I know you might not be thinking of the December holidays on Cyber Monday, but the days pass by VERY fast in Special Education so these will creep up way faster than you think!
I have always teetered back and forth on whether or not I should celebrate any holiday in my classroom, at the risk of leaving anyone out, or allowing a child to feel like they aren’t included in our classroom community. Several years ago I decided to send a survey home to my students to find out what holidays they celebrate so we can be sure to celebrate the specific holidays of every student in our classroom! We celebrate MANY holidays because our classroom in my district is so rich in diversity and culture.
With that being said, we need to modify and adapt to suit the needs of all the learners in our classroom. Below is a guide of what I usually use with my students around the December Holidays.
1. Social Narratives
Social narratives explaining what certain holidays are and how they are celebrated are key in my classroom. This allows students to develop an understanding of different cultures and religions in order to promote a respect of different cultures and religions. I use this social story that I have created below, however there are many different social narratives that you can use!
2. Writing Prompts (At Students Level)
Another fun way to incorporate the fun of the holidays in December in the classroom is through writing prompts that your students can do and achieve. The goal is to strive for independence for students, while helping them get there by scaffolding. Scaffolding is the ideology that we take our students through different levels of learning by using “scaffolding” and removing the proverbial “scaffolds” as students progress through learning concepts.
3. Lots of Active Activities
Another thing that I love to do is many different active activities, including a sensory bin component. My early learner students LOVE having these little additions in the sensory bin. It’s a great way for all students to engage in the learning of the holiday but in a way that they can access independently. There are also so many different active activities to be found on a quick pinterest or instagram search- I love searing for ideas on instagram!!
