The month of December is always an exciting time in a first grade classroom! The thought of a Winter Vacation as well as the holidays celebrated have firsties and their teachers’ ready to let their hair down a little to enjoy their short time together! These five read alouds will help you keep your students engaged and interested as you make your way through the two or three weeks before break.

CLARK THE SHARK LOVES CHRISTMAS

Clark the Shark is a beloved character that Bruce Hale has expertly created for students to either personally relate to or just enjoy. He is a boisterous, loud, and friendly shark the often takes awhile to learn important life lessons. Clark the Shark Loves Christmas is no different! This book is fun, engaging, and comes with a sweet message about the true meaning of Christmas. CLICK HERE to find my craft and written response on TeachersPayTeachers.

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Jan Brett holds a special place in my kid heart- I LOVED listening to her books when I was in elementary school. It wasn’t unusual for me to check them out from the school library just to examine all the highly detailed pictures. Home for Christmas is a lovely story that talks about the traditions of a Christmas holiday but also has a fun twist of the little Rollo needing to find out who he wants to be. CLICK HERE to find my craft and written response on TeachersPayTeachers.

MOOSELTOE

Margie Palatini has a gift for writing beautiful stories with a huge dose of imagination. Mooseltoe does not disappoint! The father is in a gigantic frenzy getting his family’s house ready for the holidays and in the end forgets the Christmas Tree. No worries, he says! He will be the family Christmas tree and this dedicated father stands all Christmas night to wait for Santa, decorated from horns to hooves. CLICK HERE to find my craft and written response on TeachersPayTeachers.

THE GINGERBREAD MAN

It’s always fun to include a classic in your stack of read alouds for the month. My classic for December is, of course, The Gingerbread Man. There are so many fun ways to respond to a story about The Gingerbread Man, whether it’s gingerbread cookie decorating, fun crafts, or writing the story to make it yours! If you’re looking for a quick print written response and printable gingerbread man to decorate, CLICK HERE to find my craft and written response on TeachersPayTeachers.

HOW TO CATCH AN ELF

This series of books (the How To Catch books by Adam Wallace), following holiday characters and tips on how to catch them, is loved by kids! They will especially enjoy coming up with their own trap for catching an elf. CLICK HERE to find my craft and written response on TeachersPayTeachers.

I know these books will help you and your firsties enjoy the last few weeks of the calendar year before taking your much needed winter break! Have a safe and happy holiday and be looking for my January Read Aloud blog post coming soon!

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:) Katelyn from Teaching Primary with Katelyn