This Idea-Sparker was contributed by Ernie Dettore, Early Childhood Consultant, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Introducing nursery rhymes to young children can inspire them to explore language and motivate them to explore word play further in meaningful experiences (like cooking) that can be integrated into all aspects of the curriculum.

Among the most enjoyable activities for young children are those that involve food preparation. Whether they slice, dice, or add allspice, these actions are appealing, because they contain many activities that help children learn. Food preparation and cooking are natural activities for children, because they incorporate the processes of touching, tasting, observing, smelling, and listening. Children also may have the chance to participate in processes that they have only observed before. Moreover, these culinary activities teach and reinforce a variety of concepts related to nutrition, math, science, language, and the all-important health and safety. Finally, they are very satisfying, because they result in a tangible and delicious product that the children helped to create. In short, they love to help prepare, cook, and eat food (Van Horn & Horning, 1995).

So, too, do children love the rhyming, chanting, and alliteration of nursery rhymes. As far as nursery rhymes go, nothing has stood the tests of taste and time with young children as well as Mother Goose (Silvey, 1995). Long-lasting, too, are the ways that nursery rhymes stay with adults. They go singsonging into our memories and there they stay (McLoughlin, 1953). Although the verses are as British as plum pudding (Arbuthnot, 1965), their origins remain uncertain. Why has the anonymous collection of ancient rhymes familiarly known as Mother Goose continued to delight us?

Literacy, like oral language, emerges in a natural way that does not require formal teaching to prompt interest. What it does need is a language-rich environment to encourage its development (Essa, 2002). Young children acquire a love for nursery rhymes very naturally. The skillfully written nonsensical verses are easily remembered and thus oft-repeated. Nursery rhymes incorporate those elements of language that children embrace. Expressions of humor through silliness, nonsense words, or rhymes particularly enthrall preschoolers. One basis for humor is children's increasing ability to recognize incongruity (Essa, 2002; Honig, 1988). Nursery rhymes inspire spontaneous language, offer highly anticipated repetition, and carry with them morals and life lessons.

Nursery rhymes can play an important role in a child's developing phonemic awareness. The compelling music of these jingles is so ear-catching, children from 18 months to 6 years and older become entranced when the rhymes are read aloud. The listeners will begin to say the rhymes with the reader; next, they will chant the rhymes when they are alone, never missing a beat or a rhyme (Arbuthnot, 1965). Adults tend to think that learning to read begins with learning the alphabet. Children, however, first need to be aware of the individual sounds that make up words. Nursery rhymes can help children develop that phonemic awareness. Children are more likely to be fluent readers, and enjoy reading more, if parents and teachers have fun reading to them and if they show children that reading books is a source of enjoyment (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). Read-aloud sessions are rich, shared experiences that promote children's desire to read independently and foster improvement of independent reading skills. Suggestions from Raising a Reader (www.parentingweb.com/dev_edu/raise_readers.htm) include repeating nursery rhymes to children and helping them develop phonemic awareness-the understanding that words are made up of smaller sounds-by playing games with the sounds of words and repeating rhymes.

Teachers who are committed to child-centered learning find that integrating their curriculum is a most natural thing to do. They often start lessons with quality children's literature, developing a range of activities around an interest or theme, and taking advantage of children's spontaneity. It is within this context that the author has come up with the perfect recipe of mixing nursery rhymes, food preparation, and cooking with young children.

Cows-in-the-Corn Flakes

Over the past 15 years, research in early childhood curriculum has reflected an emphasis on thematic curriculum (Bredekamp, 1987; Jalongo, 1993; Katz & Chard, 1989; National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1991). Bredekamp and Rosegrant (1992) state that "curriculum allows for focus on a particular topic or content while allowing for integration across traditional subject-matter divisions by planning around themes and/or learning experiences that provide opportunities for rich conceptual development" (p. 111). By integrating the curriculum, teachers can plan and create a wide variety of learning opportunities that naturally and authentically connect to children's interests, teachers' goals, and subject matter.

