lots and lots of happy This stocking is packed with something wishes from special me! Our Five Senses Christmas Poem Written by Elaine Engerdahl

I see the and children on Santa’s knee.

I smell the cookies I make and the .

I hear bells ringing and children singing.

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I taste the Christmas sweets and all the other treats.

I feel the Christmas toys made for girls and boys.

How do you use your Christmas senses? Christmas Literature Activities - Integrating the Five Senses into Christmas

After reading the popular book If You Take A Mouse To The Movies by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond the children could discuss what senses were used in the book. After the emergent reader Christmas Mouse would be used to model the reading process. It could be made into a big book, predictable chart, displayed on the overhead or reprinted on chart paper. Sample pages of the book are displayed below. The children could be actively involved in using their five senses to complete the book. The story line reads as follows:

What happens when mouse goes to the mall?

He smells the cookies (ginger and cinnamon could be sprinkled on the cookie for the children to smell).

He wants to taste one.

He sees the tree.

He wants to decorate one (children would decorate the tree as shown in the photo).

He hears the bells. (little bells could be added for children to hear).

He wants to shake one.

He touches Santa's suit. (red felt could be glued to the suit for the children to feel).

He wants to wear one.

He is a Christmas mouse!

E

Christmas Mouse Crafts - A Great Follow-up to Reading the Emergent Readers

The Christmas mouse template would be painted, cut, assembled and other features added as shown in the photograph.

Christmas Mouse Tree Decoration

1, Copy the templates on card stock. 2. Cut the templates to use for tracers.

3. The template shapes could be traced on foam craft sheets.

4. The foam pieces would be assembled to represent a mouse as shown in the photograph.

5. You can use white glue to assemble the mouse but the candy cane would require a hot glue gun.

Emergent Reader Introducing the Letter "Qq"

The emergent reader "Quietly, Quietly" is about how quietly Santa travels to a little girl's house. It introduces the letter "Qq" within its story context. A sample page from the reader is found in the link below:

Letter "Qq" Recognition - Picture Mnemonics

This craft activity involves children being actively involved in associating the picture to letter and more effectively making this more meaningful to them. The purpose is to have them associate the letter "Qq" to the initial sound in "quiet". The children can sponge- paint the letter "q" Christmas colors. Santa in the center of the picture represents the word "quiet" for the beginning sound of the letter "q".

Santa Shape Letter

This can be used to make a Santa letter or shape book.

Christmas Literacy Center Ideas

• Color alphabet tree cards - there are two different sets. Older children can match the upper- case letters to the lower-case letters. Younger children can match the same letters. • There are also 18 color Christmas picture cards. The children can match the beginning sound with the correct alphabet letter. For example, the picture of a candy cane would be matched with the letter Cc. These picture cards could also be used for instructional purposes (shown to the right).

Christmas Math Center Ideas

You will find Christmas tree cards as displayed below. The children put the correct amount of decorations on the tree.

Another Christmas Math Idea

To encourage counting and using one-to-one number correspondence, hang a stocking and have children guess how many candies will fill the stocking. Have them count how many will fit into the stocking without the candy falling out.

The Polar Express Activities

After reading "The Polar Express" the children can read together with a predictable chart or big book a follow-up to the story. This would be used to model the reading process. The lines are repetitive enough that the children will be able to read the text once it has been introduced to them and practiced several times together. A sample page from the big book that was made, is seen in the photograph below. The pictures were glued on poster board and the print was enlarged. There is also accompanying emergent reader that would be used for the children to practice on their own and take home to read to family members.

The text reads as follows:

What did the boy see when he went on the Polar Express?

Page 2 - The boy rode the Polar Express.

Page 3 - He saw lights.

Page 4 - He saw wolves.

Page 5 - He saw mountains

Page 6 - He saw the North Pole.

Page 7 - He saw Santa and his .

Page 8 - He saw the sleigh.

Page 9 - He saw the silver bell. Page 10 - He saw the magic of Christmas.

Christmas Craft Suggestions

Christmas Sleigh Craft or Polar Express

This makes a delightful little treat holder for the little ones!

