Learning

Teacher tips: food technology

Summary: Ideas for teachers and support assistants supporting blind and partially sighted pupils in food technology

• Getting started
• Cutting, chopping and slicing
• Pouring hot liquid
• Use of hob
• Use of oven
• Tried and tested tips
• It is OK to ‘cheat’!
• Exam issues
• And finally… things we haven't yet found solutions for – have you?

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The following ideas have been suggested by teachers and support assistants supporting blind and partially sighted pupils, either in a mainstream or special school setting. Some of the tips may also be useful for daily living skills classes, as well as for pupils covering food technology as part of the National Curriculum.

Getting started

• Ensure the pupil can achieve consistent personal organisation, especially in a non-subject specific room.
• Have his or her equipment in a tray or cupboard that is always accessible. Make sure he or she always works in the same part of the room, thus aiding mobility skills.
• Where possible use standard ‘high street’ equipment, adapted as necessary with Bumpons or Tacti-Mark. Specialised equipment is not a cure all! Many pieces are over-priced and don’t meet pupils’ needs. Standard equipment won’t single a pupil out as being disabled and parents are more likely to have similar equipment at home.
• For partially sighted pupils, ensure as much colour contrast as possible e.g. dark handled knife on white work surface or a light chopping board on a dark background.
• Task analyse activities that pupils seem to struggle with to identify which element of the task is preventing completion of the whole. Solve this element before moving on.
• Establish sound safety knowledge. Ensure full understanding by approaching ‘hands on’ rather than just through verbal explanation. Show pupils what is meant instead of just telling them.
• Remember that the role of a support worker is to promote as much independence as possible, but to step in to prevent danger or increase chances of success.

“It doesn’t have to be dangerous!”

Cutting, chopping and slicing

• Any introduction to the use of a knife should be accompanied with safety input eg use of ‘bridge’.
• Blunt knives are not safer than sharp knives, because more pressure needs to be exerted and the knife might slip and cut, trapping vulnerable fingers.
• Pupils may wish to use scissors in place of a knife to cut sausages, bacon, celery, sliced meat, spring onions etc.
• Pupils can use an autochop machine or manual food processor – available from Lakeland Ltd.
• Pupils may find it easier to use a grater with a slicer attachment.
• For one handed pupils, use a spike mounted on a block of wood secured to the table with Dycem matting to hold the food to be cut in position.
• Wheel design pizza cutters are useful to chop foods like cabbage or meat.

Pouring hot liquid

• The need to pour hot liquid can be avoided if a pupil measures the liquid cold and heats it in the microwave.
• Some people favour the use of a liquid level indicator. Be aware that the wire contacts will get coated if fatty substances such as milk are used, and this interferes with their sensitivity. Pupils or staff will need to wash them in detergent before next usage.

Using kettles

• The best way for a pupil to use the kettle is to empty it completely, measure the exact amount of water needed (a mug full or a teapot) and then put this cold water into the kettle. The school will save on electricity and the pupil will know that they can pour back into the mug or teapot without worrying about it overflowing.
• However, it may be often be safer and easier if a pupil uses the microwave to heat from cold as this avoids the need to pour boiling liquid.

Draining boiling liquids

• The pupil should place a colander in the sink over the plug hole, then lift the pan or bowl to be drained into the colander to position it, and then tip. This way, the food will not end up in the sink!
• Pupils can avoid the need to drain hot liquids by cooking vegetables in a chip basket or vegetable ball (available from Lakeland Ltd), then simply lift out onto a plate when cooked.

Use of hob

• When boiling vegetables, pupils could place a milk saver at the bottom of the pan to help detect when the water is bubbling.
• To prevent fingers slipping down a spoon being used for stirring hot food, position a rubber band or washer 20cm from the top of the handle.
• To prevent burnt patches of stuck-on food in pans, which may be difficult for a pupil to spot, use flat edged wooden spoons or spatulas (available from Homebase).
• Frying should only be attempted if a pupil is very confident and safety conscious. Teachers should promote the use of a splatter screen or saucepan lid to catch ‘spits’.
• Where possible, schools should select oven designs with knobs on the front edge of the hob rather than on the back panel – this avoids the need for a pupil to lean over the hob to alter heat settings.
• Ovens with ‘clicking’ knobs are also more blind and partially sighted friendly, but non-click knobs can be labelled with Hi-mark.

