Five Favorite December Read-Alouds and Book Picks

During the month of December, I LOVE to bring out all the winter and Christmas-themed books. It just brings me so much joy and helps make the crazy season more predictable and festive. I'm going to share five of my favorite December books for upper elementary. 

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

Themes: Generosity, Forgiveness, and Healing Through Friendship

Summary: A young widow and her son move to a new town. They have lost their precious nativity set. The widow finds a widowed woodcarver who begrudging agrees to carve a new one, but does not promise to have it done before Christmas. The woodcarver, harsh from the wounds of the death of his own wife and child, is gruff and hard to deal with. But over the days and weeks as the widow and her her son visit him while he carves, the woodcarver slowly begins to heal and soften. 

The Legend of the Candy Cane

Theme: Hope, Faith, Community

Summary: A stranger arrives in town. The townspeople each have their own ideas of who he is and what his work is. The children hope he works with candy. One brave girl, goes to see him and is allowed to help him open boxes and crates and fill jars with...candy! As they unpack together, she stumbles upon a new candy she has never before seen...it is a curved candy with red and white stripes. The man patiently shows her the secrets behind the candy and the spiritual ties it has. He tells her that they must tell everyone about the message behind the candy. So, together they go to each house in town passing out candy canes and telling the story of Christ.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Themes: Change, Christmas, Redemption

Summary: One of the churches in town has a beautiful Christmas pageant every year that is put on by the children. It's predictable and comfortable. The same lady directs the play each year, but this year, due to an accident, she is unable. When the new leader takes over, things begin to go from bad to worse. The Herdman family shows up on the scene. Every kid in the church is afraid of the Herdmans. They are infamous for their bad behavior. They waltz into the church and take over, stealing the prize roles of Mary, Joseph, and the wisemen. It seems to be an unholy alliance and people in town are up in arms over the whole ordeal. But change comes to the Herdmans, as they practice and perfect their roles. And in the end, everyone says it was truly the best Christmas pageant ever. 

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (with novel or picture book options)

Theme: Triumph of Good Over Evil, Gift Giving, Hospitality, and Redemption

Summary: To escape the effects of the war, a family of four children are sent away to stay with a relative in his big house. While playing one day, one of them stumbles into the wardrobe and into a magical land. Upon returning to the house, no one believes that she went to another world until they too unwittingly discover it for themselves. In this land, Narnia, it is perpetually winter, a curse from the white witch. The children find themselves in all sorts of adventures, including their youngest brother being kidnapped by the witch. They team up with the other creatures to win him back, but that involves sacrifice...the ultimate sacrifice. 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Theme: Jealousy, Community, Materialism, Transformation

Summary: In a magical land on a tiny snowflake live the Whos. In the town of Whoville, Christmas is a time of gluttony, showing off, and thinking of ones self. The Grinch, who lives on the outskirts of town, was ostracized as a child and now keeps to himself most of the time, only coming out occasionally to terrorize the town. Cindy Lou Who begins asking questions about the Grinch and winds up feeling sorry for him. After the Grinch steals Christmas, the other Whos are upset at Cindy for being to friendly with the him. Cindy sets off to confront the Grinch, helping him and the other Whos realize what is really important isn't things. It is community and friendship.  

What books are on your Christmas reading list this year? 

Christmas Gift-Giving in the Classroom

Favorite Ideas From Student Another Student

One of my all-time favorite gift ideas is for a special gift exchange that doubles as an easy class party. My students love to exchange gifts, but we have all been in classrooms where, (gasp) someone gets the worst gift ever. One year I hosted a totally open gift exchange and one kid brought deodorant. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when another student chose that gift, but thankfully, the kid was super-excited...it was apparently a rite of passage moment. He had graduated into the deodorant-wearing realm and so all ended well....but...it could have ended quite poorly.      

Last year was the year of my favorite gift exchange. I had student bring a new, wrapped board game. It was great for many reasons. 

• It doubled as the perfect classroom party. After presents, we played board games for probably about an hour. Students were laughing and having a great time with friends.
• It gets students off of devices. It is my hope that they will have so much fun with their game that they will play at home with friends and family too.
• It is highly interactive. Board games require interacting with others. It is a great way to foster relationships in and out of the classroom, a skill that devices have greatly hindered.

Favorite Ideas From Teachers to Students

I have done many different gifts over the years for the students in my classroom, but one of the easiest and most budget-friendly is a small gift bag. I purchase an item like a set of Uno cards from Dollar Tree, add a Christmas Pencil, eraser, and some candy. The kids are thrilled with that. 