1. Cut the top of a 150 ml milk carton.

2. Trace the templates onto red construction paper

3. Cut and glue the strip around the milk carton and then add the sides of the sleigh

4. Color and cut out Santa and add him to the front of the sleigh.

5. Add craft sticks to the base of the sleigh.

6. Add colorful shreddings inside the container and fill it with delightful treats!

Stain Glass Craft

This craft looks gorgeous mounted on a window or a bulletin board. Have the children choose a template from the theme book or member's area. Copy the template on an overhead transparency. Have the children color the template using permanent markers. Glue gold or silver (tinfoil) behind the picture and you have a beautiful stained glass creation!

Christmas Tree Shape Craft

1. Copy the shapes (triangle, rectangle, circles and star) onto card stock.

2. Children trace the triangle tree onto green construction paper and the trunk onto brown. These shapes are cut out and glued to form the tree.

3. The circles and star are traced onto shiny gift wrap paper, cut, glued and added to the tree for the ornaments.

4. Glitter glue could be used for finishing touches.

Christmas Stocking Craft

Children trace the two stocking outlines onto red card stock .

• They cut the stockings

• An adult can hole punch the stocking (secure with a paper clip).

• Children weave ribbon or yarn to hold the the stocking outlines together. • Add decorations to complete the craft.

Christmas Craft Wreath

• Copy the wreath template onto card stock. Enough copies for each child in your classroom. • Cut green tissue paper into small squares using the paper cutter (approximately 1 cm squares) • Children paint the template green • Once the template is dry, it is cut out • Glue a red bow on top (optional) • Children scrunch the tissue paper squares or shape them over the eraser part of a pencil. • Dip the square into white glue • Add the tissue paper onto the wreath

Christmas Ornaments

Christmas Craft Dough Ornaments - Oatmeal Clay

Oatmeal clay was used to make the wreath ornament because this adds a little texture.

Oatmeal Clay

• 1 cup of rolled oats (instant or old fashioned) • 2/3 cup of flour (possibly more) • 1/2 cup of water • food coloring

Note: If you wish to add food coloring to the clay, it works best to add it to the water.

• Mix all the ingredients together • Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth and not sticky • Give each child a ball of dough • Have them roll it out and cut it out according to what shape you wish • It takes 1 - 2 days to dry. Note: make a hole at the top to insert something to hang the ornament with. • Add the decorations (paint if you didn't use food coloring)

Christmas Stocking Shape Card This a good craft to do after reading the emergent reader Quietly, Quietly found in the Christmas theme book on pages 16-19.

1. Copy the template in the link below.

2. Fold it in half and color or sponge paint the stocking red or use it as a tracer on red construction paper ( ensure it is letter-sized construction paper).

3. Cut along the bold lines of the stocking part leaving the folded part uncut.

4. Children can cut the outside and inside verses along the dotted lines in the links below. The pictures on the verses can be colored (optional) and glued to the outside and inside of the card.

5. Glue on other decorations like , sequins and glitter glue,

Christmas Craft A Room Full of Elves

This makes a wonderful bulletin board display or (could be laminated and a string or pipe cleaner could be attached to hang it from the Christmas tree).

1. Take a picture of each child's face. This will require cropping to approximately a 4 X6 head size (150 zoom). 2. Copy the elf template onto white card stock. 3. Have children color the elf . 4. The hat, body and face is cut . 5. Arrange the elf as shown in the picture and glue it together

RECOMMENDED CHRISTMAS BOOKS 1. If You Take A Mouse To The Movies by Laura Numeroff 2. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg 3. The Mouse Before Christmas by Michael Garland 4. How the Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss 5. The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allan Ahlberg 7. Dream Snow by Eric Carle 8. The Night Before Christmas by 9. Mrs. Wishy Washy's Christmas by Joy Cowley and Elizabeth Fuller 10. Christmas Trolls by Jan Brett 11. The Wild Christmas by Jan Brett

GINGERBREAD MAN THEME

Gingerbread Man Perseveres" Emergent Reader

After reading the traditional version of "The Gingerbread Man" the teacher will introduce the word persevere and initiate a discussion on what would have happened in the story if the gingerbread man would have not given up (persevered) and kept running away from the wolf. The emergent reader "Gingerbread Man Perseveres" will be used to model the reading process and introduce children to the possible outcome if the Gingerbread Man would have persevered. The story could be made into a big book, written on sentence strips and displayed on a chart, overhead transparency or chart paper The illustrations are done in a cartoon format and will delight the children. The story line is predictable and follows as below:

I ran away from an old lady.