Use of oven

• Use oven gauntlets rather than gloves as these protect up to the elbow and may give a pupil greater confidence. (A Le Creuset glove is available from Lakeland Ltd).
• With a side opening door, pupils might like to try pulling a shelf out slightly to wedge the door open and prevent it swinging whilst putting something in the oven.
• A pupil could, whilst the oven is cold, practise putting items in and getting them out. This will enable him or her to learn safely about oven layout, position of shelves and how to lift heavy and awkward items in a safe manner.
• Pupils should always clear a space on the work surface and position trivets before opening the oven door and getting the food out.
• They could also use the oven from cold if the recipe allows.

Tried and tested tips

Peeling – use a D design peeler with a free moving blade or avoid peeling by scrubbing vegetables thoroughly – do pupils really need to peel mushrooms or carrots?

Rubbing In – use a slatted fat blender (or buy ready made pastry from the supermarket).

Weighing –Talking scales can be unreliable. Balance scales with weights on one side are far more reliable once a pupil is used to the feel of the scale pans balancing. Weights can be brailled or ‘blobbed’ to indicate amounts.

Pupils with useful vision can use a large readout digital scale (Salter scales are very good).

Avoid weighing by using recipes that have cups or spoons as units of measurement. RNIB sells easy-to-see and talking kitchen scales and measuring spoons.

Measuring liquids - Use cupfuls/mugfuls where possible.

Adapt a standard measuring jug with seed bead glued on to the inside with a heat resistant non-toxic glue such as Araldite at 100ml, 200ml etc.

RNIB sells a talking measuring jug.

Use of bowls - Choose bowls with dark interiors to mix light coloured foods.

If similar shaped plastic bowls are used to microwave food, mark to denote sweet and savoury to avoid flavour transfer – drill a hole in the rim of the bowl used for savoury and leave the sweet rim unmarked.

Removing a tray of ‘brownies’ ready for slicing – before pouring the mixture into the tray, pupils should line the tray with enough greaseproof paper to provide a lip around the edges so that it can easily be pulled out in one piece, laid flat on the table and then cut into equal pieces.

Glazing food - Use fingertips to glaze food with egg, milk or oil – the pupil will know exactly where the glaze is going and will be able to feel unglazed areas.

Scrubbing a potato – Pupils should leave the potato under water for a couple of minutes to soften mud and scrub under the water level to prevent getting themselves and surfaces splashed with muddy water!

Using recipes – Use braillon paper for braille recipes as these wipe clean after use. For print recipes, slip one inside a rexel cover or laminate them to make them wipeable. Use taped recipes – Henshaws College offer a range of recipes on tape for a small fee and can be contacted on 01423 886451.

Using ring pull tins – RNIB sells a ring pull gadget to help open tins quickly and safely.

It is OK to ‘cheat’!

Use of carefully chosen convenience foods can save a great deal of time and frustration. Naturally the cost of these has to be carefully considered and discussed as pupils should recognise that the use of fully prepared meals would soon get too expensive. However, pupils may wish to consider use of the following to help make economical but nourishing recipes:

• Pre-sliced meat (rather than having to open tins or carve meat off a joint)
• Frozen chopped onions – to save on tears!
• Garlic Puree in a tube – to save peeling and cleaning those awkward crushers
• ‘Squirting’ containers for ketchup, salad cream, mayonnaise and syrup
• Frozen pastry
• Sliced bread (many supermarkets will now slice your choice of more interesting bread for you)
• Tinned foods – tomatoes, beans, mushrooms
• Frozen vegetables or fruit
• Instant mashed potato (much better if well seasoned!)

Exam issues

The extent of intervention by support assistant or teacher allowed in practical exam work tends to vary from one board to another. Decide in advance how much support your student is likely to need in a practical exam and then approach the Exam Board subject officer to agree special arrangements.

Generally candidates have to prove that they can do the task or be able to direct their support with exact instructions to do it on their behalf. The student is then showing that they know the skill required.

The teacher could take photos or a video to show that a pupil is able to do the stages of a practical task.

In written work, diagrams can be completed by staff if the student has directed the staff member exactly and a note is made of the direction given and help received.

And finally… things we haven't yet found solutions for – have you?

• How can pupils tell when a joint of meat is cooked?
• Could someone develop a talking temperature probe?
• Why don’t sandwich toasters pop open or give an audible clue that the sandwich is ready? Is there any easy way to tell?
• What is the best way to turn foods over under a grill – is there an indoor version of the barbecue food clamp?
• What is the best way for a blind pupil to cut a cake into even slices?

Contact the Curriculum Access Service with your suggestions, either by calling Suzy on 0121 665 4223 or email curriculum@rnib.org.uk

• National Curriculum subject support
• Curriculum Clipboard homepage

Content author: curriculum@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 12/05/2009 17:35