Kindergarten Cooks Around the World

Kindergarten students at The Learning Center Charter School are cooking around the world with teachers Stephanie Wilson and Monica Gatti.

The Kindergarten classroom at the school is based around a Montessori-blend approach which extends the Montessori model from the school’s preschool into their first charter school classroom. Montessori is a method of education that is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play.  Cooking is an important part of the Montessori Method as it allows young students to learn everything from fine motor skills, concentration and measuring as well as an understanding of where food comes from and how it is prepared in different cultures.

This year, Kindergarten teacher, Monica Gatti, is doing a different cooking lesson each month to learn about the world. For North America, the students made popcorn and loved seeing the transformation from kernel to puffed corn. When studying South America, a parent from Brazil joined the class to make Brigadeiros, a gooey chocolate fudge-like treat. For Europe, the class made gingerbread cookies which are traditionally from Germany. Soon a parent from Finland is visiting the class to make a Finnish treat similar to a cinnamon roll called a Korvapuusti.

Gatti says, “Cooking as a class has been so fun. What has been really special is that the students get to learn about the different cultures and heritages their fellow students have. What a great way to learn about the world!”