I ran away from an old man.

I ran away from a dog.

I ran away from a cow.

I even ran away from the fox.

I never gave up and made it safely home.

The Gingerbread Man Craft Activities

Craft Activity One - Gingerbread Man Craft

In the theme unit you will find different templates to make the Gingerbread Man craft.

Simple Version

The Gingerbread Man template found in the theme unit is painted, dried, cut and features are colored on.

More Complicated Version

1. The gingerbread man template is painted and dried

2. The templates for the clothes (in theme unit) are colored, cut and glued on

Another Version

The Gingerbread Man is not painted but the children draw and color the clothes directly on the template

Craft Activity Two - cow, dog and fox puppet to act out the Gingerbread Man story.

The dog and cow templates are also found in the Tale Theme. The templates are colored, cut and glued on a paper bag to make a puppet as shown in the photographs. These would be used for acting out the story.

Gingerbread Man Activities - Math

Math Activity One - Button Sorting

The children can sort buttons in a variety of ways. They can be sorted according to the number of holes, color or shape.

Math Activity Two - Number Recognition and One-to-One Number Correspondence

Children place the correct number of buttons on the gingerbread man as shown on it.

Variation: the templates could be laminated and the buttons are drawn on with an erasable marker.

Literacy Centers

Week 1 and 2 activities would continue in addition to the ones listed below. The only difference being the focus letter is now "Mm" and the word family is "an".

Emergent Reader

A line could be drawn in the middle of each page of the emergent reader prior to copying. The children would cut on this line and sort the pages to make the book. The pictures could be colored.

Interactive Component: The children decorate the Gingerbread Man. letter "m" for man

The template is found in the theme unit. The children would add arms, legs and paint the letter (funny man). Once the letter is dry it is cut out and facial features are added.

Letter "Mm" Sound Recognition - Phonemic Awareness

Note: Example of this activity is shown below only this would be done with letter "Mm" Prior to doing this activity the letter "Mm" sound has been introduced. The children have observed the formation of their lips when making the sound (the children used small mirrors to make this observation). In the member's area you will have access to 150 color and black and white pictures(under Alphabet Pictures). Letter "Mm" sound pictures would be placed with other beginning sound pictures. The children would sort these. A mirror could also be placed in the station for children to observe the formation of their lips while saying the word and focusing on the beginning sound.

Note: The picture names should be explained to the children in advance. Occasionally, it is not very clear what the picture is and some children with a poor vocabulary base may not be familiar with it. These pictures are also great for vocabulary building.

Research has indicated that the first stage of being successful in learning to read is having a good phonemic awareness background (ability to differentiate sounds). Hearing and identifying rhyme is one of the first stages in this process.

In instructional or circle time the concept of rhyme would have already been introduced along with the rhyming cards ("an" family) found in the theme unit. The children can sort the cards according to if they rhyme or not.

Note: The cards that don't rhyme all have fairy tale connections. The children could sort the cards according to this feature as well.

Visual Discrimination

The fairy tale cards could be used for the children to match the word card to the one on the picture. The children could also make the word using letter stamps or magnetic letters.

More Center Suggestions

Dramatic Play Center

A large castle could be made (the castle template found in the theme book could be enlarged on the overhead). In the castle old clothes, magic wands and fairy tale puppets could be added to act out the fairy tales.

Listening Center

Block Center

Computer Center

Library

Playdough Center Puzzle Center

Sand/Water/Rice Center

Science Center

GINGERBREAD MAN BOOKS 1. Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett 2. Maisy Makes Gingerbread by Lucy Cousins 3. The Gingerbread Man by Catherine Mccafferty