Eating the Alphabet: The ABCs of Teaching Kids About Food
| September 19, 2013 | Posted by Stacy under Food education, Healthy school snacks |
A is for apples! B is for beets! C is for carrots!
Starting this week, my twins’ kindergarten class will be studying–and eating–the alphabet one letter at a time. Inspired by the book Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert, their teacher came up with idea of having a corresponding snack for each letter of the alphabet.
The letter connection gets them excited about eating the healthy snack, she says. It’s also a great way to introduce them to foods that they’ve never tried–and some that they’ve never heard of.
I just love the concept and love her for doing it. If all teachers made an effort to teach kids about food (or, better yet, all schools required it), the world would be a different place.
Look for updates on my Facebook page as to what letters–and corresponding foods–my twins and their schoolmates are eating in class.
P.S. I provided my twins’ teacher with this link to free lesson plans for teaching little ones about select fruits and veggies (including apples, blueberries, green beans and tomatoes). The lessons are geared toward early childhood/kindergarten age and you are welcome to use them (but please credit Nurture when doing so). Other free curricula for grades 1 to 5 available here.
Do you think food education should be part of every school curricula? Can you guess what fruit or veggie the kids may be eating for the following letters: I, U and X?!? Leave your answers in the comment section below!
Related stories:
Teaching Kids About Food: Inside a Successful Preschool Cooking Class
Teaching Kids About Food (Part 2): Tips for Starting a Preschool Cooking Class
Teaching Kids to Make Healthy Choices with Food & Fun
I created this blog to raise awareness and start a dialogue about the various issues involved in school food. By writing about it, I hope to provide parents and educators with ideas and inspiration for making healthy changes in their own schools. Since healthy eating habits start at home, I also address common feeding challenges faced by parents.
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