12 Days Countdown… Day 5: CREATE

12 Days CountdownWinter
Written By Amanda

JOYcabulary is counting down the days to the holiday break with our 12 Days Countdown. This series of 12 posts are like a vocabulary advent calendar to keep word learning going during the hectic holiday season.

Let's create together! Today is all about cookies and traditions. Below is a warm up poem by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater. Would you rather decorate a cookie or devour a cookie? I choose both!

Take a look at a holiday read aloud called, Christmas Cookies: Bite Size Holiday Lessons by Amy Karouse Rosenthal. I'm really excited about this book, because it teaches holiday vocabulary in a kid friendly way. The goal is to have these words live in students' everyday life, so bringing them out of the text is important. Having extension activities helps the learning to stick and is entertaining and engaging for children and adults. Try having students act out certain words or make a holiday vocabulary word wall. Students can tally the words every time they read, write, or say them!

Are your students struggling with informational writing? How about a "How to" book on decorating desserts? Check out this Santa Graham Cookie recipe from Living Well Mom. Many students are interested in baking with the increasing popularity of junior baking shows. The recipe gives clear step-by-step directions and would be a perfect mentor text.

One of my favorite family traditions is baking and decorating holiday cookies using a family recipe. Can you believe on Christmas Eve I delivered cookies to Jimmy Fallon and he LOVED them? There are so many magical small moments around this year. Share them with each other through writing! With only five days until the big day, what are your favorite family traditions? I hope you are able to find many ways to CREATE this holiday.  

 
Amanda

Amanda Kovac has twelve years of experience working as a classroom teacher. Formerly an Elementary Literacy Coach for Saugerties Central School District, she now serves as an intermediate Reading Specialist in the Onteora district. Her coaching and teaching philosophy is three dimensional; dream and set goals, dedicate time and enthusiasm towards those goals, and deliver to all. A leader in curriculum reform, research based instructional practices, and increasing student achievement levels, she is committed to creating equitable and joyful literacy experiences. She passionately provides educators, families, and students memorable opportunities towards lifelong reading and writing. Amanda lives in Saugerties, NY with her three young children. All three are learning words at a rapid rate! JOYcabulary was sparked by an experience her four-year-old daughter had with the multiple meanings of the word duck.

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12 Days Countdown… Day 4: TRADITION
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12 Days Countdown… Day 6: Warm Up