1-2-3 Come Do Some ST Blend Activities With Me

The "Stuff a Stocking" packet, includes a variety of quick, easy and fun ways to help students practice words that begin and end with the ST blend.

For one activity, children color and trim a stocking, then stuff it with words that have the st blend in them, by writing the words on the front of their stocking.

The packet includes an alphabetical list of 92 common words that begin with st, as well as a list of 64 simple words that end with the st blend. 

Before sharing the lists with your students, as a whole group, have them brainstorm to see how many words they can think of. 

Write the words on the board, and have students look up any words that are new to them, jotting them down in their writing journals.  This is a great vocabulary building activity, and perfect for Daily 5 word work. 

For another whole group activity, I've included matching mini-word cards to pass out to your students, so that they can "stuff" either a  teddy bear stocking with beginning st word cards, or stuff a moose stocking, with words ending with the st blend.

To be able to "stuff" the paper stockings, laminate & trim them.  Cut a slit under the cuff portion, and attach a large Ziplock Baggie to the back.

Call out an st blend word from your list. (Before hand, highlight words that you want to review with your kiddos.)  The child holding that card shows it to the class, everyone reads the word, and then that student "stuffs" the card through the opening of the appropriate stocking.

To help build vocabulary, ask children to define the words. When you're done with the game, simply zip the Baggie and tuck in your file.

For yet another activity, students choose 3-5 cards and write sentences incorporating the word cards that they picked. To practice alphabetizing, have students write their word cards in alphabetical order.

I've included a worksheet for this, which would be a terrific Daily 5 word work activity as well. Click on the link to view/download the "Stuff it!" ST Blend Packet.

Thanks for visiting. It's time for me to get to the grocery store.  The cupboard is indeed bare, as I hate going out in the hustle bustle of December.  

The inclement weather and crowds are a bit overwhelming to me, and I'd much rather be curled up by the fire, sipping eggnog and making sketches of stuff I want to design.  Wishing you a warm and cozy kind of day.

"Christmas Time: Snowy climes and silly rhymes, a make-believe sense of time, when the old become young and the young walk the line." -Unknown

15 pages.

Here are a variety of quick, easy and fun activiies for your students to practice words that begin and end with the st blend.

5 pages.

There are several ways students can play this Winter Writing Prompt game.

3 pages.

"Welcome To My House" is an interesting and fun writing prompt. Students decorate their door, trim and glue it to a sheet of white paper that they also trim. Their writing prompt is revealed, when the the door is flipped open.

1-2-3 Come Do Some More Creative Christmas Writing With Me

I like to dream up writing prompts that I think my students will get excited about doing.  With that in mind, I designed "Wishful Thinking". It's a unique twist on the practical "What I want for Christmas" or "Dear Santa" writing activities.  Here, money is no object (woo hoo) so the sky's the limit of what 5 super-fabulous gifts students can ask for.  

While they're "day dreaming" and jotting down a list of things, have them prioritize and put their "wish list" in the order of what they'd like the most.  Encourage them to be specific and use some adjectives.  Make a rule that they can't ask for a zillion gift cards or money.

They glue their final draft to the inside of a construction paper square, folding the corners over to "close" their "gift".  Add extra pizzazz, by having students glue a square of Christmas wrapping paper to the back of their square of construction paper.

For that finishing touch, top with a bow.  Completed projects make a terrific bulletin board.  Click on the link to view/download the Wishful Thinking writing prompt.

Continuing with writing, using a different twist, I made up a unique Dear Santa letter. Instead of students writing a letter to Santa about the things they'd like for Christmas, they choose someone they think should get an extra special gift from Santa, and write a persuasive letter on their behalf.

I've included a completed sample for you to share, or make one up of your own to help jumpstart your students' creative juices. Click on the link for the unusual Dear Santa letter. 

If you still want your kiddos to write the more common letter to Santa, click on the link for a fill-in-the-blank template that's perfect for little ones. 

