Be ahead of the Game next Christmas!! December Literacy Activity

I know all of your Christmas is put away BUT I came across a box of Christmas cards at Hobby Lobby for 90% off and the wheels started turning....and have I mentioned that we have been SNOWED IN for four days and will be out tomorrow too!!  It's either this or cleaning the guest room!!

I chose December words that we would brainstorm at the beginning of the month and made them into Vocabulary Cards.

I used clipart and attached a picture if the Vocabulary Word inside the Christmas card.

The children try to match the Vocabulary Card to a picture in one of the Christmas cards.

They can self-check with the Vocabulary Word and picture on the back.

Below are the the documents you may download to make this activity using any type of Christmas Card- preferably one with Santa on the front OR you can change the name of the game to match any card that you find on sale... Snowman Match Up Game, Christmas Tree Match Up Game, etc. I also included a follow up worksheet for the children to record some of the words they learned from the game. 

I formatted the documents to work with Avery Shipping Labels (2" x 4") to make it easier to put this activity together.  Of course, I didn't have any of said address labels to make this myself. :) 

But I'm here for you... cue martyr music. 

Happy Snow Days to you!

December Literacy Center Activity.docx.Doc Worksheet

December Literacy Center Activity

December Literacy Center Activity 2

December Literacy Center Activity 3

December Literacy Center Activity Clipart

December Literacy Center Activity Clipart 2

Merry Christmas!

The cover of our book...I used a foam kit from Michael's for the people.

After we read The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree we charted some facts.

Hanukkah "gelt" from the dollar spot at Target.

We mailed our letters to Santa! 

Our class tree...

We made ice cream cone Christmas trees at our party.  Note to self, make sure you buy
sugar cones and NOT waffle cones...our trees were a tad wonky.

After our gift exchange of warm winter hats!

and Take Two...

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Around the World

Our first visit is to France so, of course, we read a Madeline book!

We chart some facts that we learn about Christmas traditions in France.  Forgive my spelling of Claus (Clause), I must have just watched the movie!



I use a world map that I got from the dollar spot at Target and we place stickers on the countries that we are studying.







We make our own Yule Logs for our book and have
Swiss Rolls for our own Yule Log cakes!



We watch this video while we eat our Yule Log cakes!



The children need a photo on their passport so they make their own! 

  

They get a stamp in their passport for each country we visit.  I used a Santa stamp for Papa Noel.  The children tell me something they learned about Christmas in France while I stamp their passport.



We had a mini-lesson on the five parts of a friendly letter as we wrote our class letter to Santa.  Notice the spelling-we sounded out each word that was not a sight word that we have learned.  The children were able to read the letter back to me fluently.  This will help as they sound out words for their letter to Santa.



Now it is time to write our own letters to Santa. 
This child is from Ms. Potts' class- what a sweet letter.




She sounded out and illustrated each item on her list!

I will post more about our Christmas around the World unit as we work on it the rest of this week.  I have tried it many different ways and this year, I felt the need to simplify this unit in order to incorporate the Grinch unit from Chalk Talk.  We are also in the midst of DIBELS testing, completing report card assessments and making tons of Christmas ornaments as I am certain most of you are, as well.  There are only so many hours in the day!!  Hang in there!



Polar Express Day!

Polar Express Ticket

Reading The Polar Express is of course, a must for Elementary Teachers everywhere and we are no different at Providence!  We love this day and have almost as much fun as the children.

Here is our version of the day...

Our principal, Gwen Foster, read the story to our students in HER pj's!  She brought a bell to ring and even sang to settle the children down before the reading!  Wow!



They love it!

After the story, we rotate three classes at a time between the library and our theatre for the movie.

We get our tickets punched before we go in!

We board the Polar Express and hold onto our tickets tightly!



We take our pretend ride over the mountains and into the snow as we head to the North Pole.  We sing Jingle Bells and some teacher acts like a fool trying to keep the kids excited while we wait to see who our special visitor will be when we get there!

Santa is here!  All the children get a chance to sit with Santa and remind him what they would like for Christmas. 

We make our own bell necklaces using pony beads to make a pattern.  We also have a chance to color while we wait for our turn to see the big guy.  Everyone has hot chocolate and a gingerbread man.  As you might guess, we have a lot of parents that help make this happen and our librarian, Mrs. Barnett,  sets up the train for us and lets us take over the library for the entire day!



This is the script that I use for the children to write about The Polar Express when we come to small groups for reading the next day.  Just click on the image and click to Original size.  Once it is highlighted in blue, right click and go to Print Picture. 

A format that I have used before for our letter to Santa.

Clipart to use for your newsletter, your parent letter explaining your Polar Express Day, etc. 

Just copy onto yellow or gold paper.



The coloring sheet that we use for those that finish their necklaces while we wait to see Santa.

Now it is time to write about our experience!

We work together in small groups to sound out our sentences.

Now we are making our Polar Express Scrapbook Page.

I'm going to incorporate a mini unit on trains this year.  I will read Gail Gibbons' book Trains to expand our knowledge on different types of transportation. April Larremore has some wonderful activities in her Polar Express unit at Chalk Talk.  I liked her version of the train pattern, too!

This is the final version of the page that will go into our Kindergarten Scrapbook.  I will add their photo with Santa just below the ticket. 

We will also begin our Christmas Around the World unit this week.  I will add more info  as we get knee deep into our countries!

This is our passport that will get stamped for each country that we "visit"!