It’s school vacation. It’s Christmas. It’s the holidays. Who wants to work on school stuff? I can hear the kids whining already! And yes they deserve a break, but you don’t want to take two or more weeks off from learning completely. Brains can lose a lot of ground in two weeks. So here are some fun ways to sneak in a little learning and to reinforce those literacy skills. Don’t worry—the kids will never know!
* Write a letter to Santa
* Let you child write personal messages to the people he or she knows in your holiday cards
* Read the holiday cards and letters that you receive out loud at the dinner table and pass them around
* Let your child write out your shopping list for baking supplies or gifts to buy for other people
* Have your child read the recipe for cookies to you as you cook together
* Read a holiday book together each night
* Make a special outing to the bookstore. Get peppermint hot chocolates and let your child pick out a new holiday book
* Go to a holiday story hour at the library or at a bookstore
* Host a story party. Everyone brings a favorite story to read. Teddy bears are invited.
* Read the special events calendars in the newspaper together and pick some fun things to do (See—reading IS fun)
* Read the toy ads and catalogs together
* Read directions for a new toy
* Let your child help write the names and addresses on packages and gift tags
* Write and illustrate a story as a present for special relatives
* Memorize parts of the Christmas story or The Night Before Christmas or even the names of the reindeer
* Read and follow directions for easy craft projects
* Give a gift of a child’s magazine. Try National Geographic for Kids, Ask, Chirp, American Girls, Boy’s Life, Muse, Ladybug, Cricket, or Ranger Rick.
More on Holiday Reading:
Holiday Books to Treasure