"My Family Makes This!": Including Cookbooks in the Classroom Library

• Published in: The Reading teacher Vol. 71; no. 6; pp. 749 - 752
• Main Authors: Walker, Sharryn Larsen, Walker, Natalie M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Newark Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.05.2018; Wiley-Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: 1‐Early childhood; 2‐Childhood; 3‐Early adolescence; 4‐Adolescence; 5‐College/university students; 6‐Adult; 7‐Special needs; Choice; Classrooms; Comprehension; Content literacy; Cookbooks; Cooking Instruction; Cultural Relevance; Culturally Relevant Education; Depth of (higher level, literal level, etc.) < Comprehension; Domain knowledge < Content literacy; Educational Facilities Improvement; English as a second language; English for speakers of other languages < Language learners; English language learners; English learners; Exposure; General vocabulary < Vocabulary; Instructional Materials; Instructional strategies; Instructional strategies; methods and materials; Language learners; Learning Resources Centers; Libraries; Literature; Nonfiction; Persistence < Motivation/engagement; Practice; preference < Motivation/engagement; Prior knowledge < Comprehension; Scientific technical language; Second‐language reading < Language learners; Selection criteria < Literature; self‐concept < Struggling learners; Self‐efficacy < Motivation/engagement; Self‐perception; Specialized vocabulary < Vocabulary; Specific subject areas (math, art, etc.) < Content literacy; Struggling learners; Supplementary resources < Strategies, methods, and materials; teaching strategies < Strategies, methods, and materials; TEACHING TIP; Text features; text features < Content literacy; text structure < Comprehension; Text types; Textbook Selection; Textbooks; Vocabulary; wide reading < Vocabulary
• ISSN: 0034-0561; 1936-2714
• DOI: 10.1002/trtr.1685

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 include promoting reader interest and providing opportunities for students to read short yet predictable texts. Additionally, cookbooks contain the technical vocabulary of the culinary arts, thus helping readers expand their knowledge of food science. Criteria for selecting cookbooks for the classroom library include layout, font, photographs, physical size, content, and representations of the world and its people.