Your Child Will Learn
Use drawings and words to communicate the menu for family dinners
Here’s What to Do
- On a large piece of paper, drawing 5 big circles or squares and label them with the days of the week; display this poster near your kitchen, dining room, or in the area where the family eats dinner
- Share what you plan to serve for dinner each day and allow your child to help you plan if appropriate
- Task your child with drawing the foods that will be served on the poster or chart; for example, if you serve chicken and rice on Tuesday your child should draw pictures of these foods inside the Tuesday circle or square
- Label your child’s drawings with the names of the foods or let them do it if they can
Put PEER Into Action
PAUSE
- Get excited, smile at your child, and announce that you need their help creating a family dinner menu
ENGAGE
- Have your child look at the foods before they begin drawing to get ideas for shapes, colors, and other details
- Ask your child to say the letters and letter sounds in the names of the foods
ENCOURAGE
- Your child may draw the foods in ways that are not accurate or recognizable, so ask your child questions about the colors and shapes of the foods
- If your child struggles to write the letters in the names of the foods, let them see the food packages
REFLECT
- Ask your child if they have ideas about foods to serve for dinner; ask them to ask other family members and report back to you
Not Quite Ready
Have your child draw only one dinner item and label it for them
Ready for More
Ask your child to create funny, made-up, or catchy titles for dinner menu (Turkey Tuesday, French Fri-day)
As Your Child Masters This Skill
They will recognize and know the letters in the names of foods
Time to Complete
15-20 minutes
Materials Needed
Poster or chart paper, pencil, crayons, markers, colored pencils