This year I am doing a spin on this idea, except I am changing out the cards for a can of putty. I was at Target the other day and found these great cans of putty marked down from six dollars to just $2.50. I could not leave them behind. I selected several different kinds, enough for each child in my class. I created a little tag that says, "You're Putty Awesome! Merry Christmas," and I am adding some other small items like pencils and candy. I know my students will be excited about the putty. It was super easy to put together, and it was within the budget that I wanted to spend.

Favorite Ideas From Students to Teachers

My all-time favorite teacher gift was given to two team teachers in my building and put together by their room parents. It was absolutely amazing! I have never personally received this, but it would be perfect. It was a gift card wreath. The room parents asked all the parents to donate gift cards. I am not sure how they did this, but I think it would be even more perfect if they had created a form for the teacher to fill out about favorite stores, restaurants, etc. Then parents could purchase from their list of favorites. 

As a teacher, I love to save my gift cards to do fun outings during summer vacation with my kids. It means a lot that I don't have to spend the money, and it is a gift that keeps on giving.  

STEM Challenges with a Holiday Twist: Make December Magical in Your Classroom

December in the classroom can feel like a bit of a whirlwind - students are buzzing with excitement, schedules are packed, you are juggling lessons and Christmas programs, while trying to insert some holiday fun. So how do you keep learning meaningful without losing the festive spirit? Enter holiday-themed STEM challenges! These hands-on activities are the perfect way to use that energy for creativity, problem solving, and teamwork.

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) isn't just about equations or experiments. It is also about critical thinking and innovating. What better time to spark curiosity than during the most magical season of the year? 

 Why does Holiday STEM work?

• It Keeps students engaged during a time when attention spans are short.
• It encourages collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving
• It brings joy to learning - because who doesn't love building something festive?

---

STEM Challenge Idea: Build a Christmas Tree

This one is a favorite of mine because it combines engineering with holiday cheer. Here’s how easy it is set up:

The Challenge

With your team, build the tallest Christmas tree possible using only the supplies provided. 

Materials

• Large green popsicle sticks
• Clothes pins
• Colorful pom-poms or bells

Steps

1. Ask and Imagine: How will you add height to your tree? How will you make it stand on its        own? How will you make it hold the decorations?

2. Plan: Sketch a quick design. Add details. 

3. Create: Start building your tree! Students should test to make sure it can stand and make        adjustments as they go.

4. Improve:  How can they make it sturdier? Stronger? Add ornaments for fun!

Learning Connections

• Engineering: Balance and structure
• Math: Measuring height
• Science: Stability and gravity

Want to add more challenge? Up the competition - whose tree can hold the most weight (like small bells) without falling?

If you would like a unit, all about Christmas trees, that includes this STEM challenge, you can find it right here or click on the cover page below.

The Week Before Thanksgiving and a Fun Thanksgiving Tradition

Are you looking for a way to celebrate Thanksgiving with your classroom during the week before Thanksgiving? Here's some of my Favorite ways.

The History Behind Thanksgiving

Have your students learn the history behind this special, truly American tradition. I created a small booklet of articles about the traditions we hold dear during this time. Students can read about these traditions, answer comprehension questions, and then there are extension activities for the students to further their learning. 

Click here to find this resource. 

Turkey Pardoning Simulation 

Get your students writing with a courtroom simulation of the famous turkey pardoning ceremony. Students will dress their turkey in a costume to attempt to escape the dinner table, write a persuasive speech about why their turkey should be pardoned, and deliver it to your classroom "courtroom" to await a ruling

You can find this fun activity right here. 

If you, as teacher, can wear a black graduation robe and find a wooden hammer, even better! You are instantly a convincing judge for your classroom courtroom.

Thanksgiving Art Meets Teambuilding Challenge Activity

Why not throw in a teambuilding challenge with an art spin? In one of the challenges, teams of students will create Macy's Day Parade balloons. This one is a lot of fun. Three challenges are included...this is a spin off of the TV show Chopped, but with an art twist.

Be sure to grab this one over here. 

Thanksgiving School Tradition

We started a fun Thanksgiving tradition about three years ago at our school. That tradition is to celebrate the final day before Thanksgiving break with a school-wide celebration in Charlie Brown style. We share a feast, like Charlie Brown and his friends did. We serve toast, popcorn, jelly beans and pretzel sticks. While we enjoy our "feast" we watch the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving movie. It is a fun tradition and a great way to start off the holidays. 

Math Block Series: Football Season Classroom Fun

Football season is in full swing, so why not bring some football fun to your math classroom. I love to shake things up by doing a huge football transformation every year. Usually, I do this transformation during the opening week of football, or I will wait until the end of the season for the Superbowl. 

Here are a few ways to add a bit of football fun. This time of year, it is easy to find football themed bowls, tablecloths, and decor. Snag it up now if you plan to do a transformation! 

I use footballs marked with A-D for team questions or quizzes. Students listen to the question, run up and grab the correct letter (for the answer) and if they are correct, they receive a point for their team. You can use this with any content area. 

