Finding culturally relevant informational books for a classroom library can be difficult. However, expanding the definition of informational text to include procedural forms, specifically cookbooks, can enhance the cultural relevance, range, and number of books available for students to read. Reasons for placing cookbooks in the classroom library…

Video--once complex and expensive to create with high distribution costs--has become more affordable and highly accessible in addition to being a powerful teaching tool. Self-produced videos are one way educators can connect with a growing number of on-line learners. The authors describe a pilot project in which a series of video clips were…

Food preparation skills are needed to prepare low-cost, nutritious meals that meet current dietary recommendations. Research indicates that many youth and adults can read a recipe for ingredients, but they often do not know basic food preparation techniques such as how to broil, fold, dredge, baste and other cooking methods. To address the need to…

A functional program including planning, shopping, purchasing, and meal preparation was developed which used a photographic format (to minimize reading) and budget guide. Trial with eight young adults whose disabilities ranged from mild to severe indicated that nonreading individuals could learn all aspects of meal preparation. Skills also…

This article explains how a 12-year-old boy with profound mental retardation and autistic behaviors, living in a group home, was taught to follow number- and color-coded directions so that he could independently cook his own meals in a microwave oven. The article covers materials used, the skills taught, adaptations for classroom use, and safety…

The document describes the consumer and home economics summer programs for grade 7 and grade 8 girls in two junior high schools. The programs provided opportunities to learn basic sewing and cooking skills, as well as personal improvement such as grooming, hygiene, posture, and modeling. A number of field trips to supplement the class instruction…

The Yaqui Parent Education Demonstration Project was founded in 1975 with the aid of Maricopa County Head Start in Guadalupe, Arizona, to help foster the continuation of the Yaqui language, history, and culture. With a 1-year grant from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare/Office of Child Development, organizers hired a coordinator,…