Children’s eyes light up during the holidays, especially with fun school activities. But many teachers feel the pressure to stick to standards-based learning. Good news—you can celebrate Christmas and keep up with standards!

Read on for Christmas-themed ideas in reading, writing, and math that will make your students smile while keeping learning on track all December!

READING/ ELA

There are so many wonderful classic Christmas read alouds to share with your students. Here are ideas for how to practice reading standards using some of our favorites. 

The Gingerbread Man

Teach your students to compare and contrast different versions of The Gingerbread Man with a simple graphic organizer. Include story elements like main character, setting, problem, and solution, and fill it in as you read each version together.

To wrap up, have students outline their own version of The Gingerbread Man using the same organizer!

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There are so many versions of The Gingerbread Man to choose from! Here are a few to get you started: 

The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup and Matt Tavares

The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone

Gingerbread Mouse by Katy Bratun

Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires and Holly Berry

Richard Scarry’s The Gingerbread Man by Nancy Nolte and Richard Scarry

The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

2-How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss 

The Grinch lends itself perfectly to modeling how an author weaves in a central message or lesson. Engage in a classroom discussion about what lessons old Mr. Grinch is learning as this tale unfolds – there are many!   

• When someone believes in you, anything is possible
• Forgiveness and how important forgiveness is to our happiness
• Having a big heart, and surrounding ourselves with loved ones are the most important parts of the season
• Christmas does not come from a store

3-Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Set up a “Retelling Reporters” news show! After reading this beloved story, (and practicing how to retell it several times) break the class into three groups:

• Group 1 reports on the beginning
• Group 2 reports on the middle
• Group 3 reports on the conclusion

If your groups are too large for kids to be successful, it is easy to create additional groupings. 

• Group 4 could report on the lesson the main character learned and how he learned it.
• Group 5 could report on how the setting changes throughout the story.
• Group 6 could be on-the-scene reporters, interviewing witnesses who heard train noises in the neighborhood on Christmas Eve.
• Group 7 could be interviews of the other train passengers describing the experience.

You can get super creative with this! Consider recording the broadcast to share with families or invite other classes to watch the broadcast live. Another idea is to end the week with a hot chocolate and pajama day and watch the Polar Express movie.

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Writing (& Social Studies!)

Explore holiday traditions worldwide with Holidays Around the World Lapbooks!

Start by researching each country’s popular foods, family traditions, and Santa versions as a class. Then, compile the info into a fun, interactive book with a map to track each location. Add extra excitement by giving each student passport stickers for every country!

Love this idea? Our Holidays Around the World Lapbook kit has everything you need!

• Fact sheets for 19 countries (no need to google or search for facts in a dozen library books!) 
• Mini interactive flip books for kids to write about each country’s Christmas food, Santa, tradition, and other fun facts
• World map and country checklist 
• Passport holder pocket
• 19 passport stamps for each country
• Comprehension quest sheets for each country/celebration

All components are included in digital format as well, if you’d prefer to have your students create their books using Powerpoint or Google Slides.

Take a look at this blog post for step-by-step directions on how to make this adorable lapbook with your class. 

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Math

1-Christmas Money Messages

Kids can always use some extra money practice! Your students will read special messages, give each letter a value, and then add up the coins to come up with a total value.

These work well as a morning message challenge displayed under the document camera or from your computer!

2-December Math Centers

With a little creativity, you can give your typical math centers a Christmas overhaul!

Would your students light up if your centers changed to things like: 

• Even & Odd Christmas Trees 
• Telling Time Santa’s Clocks 
• Skip Counting Candy Canes 
• 2-Digit Addition Reindeer
• Comparing Numbers Christmas Cookies
• Place Value Reindeer
• Open Number Lines Ornaments

All of the above (and more) are ready for you to print and use (or assign digitally!) in our 1st or 2nd grade December math centers packs.

Bonus Idea: Add a playful twist to your classroom holiday fun with this Christmas Guess Who game! It’s a great way to work on descriptive language, reasoning skills, and social interaction—perfect for centers, early finishers, or a whole-class brain break.

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We hope the ideas in this post help you meet ELA and math standards without sacrificing any holiday fun in your classroom!