Making Thanksgiving Treats While Promoting Language

One of the best parts of the holidays is the food, wouldn’t you agree? This year, invite your kids to participate in the cooking/baking while targeting this important skill to encourage their language growth! 

Following directions is a foundational language skill that is used throughout life and goes hand in hand with following a recipe. Typically, a child will be able to follow one-step directions with additional cues between 1-2 years of age, two-step directions between 2-3 years of age, and three-step directions between 5-6 years of age. With these milestones in mind, take into account the age of your child to determine which level they should be at.  

Next, pick a kid-friendly recipe for you and your child to complete (a kid-friendly pumpkin pie recipe is linked below). Determine if the provided directions are appropriate for your child, most likely you will have to modify them. To do this, you may need to break up the directions to fit your previously determined level or simplify complex language.  

If your child struggles to follow the directions when given verbally, adding pictures of the ingredients, the action required, or kitchen utensils needed, can help support their understanding. Further, if your child is a beginning reader, adding and printing out sight words that correlate with the directions can be a fun way to encourage them to participate in the reading of the directions.  

Remember, this activity is not meant to be a test for your child but a fun activity that you both can enjoy! Comment to tell us what recipe you and your little one conquered! 

No Bake Pumpkin Pie Link: https://www.highlights.com/parents/recipes/no-bake-pumpkin-pie