It’s almost December! That means the holidays are just a few weeks away. Are you looking to add a little holiday fun to your lessons? With so many standards to cover, it’s important to make sure that students don’t lose focus on their academics during the holiday season. However, there are ways to include some holiday fun and keep students focused on academics. Here are 5 resources for your ELA class!
If you are looking for ideas on how to responsibly include the holidays in your class, check out this post.
Holiday Short Story Options
The Elves and the Shoemaker

The Elves and the Shoemaker is a beloved story that will bring some holiday joy this season. This short unit includes activities to improve skills focused on reading standards. This fun short story unit will help your class stay on task until winter break.
A Kidnapped Santa Claus
This edition of short story units, A Kidnapped Santa Claus, is perfect for the ELA classroom that wants to bring some holiday fun. Use this resource during guided reading or for independent work while focusing on academic standards such as vocabulary, plot, as well as, academic discussions.
Holiday Writing Activities
Holiday Picture Writing Activity
The perfect way to get your students excited about writing is with these 16 Holiday Narrative Writing prompts! These seasonal photos will inspire creativity and help students focus on observation, brainstorming, and drafting. There are a variety of strategies for using the pictures in class – making it great either as independent work or group projects that can be done at stations throughout the season.
Creative Writing Holiday Prompts
What’s more fun than writing about the holidays? These creative writing prompts will get your students thinking and excited to keep writing all through December! Whether they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or nothing at all there is something for everyone.

Cross Curricular Activity
Holiday Traditions Writing
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to share holiday traditions with your students, this activity is perfect. It’ll not only help them learn about different cultures around the world but also give them an opportunity to talk about their own personal or family celebrations!
Do you have any favorite activities you include in your class for the holiday season? Be sure to share them in the comments below or share in the free Facebook group!
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