Susan Reyna

Dr. Hornberger
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PROJECT:
The Kindergarten Multi-Cultural Cookbook
For my family engagement project, my
kindergarten
class will create a multi-cultural cookbook. I plan
on sending a
letter home to the parents and/or guardians
explaining that
we will be working on a special project in class
that will require
their help and support. The cookbook will
include one
recipe from each students family. Ideally, the
recipe will
represent the students culture, country of origin, or a family favorite recipe. If their family
does not cook/eat foods of an international origin, a recipe that has personal meaning for
their family or that is part of a family tradition will work too. Parents and/or guardians will be
asked to help their child on the following:
1) Choose one recipe that represents your culture, country of origin, or a family
favorite recipe and neatly write it on the template provided. (A kindergarten
friendly recipe template will be provided)
2) Make sure to list all the ingredients and the steps in the right order.
3) Include a sentence or two on what makes this recipe special to you and your
family. Please discuss this with your child, as he/she will be asked to share and
present their family recipe in front of their classmates. (Parents will be asked to
initial next to this section to confirm that they did in fact have this conversation
with their child).
4) Finally, on the back of the template, have your child draw a picture of the
finished product.
Building positive identities and a respect for differences means weaving diversity into
the fabric of children's everyday lives. Working with families is an important first step in
helping children accept, understand, and value their rich and varied world. I believe my
family engagement project is an exciting way for each student to learn more about their
familys culture, and it is also a great opportunity for students to learn about the other
cultures that make our classroom, city and nation so great. After I collect all of the family
recipes, each parent will receive a little cookbook to keep for themselves.
To prepare students for this project, I will expose students to recipes as a reading
genre. I will share my interest in recipes with my students by showing them an enormous
stack of cookbooks I own! As a class, we will analyze recipes and other procedural texts and
look for common features. (We call them How-To Texts with my students formally, they
are called procedural texts.) I will make sure that they compare the differences between
narrative texts, informational texts, and procedural texts; learn about the features of
procedural texts; and we will also review/practice sequencing and transitional words (eg.
first, next, then). Additionally, I plan to read books during the week that highlight varying
ethnicities, cultures, and customs.

My family engagement project fulfills the following NJ Social Studies Core Curriculum
Content Standards:
6.1.P.D.1 Describe characteristics of oneself, ones family, and others.
6.1.P.D.2 Demonstrate an understanding of family roles and traditions.
6.1.P.D.3 Express individuality and cultural diversity (e.g., through dramatic
play).
6.1.P.D.4 Learn about and respect other cultures within the classroom and
community.