Cooking is a fantastic way for students to learn the practice of procedural writing. By reading, following and writing recipes, cooking teaches the need to be specific about word choice, especially verbs – the difference between folding and beating, or boiling and broiling, can have a drastic impact on the final product! The Year 4 students at the Girls’ School were privileged to have respected Kiwi chef and Saint Kentigern parent, Mrs Allyson Gofton join them in the Food Technology room to bake some delicious treats while embedding their knowledge of procedural writing.

The students had spent time observing several examples of procedural text. They then worked in groups to come up with suggestions for when procedural writing is relevant. The girls asserted that procedural writing is used everywhere from iPhone manuals, to craft books, and guides about caring for pets. An assortment of recipes was then used as exemplars and the students were able to review the layout and the features of the procedures that are found in published forms. Mrs Gofton then spent two sessions working with the girls, to follow the recipe for plaited French bread and chocolate chip cinnamon buns. The girls’ level of writing ability increased significantly as a result of the practical experience.

‘Some features of procedural writing are verbs, adverbs, listing the equipment, the method, and using bullet points and numbering.’ – Caroline Heeley

‘I liked it when we worked with our writing buddies and they made comments on our drafts to tell us what was good and how to improve our writing.’ – Amelie Heeney

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