Pass the Meatballs, Please: Family-Style Dining in Kindergarten

Just before the hubbub of Lower School lunch begins around 11:30 a.m., a new din can be heard in Shore's Dining Hall. Knock-knock jokes, casual conversations, requests to pass the large serving bowls, and impromptu reviews of the day's cuisine all signal the arrival of Shore's kindergarten classes for family-style lunch, a first-ever attempt at introducing these young diners to a "grown-up" experience that research shows comes with numerous health and social benefits.

According to health policy researcher Sarah Lifsey of the Altarum Institute, "there is growing evidence that family-style meals where children are allowed to serve themselves their own desired portions of food from common serving bowls may help children learn to tell when they are hungry or full and to enjoy healthier foods."

Role-modeling at the family-style table also plays a role: "peer-to-peer role modeling is an often-overlooked positive. ... Children are more willing to try new foods when they see other children choosing novel foods. Family-style also gives children a chance to practice their social niceties, such as passing food to their peers, saying 'please' and 'thank you,' and conducting conversations."

There's even more to back up the early introduction of family-style dining. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that parents let kids as young as 2 years old serve themselves. And in 2011, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advised that kids should be presented with a few different dishes and allowed to take what they want.

Early reports from Shore's kindergarten students enthusiastically affirm these recommendations. 


It's not just the children who are enjoying family-style dining. "The intimate setting at the smaller tables definitely works to promote familiarity and a sense of comfort," says Kindergarten teacher Laurel Fitzpatrick. "It’s fun for me to sit down and talk with the kindergartners and the fifth graders who help out, having more casual conversations outside of the day-to-day in the classroom. They have some really interesting conversations together that are actually fun to listen to!"

In addition to fifth grade big buddies, a rotating crew of faculty and staff helpers assists with lunches each day. Yet the students themselves seem to have things mostly in hand all on their own. "It’s going really well: the students are serving themselves. They’re learning how to pass the bowls around and share the food and take turns, which is great. They do a lot of chatting, and the two classes are mixed up, so they get to spend time with children who they don’t get to see at other times of the day."

"The peer pressure really helps," Fitzpatrick adds. "When the children see their friends trying a new food, they are more willing to try it themselves. They’re definitely willing to take more risks around food."

The new model for Kindergarten dining seems to be a natural fit within the larger goals of the program, which emphasize student-directed exploration, risk-taking, and discovery.

According to veteran teacher Keisha Myrie, "One of the great things about Kindergarten here at Shore is that the children are encouraged to explore the whole campus, whether it's the gyms, the Innovation Lab, or the music rooms. They're given the chance to take risks, solve problems, and learn collaboratively." Now, with the Dining Hall added to the itinerary, says Fitzpatrick, "They feel older and take more responsibility, because they’re walking to a special place, being respectful of that place, and following the rules of the Dining Hall."

As one student put it, "It’s really fun to get to know new people. This is a great opportunity in the year to meet new people, and as the year goes on, meet more and more people and learn about more things."

Of course, it's also an opportunity for these young diners to be among the first to sample the latest creations of the Scott Flanagan and his kitchen staff. Their favorite of the year so far? In unison, all agree, "The calzones!"