertips. Here are a few:
Online
Think of something you want to make and put that information in your web browser. In just moments, slews of sites with recipes will pop up (Ex. Chocolate chip cookies).
Name one main ingredient you have available and put that in your web browser, followed by the word recipes and you’ll have recipes at your fingertips (Ex. Chicken).
Think of a product you use often and go to that company’s website. Often, they have a recipe section with easy to follow-recipes using their products (Ex. Pillsbury).
There are lots of YouTube videos out there. Many are great, but make sure you preview them before using them with kids.
Check out cookbooks you may have at home.
Do you have a recipe box? If so, check it out for some family favorites.
If you have any magazines, recipes can often be found tucked inside. If you don’t see any right away, flip to the last few pages and see what you find.
VIDEO
Check out this short video on how to use a recipe to entertain, inform, and inspire.
TRY THIS!
Step 1
Grab any recipe. Perhaps something you want to make for dinner or a special treat. Take a look at the format of the recipe.
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
Does it have a photograph of the finished product? Are there illustrations of the various steps?
Who is the author/chef?
Step 2
Take a closer look at the recipe.
Do you have all of the ingredients for this recipe?
Do you understand the measurements and tools?
Are there new words or vocabulary that you need to understand before you begin?
Are there pictures or images to help guide you during each step?
Here’s an example of a recipe we use all the time:
Here’s what we noticed:
The Ingredients are usually listed first and in the order they are used.
The amounts of each ingredient are listed (and they are in “standard” measurements like teaspoons and cups).
Some recipes tell you how many servings they make.
Some recipes tell you how long it will take to make them.
Some recipes number the steps you will take.
This text is filled with reading, writing and talking opportunities. For example, you could:
Look closely at the structure of the recipe. Why ingredients are listed first? Why are the steps numbered or bulleted?
Preview the recipe. Read all the way through a recipe before making it. It is very important (the best reason ever to preview a text!).
Discuss standard measurements. It’s a very interesting concept. Talk about why you wouldn’t just use any spoon or cup?
Vocabulary is important. In a recipe there are often lots of context clues to help with new and unfamiliar words.
Step 3
Look for other reading, writing and talking opportunities using this short text type.
Reading Ideas
Follow the recipe and make the dish to share with your family.
Read more than one recipe for the same thing - compare and contrast.
There are many many recipes out there for chocolate chip cookies! What ingredients do they all have in common?
Read more than one recipe by the same chef. What is similar about the format of the recipes.
Study the features of a cookbook.
Index
Recipes are grouped together
Table of contents
Writing Ideas
Write your own recipe.
Make up a brand new recipe and write it down for others to make.
Write down a recipe that your adult knows “by heart.” Try to record the family meatloaf recipe or how to make french toast.
Take a survey of the people in your household and how they felt about the dish you cooked.
Write a review of the recipe or a meal.
Create a menu. What would you have if you could have your dream meal?
Talking Ideas
Watch a cooking video or show and talk about what you have learned.
Compare the finished product to the photograph. How did you do?
Taste critically. What would you do differently next time?
Interview your home “chef.” Why do they make the recipes they make?
Step 4
Look for other recipes that you find and read (and make) those too!
FOR MORE RESOURCES, CHECK THESE OUT!
The New York Times recently had a “Quarantine Cooking with Kids” section (April 18, 2020).
YouTube Videos (there are many cool things to watch).
Honest Pretzels by Mollie Katzen, a wonderful book of visual steps for children to follow. (You might use this as a model for your own recipe writing.)
Check out Mark Bittman — chef, NYTimes writer, cookbook author — and his great website, full of recipes and information.
COMING SOON!
Short Texts: Mighty Mentors That Move Readers and Writers Forward by Julie Wright & Elizabeth Keim (2022)