| If you've taken on the challenge of homeschooling | | | | several students, ask them to predict how long it |
| your children, you probably already know the | | | | would take for an ice cube to become water |
| importance of finding interesting and unique ways | | | | vapor on the stove top. |
| to teach them new concepts and to give them a | | | | You can design experiments that show what |
| chance to practice old ones. But you may not | | | | happens to cookies if you leave out the baking |
| have realized the answer is as close as your | | | | soda or the flour. My daughter got first hand |
| family kitchen. Below are some of the benefits | | | | experience with this very thing last weekend |
| your little students can get from learning via | | | | when we ran out of flour and I was too lazy to |
| cooking. | | | | run to the store. Pancake mix is not a good |
| Math and Cooking | | | | substitute. |
| Anyone who can cook can do math - it's that | | | | Literature and Cooking |
| simple. So much of what you do in the kitchen | | | | Another fun way to use cooking in your |
| involves doing math and that's why children can | | | | homeschooling lessons is by incorporating it into |
| learn through following simple recipes. Take, for | | | | your studies of literature. For many years, schools |
| example, the dreaded math topic of adding | | | | across the country have been serving green eggs |
| fractions. When kids have to learn it by looking at | | | | and ham to celebrate the Dr. Seuss classic. Your |
| numbers on a page, it can be difficult. However, if | | | | child could prepare the same thing with a little bit |
| you decide you're going to make a double batch | | | | of food coloring. |
| of chocolate chip cookies and all of those | | | | When your kids are reading stories about children |
| ingredients (most of which are written as | | | | in different lands, find recipes for the foods that |
| fractions) need to be doubled, your son or | | | | kids eat in those countries. You can create a |
| daughter can find great motivation in learning how | | | | whole unit study revolving around a foreign |
| to add those fractions together. They wouldn't | | | | country, and cooking up the native food is a |
| want to come up short on the chocolate chips, | | | | educational winner. |
| would they? | | | | Another idea is to set aside a certain part of the |
| Science and Cooking | | | | day for literature discussion. You and your |
| If you've watched many cooking programs, you | | | | students can prepare a snack while discussing the |
| may have already become familiar with the magic | | | | book your kids are reading. It's a good way to |
| of science that is at work daily in your kitchen. | | | | get them used to discussing books. |
| Helping your students see that science and giving | | | | Art and Cooking |
| them the okay to experiment with it can be a | | | | One of the other nice things about the kitchen is |
| great learning experience. It will also make for fun | | | | that it's a great place for kids to show off their |
| lessons they won't soon forget. For example, you | | | | creativity. Children can use traditional food items, |
| could teach the children about the three stages of | | | | such as uncooked macaroni, to create artwork. |
| matter: gas, solids, and liquids. You could boil water | | | | They can also make pancakes to look like a |
| and watch it evaporate. You could freeze water | | | | butterfly or a mouse. Ask your kids to create a |
| to make it into a solid. And you could use water in | | | | sugar cookie then decorate it so that it serves as |
| its liquid form as part of cooking. If you have | | | | a model of a human cell. |