For many homeschoolers, just about any daily activity can turn into an educational experience. Here are some ideas for lessons you can teach your children at the grocery store.
Preschoolers: You can teach them how items are grouped. This will help in developing vocabulary later on. For example, ask the question, “If I find ketchup in this aisle, what other items that we need can you also find here?” The answer will be mustard, mayonnaise, relish, pickles, salad dressing, etc. You can then explain that all of these things are condiments and they go together. You might remember the sesame street song, “one of these things is not like the others”. This lesson teaches grouping and vocabulary readiness in the same way.
Early readers: You can point out different items in the grocery store and ask the child to read the package. This will work well if you are using a phonics system to teach the child to read. You can also reward the child by putting favorite items in the cart after they read the package. This will teach your child word recognition. After receiving a pack of cookies after reading the word “Oreo” or “Animal Crackers”, you can be sure your child will not forget that word again. You will want to choose which items you ask the child to read so you will not end up with a cart full of sweets.
Developing readers: Give the child the grocery list and a pencil. Have him tell you what items to purchase and cross the items off as you find them. This will also reinforce the grouping lesson you taught earlier if you have the child search the list for items that might be found in each aisle.
Basic Math: Have the child calculate the bill in their head using estimation. For example, you purchase four items for $.99, S2.97, $3.14 and 8.95. The child will add $1.00 + $3.00 + $3.00 + $9.00. They would then tell you that your grocery bill costs approximately $16.00. The older the child is the more items they can add. High school aged child should be able to calculate an entire bill and tell you to stop shopping when you near $100.00.
Division: Teach the child how to figure out the best bargain by calculating price per pound or ounce. For example, give them different sized packages of cheese made by the same company. Show them the price and have them calculate which has the lower unit price. They might be surprised to find that buying two smaller packages is cheaper than buying one large package, especially when there is a sale.
Nutritional content: Teach the child to read the package and take note of sugar, fat, calorie, and carbohydrate content. This is a good reading exercise as well as a good lesson in nutrition.
For a more mature child, you may want to explain the importance of making a list before going to the store. Demonstrate the difference between buying what you need and making impulse purchases. Psychology of marketing and mass merchandising is also a great subject to read about before going to the supermarket. You can further illustrate the subject during the shopping trip.
