‘I Can Create and Eat it for Snack’: How Can Cooking Activities Support Early Math Learning?

Cooking is a powerful teaching activity that can be used as an integral part of an early childhood curriculum. In this study, we designed and implemented a cooking-infused program in order to investigate the ways that such a program supports preschoolers’ math concepts and skills and their attitudes toward mathematics. Data were collected over three years through both quantitative and qualitative measures of the participants’ math gains. The study results show that the following characteristics of the cookinginfused program are central to improving preschoolers’ math understanding and positive attitude toward mathematics–child-centred learning, problem-solving, daily-life connections, and peer guidance. We highlight that preschoolers could explore high levels of mathematics concepts and develop positive attitudes toward math when their learning is supported with carefully-designed cooking activities.