Cook and Talk Session Plan

Resources needed: cobs, cheese, tomato paste, carrots, sweetcorn, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, paper plates, tin foil, plastic knives and spoons

Time Activity Action 10 mins Intro and Discussion with parents about cooking at home – what discussion happens currently? How could child get involved with ( making sandwiches, butter on toast, put dry rice in parents bowl child to stir with wooden spoon while the adult preparing food)

Discuss the importance of practical activities – that children learn best when they are actively involved. Discuss the importance of what the adult says and does during these activities. Introduce the recipe card and talk through the strategies that the adults can use (on the right hand side of the card.)  Explain the ‘key words’ i.e.: the adults needs to emphasise and repeat these words as this is the target vocabulary  Tasting ingredients – the adult is talking about each ingredient, repeating the word while sharing the food (eg: cheese, yummy cheese, more cheese!). Explain that the child needs to hear a word many times before they learn it and use it themselves  Letting the child lead and choose. Explain that the adult needs to slow down and watch what the child is doing, wait for the child to choose and lead the way, listen to what he/she says then join in  Commenting on what the child is doing using simple language eg: ‘sprinkling the cheese!’ ‘Red pepper!’ ‘Nose on!’ Explain that making more comments instead of asking lots of questions means the child hears the words they need and doesn’t feel under pressure. This is the most effective way to develop the child’s language  Praising the child’s skills using specific praise eg; ‘good sprinkling!’ Time Activity Action 10 mins Tasting Parent and child sit together in pairs session 1. Each pair prepare some ingredients together eg: chopping peppers, grating cheese, putting sweetcorn into bowls etc 2. Pass the bowls of ingredients around so everyone has a turn at tasting them. Adults repeat the words so children hear them lots of times (eg; pepper, cheese, cutting etc)

Time Activity Action 20 mins Preparing 1. Each adult/child pair gets a cob to cut in half pizza (one for parent and one for child) and pizza face recipe card to follow 2. Spread the tomato paste on the cob (adult comments on actions eg: ‘spreading tomato!’) 3. Sprinkle on grated cheese (adult comment on actions eg: ‘sprinkle cheese!’) 4. Choose vegetables for eyes, nose, mouth and hair (adult comments eg: ‘carrot for a nose!’ ‘pepper on!’) 5. Show and discuss the pizza faces 6. Wrap pizzas in foil to take home with recipe card