One of my favorite things to do in Kindergarten is cook with the kids and I’m always on the lookout for great books to connect with our cooking experiences.  When I found Applesauce Season, by Eden Ross Lipson, I was thrilled with the connections we could make to our personal experience.

When we made our applesauce in the classroom, we started with a big bucket of apples.  We had already talked about the differences in size, shape, and color.  The kids washed their hands and then chose an apple to wash.  

I did the cutting, simply using an apple cutter and throwing away the cores.  We added water, cinnamon, and sugar to the pot and turned on the crockpot.  The apples have to cook for most of the day in the crockpot, but they only take about 20 minutes to cook, if you are doing this on the stove at home.  

After the apples were mushy and the water was bubbly (and the smell in the room was to-die-for) we brought out the food press.  

The apples were poured into the food press (sometimes called a food mill) and the kids took turns smooshing the apples.  This is their FAVORITE part!  When the apple sauce has cooled a bit, it’s time to eat it up!

There are very obvious connections between experience and text in the book.  I usually read the book after we have started our applesauce and it’s cooking away.  As I read, the kids usually point out, “Hey, we had lots of different types of apples!” or “We added cinnamon and sugar to our pot too!”  I tell the kids that good readers make connections to their own experiences, just like they are doing.  

There is nothing better than experiences that connect to literacy.  Happy Applesauce Season!