Reading is Sweet: A Victoria Sponge Adventure!

Subject: Language Arts: Reading
Grade Level: 1st Grade
Topic: Reading Comprehension & Sequencing

Introduction (5-10 minutes)

"Have you ever helped bake a cake? What kind? Today, we're going on a reading adventure to learn about a fancy cake called a Victoria Sponge! To bake a yummy cake, we need to read the instructions very carefully, just like reading a story. Reading helps us know exactly what ingredients to use and what steps to follow. Let's pretend we are star bakers and use our reading skills!"

Activity 1: Baker's Words (10 minutes)

"Every baker needs to know special words. Let's look at some!"

1. Show the picture cards and corresponding word cards (flour, sugar, eggs, butter, jam, cream, mix, bake, oven).
2. Say each word clearly and have the student repeat it.
3. Point to the word and say its sound. Blend the sounds if appropriate for practice.
4. Mix up the word cards. Have the student pick a card, read the word (with help if needed), and match it to the correct picture.

Activity 2: Recipe Steps Mix-Up! (15 minutes)

"Oh no! Our recipe steps got all mixed up! We need to use our reading skills to put them back in order so we know how to make our pretend Victoria Sponge."

1. Present the shuffled sentence strips with simple recipe steps (e.g., "First, mix the butter and sugar." "Next, add the eggs." "Then, mix in the flour." "Last, bake the cake."). Include sequence words (First, Next, Then, Last).
2. Read each step aloud together, or have the student try reading them.
3. Discuss what usually happens first, next, and last when baking.
4. Ask the student to arrange the steps in the correct logical order. Provide guidance as needed.
5. Once ordered, read the sequenced steps aloud together.

Activity 3: Read, Imagine, Draw! (10-15 minutes)

"Now that we know the order, let's read the steps again and draw what's happening. It’s like illustrating our own recipe book!"

1. Take the first ordered step (e.g., "First, mix the butter and sugar."). Read it together.
2. Ask: "What does this look like?"
3. Have the student draw a simple picture representing that step on their paper.
4. Repeat for each sequential step, reading and then drawing.

Conclusion (5 minutes)

"Wow, look at our illustrated recipe! We used our super reading skills to learn new words, put the steps in the right order, and understand what to do. Reading the recipe correctly helps make sure our Victoria Sponge cake would turn out delicious! What was your favorite baking word we learned today? What step do you think is the most fun? Great reading work today, star baker!"