Use a simple football tablecloth for a game. Students move a pawn down the field as they solve math word problems that are written on  jerseys (for added fun).  When students reach the other side, they score a touchdown. 

Printable math games and activities are sure to spark a little more fun with this football theme. You can even leave the games for a week or more in math centers for extra practice after your football day. 

Look at your local bakery. I have found different football items that I have used over the year. One year I found cookies, I have also gotten the Reece's football shaped peanut butter cups. Sometimes I find little football-shaped candies that taste like candy corn. It is fun to have a treat to pass out at the end of the day or activities. 

 Mat

A football theme is a lot of fun, while still bringing the learning. Check out the links below if you need some football resources for your football themed day!

Football Themed Games

Football Math Worksheets & Activities

Math Block Series: Christmas Came a Little Early

Is it too early to begin thinking about and planning for Christmas in the classroom? I would say, absolutely not! Christmas is just around the corner and I know how busy things are between Halloween and Christmas, so no, it is not too early. I am already thinking about spicing up my math centers with some Christmas-themed games. Here's a sneak peek at one of them. 

An Up Close look at my Division Game

Practicing division is much sweeter when it is a candy/cookie themed game. I call this game Oh Christmas Tree. I created it for math centers. It can be played with partners or even with a small group of up to 4. Simple to prep, this game gets cut out and if you choose to laminate, it can be a game you have your students play from year-to-year. You could even have a parent volunteer do the cutting for you. 

How to Play the Game

The game is easy to play and can be taught to students quickly. To start, each player will take a tree cookie board and some pom-poms. You could definitely use other counters if you do not have poms. Place the round candy cards upside down, or in a bag where you cannot see them. Take turns drawing a candy card (without looking). If a student draws an equation, they will simply solve the equation and if they are correct, they will place a pom-pom over one of the dots on their tree. If they do not get it correct, their turn ends without adding a pom-pom. If a student draws a solid candy card, they will read and follow the directions on it. Some cards say remove one pom-pom. They will take one off their own card. If they draw a card that says remove one pom-pom from another player, they will choose another player who will then remove a pom-pom. If they draw a card that says add one pom-pom, they will add a pom-pom to your tree. 

Be sure to check it out over here!

Sign up for my email list to get more ideas and a freebie!

Math Block Series: Why Mistakes Matter (Using Errors to Guide Your Students' Math Growth)

The other day I noticed that nearly every student in one of my math groups missed many of the same problems and got a low score. I wanted help the figure out their misgivings about the problems and help them build a better understanding. 

On another day, I took the student worksheets and looked over several of their mistakes. I turned those mistakes into error analysis task cards for my students to work on during math rotations when they were not with me. They knew the errors were from their own math group, and were fully engaged.

This type of error analysis is not only beneficial, but it is necessary to facilitate a higher growth in students. Let's spend a few minutes together looking at how's and why's to making this a part of your own routine. 

1. "Mistakes Make Me Smarter!"

Help your students realize that mistakes are normal. Use simple language to explain these truths. 

• Mistakes are a part of learning. Anytime you are trying something for the first two times, the chances are pretty high that you will stink at it. Think about a child riding a bike. Are they an expert the first time? Do they suddenly know how to speed off down the driveway, doing wheelies? Of course not. And students should not expect the same thing when learning a new skill. Learning anything takes times. 
• Share an example of your own mistakes in math. Help students see that everyone makes mistakes from time to time and that they can use them to grow and improve.  
• Create your own mantra such as, "I made a mistake, but that's OK." and have students repeat it when they make a mistake of their own. 

2. "Oops! Let’s Fix That Together"

• Go through a simple math problem with a common error (like forgetting to regroup or mixing up multiplication facts).
• Show students how to find a mistake and fix it by tracing their steps over one at a time until they are comfortable doing that on their own.
• Give students a problem that is done incorrectly. Have them look for and discuss what the error was. 

 3. "My Math Detective Notebook"

• Consider having students keep a notebook of error analysis. 
• Include prompts like: “What was my mistake?”, “Why did I make it?”, “What will I do next time?”
• Make the notebook fun with doodles, stickers, or superhero themes.

4. "Top 5 Sneaky Math Mistakes—and How to Catch Them!"

• List common errors like forgetting place value, rushing through word problems, or misreading signs.
• Use fun examples and tips to help students remember to slow down and double-check their own work.

 5. "From Mistake to Masterpiece: My Math Glow-Up"

• Share your own story or a student example of someone who struggled with a math concept but improved through error analysis.
• Celebrate progress and growth, not just getting the “right” answer. Show students the steps they did do correctly.

I hope I have convinced you of the importance of analyzing your errors and hopefully you will try these techniques in your own classroom.