Developing Literacy

Naomi Compton shares how they used healthy eating as a theme for literacy and EAL pupils

Key Learning

• Food and cooking are common denominators in all households regardless of income and location.

• Using the theme of vegetables and cooking is ideal for developing language skills in pupils who have English as an additional language. It is also suitable for engaging EAL pupils in allowing them to share typical vegetables from their countries.

• Doing an activity on food and cooking in school links with home cooking activities.

• Using vegetables and a cooking activity supports the Healthy Eating agenda for pupils.

• Describing vegetables they eat, how they are cooked and using role paly activities provides opportunities for language and literacy development for all pupils.

Naomi's Tips

• Share a video of a cooking session with parents.

• In school allow pupils to peel and prepare vegetables.

• To arouse curiosity and foster whole school engagement, invite pupils who have English as an additional language to bring in vegetables from their country. This will lead on to the climate in that country their typical diet and way of life.

• Invite parents to send in photos of children cooking with them at home and share with whole school/class.

To Recap

• How do you cover healthy eating in your school?

• What cross curricular theme do you use to develop literacy in your school?

• How do you engage pupils who have English as an additional language? How do you make them feel that they are part of the classroom activities and develop their talking and listening?