Cook and Count

Cook and count was developed as an enjoyable way of teaching very young children either in a private home or in a preschool.

Using food as a jumping off point, both literacy and numeracy (but with more emphasis on the latter) are explored.

The impetus for this project came while I was studying Early Childhood Education. I was made aware of my own “Maths Anxiety” and for that reason wanted to specifically explore numeracy with preschoolers but in doing so I did not want to neglect literacy either. This web site is the product of that study.

Preschool children in China attended ten three-hour sessions where most of this material was presented. These children not only were able to work through all these recipes and activities with a great deal of enjoyment, they also did so in their second language!

These recipes  make small servings as they cook more quickly and are less heavy and difficult to hold and carry. The recipes are not for gourmets –often with no spice. A small amount will be enough for your child (and you!)

You will need a microwave, which can be put on a low table for the child to use, and a rice cooker which can also be put at a low level or even on the floor (provided the cord is well tucked out of the way). This will mean the child can put food into the microwave and rice cooker – but you will still need to take them out . Children can get serious burns from escaping steam when removing hot foods from the microwave or rice cooker. Using these recipes the child can do nearly all parts of the recipe and not be confined to only “scrubbing” while standing on a high stool, which was my sole experience as a young child!

An additional basin half full of warm water on the floor and a towel, will provide all the  the kitchen necessities at a child-friendly level. Sharp knives and other sharp tools and electrical gadgets are not necessary for these recipes. Sturdy plastic knives and hand tools will be sufficient. While there are some recipes and projects that are beyond the scope of the young child there are plenty of alternatives and instructions in this book. You do not need to carve a jack-o-lantern, for example. You can paint one. Children who are allowed to be serious about food and cooking- and do all the work, are proud of their efforts and usually like the food they have made.

Teachers, you will need to multiply the quantities for the number of children you have and get a large rice cooker! I found very small amounts (1 potato) too hard to cook in a rice cooker so for recipes using potato I wrote the recipe for more than one serving. However with a large group of children use 1/2 a potato each, which is enough to give them the experience with potato and plenty to eat. Also remember that multiples of things in the microwave require multiple times (unlike conventional ovens)

A NOTE ON RICE COOKERS. You need to use a simple rice cooker that heats for 20 minutes and then keeps things warm indefinitely. Fancy rice-cookers with electronic "eyes" will not work for these recipes because they assess the type of food to be cooked and this skews the times.