December activities for ELA: read on to learn how I manage the stress and excitement of the upcoming winter break.
I possess a single way to contribute to student and teacher happiness as winter break approaches:
Maintain standards and procedures.
Fancy? Nope. I’ll wave my arm around, happily admitting that is a dull and ordinary suggestion. As holiday break gets closer, classes can engage with the holiday spirit in, uh, excitable ways.
Chaos and excitement will engulf students as winter break approaches. Their town and houses are decorated. Food and toy drives abound. Middle school students might be preparing for plays. Others are busy with their churches or other nonprofits. Plus, secondary students often take finals before winter break dismissal. They are overwhelmed.
You can be the calming presence for them. Continue with the procedures you established early in the school year. Overall, provide structure. Then, acknowledge the fun of the season with well-placed activities.
How can December activities for ELA help?
Acknowledge the holiday season with language arts winter activities, AND maintain consistency during a busy time of year. We still meet standards, stick to our routines, and still progress. You can easily add language arts December activities with a bit of magic.
Here are ten December activities for ELA that will provide structure and get everyone through the busy winter season.
Write about the holidays.
My classes stress about finals and their grades. They are tired (I’m tired too), and we are all busy. Don’t ignore the holidays—you can’t! Power those thoughts into a writing assignment.
Provide students with writing options because many have conflicting feelings and experiences surrounding the holidays. Not every young writer has family events to happily share, so use a broad topic that allows freedom. I use this narrative writing activity because it allows individuals to choose their writing topic. Students can write about anything winter-related!
I remember this fact, though: this is not everyone’s favorite season and Christmas ELA activities are not for every community. Writing about winter is a broad topic; someone might write about hot chocolate or snow on trees.
Switch-up review.
My classes take finals before they leave for winter break. I set them up for success with review opportunities.
To relax, we color while reviewing grammar. Classes often need to review grammar before their finals, and those sheets can encourage differentiation. Not everyone will need to complete every sheet!
Plus, those holiday activities are diverse—I know that not every community needs Christmas decor. Holiday ELA activities can include snowflakes, for example. We hang the finished product on bulletin boards and when we return from winter break, snowflakes and snowmen decorate my room.
Give a small gift.
I don’t always see students again after final exams! We switch classes when we return in January, and this may be the last time I see those students that I’ve had since August.
Bookmarks are my favorite gift for classes because they send a positive message about reading. This bundle has a variety, and you can attach them to an inexpensive gift, like a candy cane or small container of modeling clay. Plus, I am sending them out the door with the final emphasis that reading matters.
Personalize First Chapter Friday.
You can easily turn First Chapter Friday into a seasonal read-aloud. Many books that take place in winter would be perfect for reading to secondary students: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe; The Call of the Wild; and Brian’s Winter.
You could also re-read portions of the first Harry Potter. Tons of picture books address winter, and they can easily be added as they are short reads.
Overall, the best books that work for FCF will create a cozy atmosphere. Turn a crackling fire video on your projector, and read aloud.
Get students moving.
Students are tired as they near the end of the first semester. I get students moving with task cards and station work. Sometimes, everyone spend lots of time alone studying during the semester. As they get restless, I provide opportunities for movement.
Task cards might seem like a simple tool, but they really are effective. December activities for ELA should encourage collaboration since you will also be following standard routines and procedures.
Review for finals.
When I write final exams, I try to plan with a variety of review tools. I use Kahoot, GimKit, and Study Stack. Students appreciate the variety, and I take the opportunity to model studying skills with them.
Sometimes, I model how to study with overwhelming amounts of information. I discuss what works for me, what works for others, and where to scale back. For instance, I do well making flash cards to study. However, I don’t have time to write every note that I’ve taken throughout a semester into a note card. I model my methods to help students review for finals.
Connect lessons to class parties.
Often, teachers host an end-of-the-semester party. Why not study the food that students bring? This language one-pager asks students to study the marketing and messaging food companies use to sell their products. Before students dive in, encourage them to notice the marketing that perhaps encouraged them to buy the food.
The perfect way to add some academic rigor to December is to apply critical thinking to students’ everyday lives. Media literacy can be tricky to teach, but by adding food, we’re increasing the likelihood that students will be invested.
Add creative writing.
Creative writing might get pushed to the edge of a curriculum, but some students adore creative activities. You can meet standards while providing a low-stress opportunity for students to showcase their writing skills. Try building a character or writing a dystopian setting. A little bit of freedom with creative writing might be the chance some students need to connect with your class.
Often, you can find an authentic audience for your students during the winter months. Is a local nonprofit needing help with brochures or flyers? What about advertisements for local events? Students can write creatively for an authentic audience and help their communities.
December activities for ELA often include creative ideas because classes are in good spirits.
Show a movie with purpose.
I’m in Illinois, and sometimes we have snowy days where not all of my students come to school. Other days, I’ll have a large portion of students out sick. In many situations, I’ll show students a movie or documentary that allows for deeper discussion. I never want students to “goof off” for a day, so I purposefully structure an activity with flexibility.
Part of organizing language arts December activities is scheduling flexibility.
Read wintry literature.
Numerous short stories exist that reflect these colder months.
Build empathy and study differing time periods and places with winter stories as part of your December activities for ELA. Since December has a large break, experiment with writing historical fiction or a reflective essay from one of these stories.
Experiment with seasonal fun!
An excellent way to keep students focused as the winter holidays approach is to provide structure while simultaneously completing activities that acknowledge the season.
Secondary classes might display a variety of emotions as winter break approach. The holidays can be fun, scary, overwhelming… lots of emotions! With structure and few well-placed language arts winter activities, you can meet standards while acknowledging excitement.
Some of my kiddos are working extra hours, as many high schoolers work retail. Some are excited for the holidays, and others may face contentious family situations. With secondary students, we teachers must remember that these students arrive with a variety of emotions for the holidays. Acknowledge the holiday season but provide that comforting and familiar structure your classroom offers. December activities for ELA can acknowledge winter fun while not overwhelming students.
Not quite ready for December language arts ideas? Try November English lessons. Planning ahead? Try January English lessons.
