Reflection3 Gingerbread Man

I noticed that children love being involved with preparing food. But normally people will think children make a mess in the kitchen; everything takes longer to do and what if the kids ruin the recipe? Any or all of the above may be true, but I think the potential for fun and learning outweighs the risks! And Children’s development is expanded through “experiences and understanding of people, places, events and things” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.21).

One day, our cooking experts Mrs. B help the morning session child to make a gingerbread man. When the day’s coming we set up a cooking table beside the kitchen. And we asked children to wash their hands first if they want to join us. Then we distributed the prepared stuff to the participants, and teach them how to make a gingerbread man step by step. The children looked so excited.

They followed the instruction; put the flour, butter, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl. Mix it all together with fingertips until crumbly. Add sugar, syrup and egg and mix until it forms a firm pastry mix. And then they using the rolling pin, roll out the pastry to about 5mm thick. Cut out the shapes with gingerbread man shape cutters. Then they selected raisins, chocolate chips and edible silver balls to decorate their gingerbread men.  Finally, they placed the cut out pastry on a non-stick baking tray.

Although during the cooking process, children looked not familiar with all of the cooking tools and technology, but they done well, some of them even made perfect gingerbread men as good as adults do. I’m so proud of them.

Now I further believe that cooking activities are appropriate for children; they can be involved in the process, learn while cooking and have fun! I think that that process cooking is a technological activity; it is a creative process (Smorti, S., 1999). It can meet lots of children’s learning needs.

Through cooking children learn what a recipe is and follow it in a certain order to get the result they want. Develop their sequencing skills as “what do we do first...second...last?" They could learn amounts compare-- what is bigger, a half cup or a whole cup? More flour or a bit baking powder…They can get sense about textures, smells, and tastes. They will know what the difference between sugar and salt. They will Improve their understanding of concepts: Hard vs. soft, liquid vs. solid, hot vs. cold, raw vs. baked, in the bowl vs. out of the bowl, fast vs. slow, etc. And by cooking activities children can improve their ability to work together with others. Such as waiting for a turn and having fun in a joint activity.

In a word, process cooking the part of technology is a purposeful activity. Through doing this kind of technology, children improved their knowledge about processes and problem solving, mathematics, physical skills such as holding bowls and spoons, mixing, social and emotional skills, and language skills. It is significant to children’s learning and development. As John Locke said that all kind of experiences can shape children’s characters (Berk, L., 2007). It should be incorporated in early childhood centres to enhance children’s learning. I will continue to apply this kind of technology to my teaching practice.

References:

Berk, L. (2007). Development through the lifespan (4th ed.). Boston, Ma: Allyn & Bacon and Pearson Education.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whāriki, he whaariki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 1999.