As a former preschool teacher and owner/operator of a child development center, the author often considers ways to make lessons more interesting, more child-centered, and more integrated. Knowing full well how much children love Mother Goose nursery rhymes, the author set out one day to better incorporate other subject areas into the rhymes. But it was the "playing" with language that the author enjoyed the most and that the children picked up on very quickly.

One exercise that the author used to encourage interest in literacy and language play was developing a menu to go with a nursery rhyme theme. This menu was derived from the titles, characters, and foods mentioned in many Mother Goose rhymes. This menu experience also served to provide children with opportunities to make some of these foods for their meals and snacks. Their involvement in the preparation and cooking processes may have even encouraged them to try new foods. Since thematic units should run for more than a week, the author has provided below a smorgasbord of foods that can be mixed and matched for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Please note that the foods are referenced with the nursery rhymes in which they appear.

Menu (with references)

BREAKFAST

Cows-in-the-Corn Flakes (p. 3107 "Little Boy Blue," Treasury of Mother Goose)

Pancake Day (p. 55, The Real Mother Goose)

Pat-a-Cakes on the Griddle (p. 107, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Pease Porridge Hot (p. 102, The Real Mother Goose)

Little Miss Muffet Muffins (p. 139, "Little Miss Muffet," Treasury of Mother Goose)

A Dozen Eggs Omelet (p. 42, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Humpty Dumpty Scrambled Eggs (p. 282, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Hot Cross Buns (p. 239, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Bandy Legs Hard-Boiled Eggs (p. 109, The Real Mother Goose)

LUNCH

The Piper's Cow Meatloaf (p. 116, The Real Mother Goose)

Cock-a-Doodle-Doo Noodle Soup (p. 81, The Real Mother Goose)

Charley Barley Soup (p. 87, Tomie dePaola's Mother Goose)

There Was an Old Woman Broth (Treasury of Mother Goose)

Moon-burgers (p. 342, "The Cat and the Fiddle," Treasury of Mother Goose)

Cushy Cow Burgers (p. 38, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Goober and I Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches (p. 256, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Grilled Green Cheese Sandwiches (p. 263, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Cockle Shells and Tomato Sauce (p. 90, "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary," Treasury of Mother Goose)

Yankee Doodle Noodles and Cheese (p. 79, Tomie dePaola's Mother Goose)

Diddle, Diddle Dumplings (p. 376, Treasury of Mother Goose)

A Big Fat Bowl of Dumplings (p. 268, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Mary Had a Little Lamb Chops (p. 34, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Chicken Leg Over Rice (p. 307, Treasury of Mother Goose)

This Little Piggy Pork Roast (p. 35, The Real Mother Goose)

A Fish for You Chowder (p. 169, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Caesar's Song Salad (p. 305, Treasury of Mother Goose) Tossed Salad with Little Boy Blue Cheese Dressing (p. 310, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Best Little Donkey Corn (p. 56, "If I Had a Donkey," Tomie dePaola's Mother Goose)

Hot Boiled Beans (p. 61, The Real Mother Goose)

Rotten Potatoes (p. 86, "Rub-a-Dub-Dub," Treasury of Mother Goose)

Young Lambs Stew (p. 65, The Real Mother Goose)

A Walnut and Apple Salad (p. 73, The Real Mother Goose)

Curly Locks' Strawberries (p. 39, The Real Mother Goose)

Little Jack Horner Plums (p. 90, The Real Mother Goose)

Dingty Diddlety's Oranges (p. 56, Tomie dePaola's Mother Goose)

Golden Pears With Silver Nutmeg (p. 77, Tomie dePaola's Mother Goose)

Pocket-Full-of-Rye Bread (p. 62, "Sing a Song of Sixpence," The Real Mother Goose)

Betty Botter's Better Butter Bread (p. 266, Treasury of Mother Goose)

DRINKS

Peter White Milk (p. 77, Treasury of Mother Goose) Brown Owl Chocolate Milk (p. 320, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Cushy Cow Milk (p. 32, The Real Mother Goose) Blue Ribbon Berry Juice (p. 317, Treasury of Mother Goose)

Up in the Green Orchard Apple Juice (p. 254, Treasury of Mother Goose)