"Welcome To My House" is an interesting and fun writing prompt. Students decorate their door, trim and glue it to a sheet of white paper that they also trim. Inside, they write their final draft completing the writing prompt: "Welcome to my home for Christmas..." 

Encourage students to use plenty of adjectives that involve their senses, to help describe what a visitor might see, hear, and smell, as they enter their home.

I've included a completed sample to help you explain the lesson. Have older students type their final draft. 

Students who don't celebrate Christmas, can simply write a "Welcome to my home" for another celebration or holiday. 

If you're doing a Christmas Around The World theme, students can choose a country, do a bit of research, and then write from that point of view, welcoming visitors to their home in France, Mexico etc.

Hang the doors on a bulletin board, with the caption: "Come on in, for some creative winter writing."  Click on the link to view/download the Welcome To My House packet.  

Finally, make writing a game, and you're sure to get your students' attention. 

There are several ways to play this Christmas Writing Prompt game.

The teacher decides how many spins students should take. 

There are character spinners, as well as "stuff" spinners.

Each item a child spins, must be included in their writing. 

Students can write a short story, a paragraph or even make up several sentences. 

I've included worksheets with headers, for them to write on. There's also a worksheet entitled "Spin and alphabetize".

Children can play independently doing their own work, or they can write with a partner or in a small group, collaborating together to make up a story.

For those of you who homeschool, or teach in a Christian school, I've included two nativity spinners.  PK kiddos can simply spin and tell what the picture is, and why it's important.

When everyone is done, have them share their story with the class.  Click on the link for the Spin A Christmas Story Writing Prompt Game.

Since writing is a hot button for me, I have a lot of writing prompts on my site.  So if you're looking for more, click on the link. They are easily adjustable for a variety of ages.

That's it for today.  I hope you found something to get your kiddos excited about writing.  I've barely made a dent in decorating, so I'm off to the basement to haul up some more Christmas magic.  Wishing you a joy-filled day.

"Of all the Christmas gifts you give, the most enduring will be those special moments of love and laughter. May the light of Jesus shine in your heart and home this holiday season."

5 pages

"Wishful Thinking" is an interesting and fun writing prompt for December. Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board. Students finish the writing prompt: "If money were no problem and I could have 5 super-fabulous gifts for Christmas, I'd like..."

4 pages.

This is a Dear Santa letter with a twist. Instead of students writing a letter to Santa of the things they'd like for Christmas, they think of someone they think should get an extra special gift from Santa, and write a persuasive letter on their behalf.

4 pages.

Making a class book, was one of my 1st graders favorite writing activities. These booklets were also a much sought-after option during quiet reading time.  Here's the scenario for this fun December writing prompt: Santa's reindeer are sick!  Who will pull his sleigh on Christmas Eve? 

12 pages

Now You're Talkin' is an interesting and fun way to help your students practice writing.  It's especially beneficial if you're working on the proper use of quotation marks.  There are 5 different writing prompts to choose from.

 1-2-3 Come Do Some Interesting and Fun Writing With Me

Having interesting and fun writing prompts, will motivate your students to want to write.  Tossing in a bit of crafty coloring, will be icing on the cake. 

With that in mind, I just finished designing some creative-wintry writing prompts that I think your kiddos will enjoy.  They are pretty simple, so they'd easily fit into your Daily 5 or writing block. 

A Sweet Tweet For Santa, is based on the popular idea of "tweeting".   Students color, cut and glue the bird to the top of their writing prompt paper, then each day (for 10 days) they jot down (tweet) something sweet that they've done, that Santa might be interested in knowing.

Remind them to use proper spacing, capitalization and end punctuation.  I've also included a completed sample for you to share with your students.

"Stuff It!" is also a unique writing prompt.  I've included several options, with two different stocking patterns, so you could actually do both of them, or give students a choice.

To reinforce patterning, have students write their name on the "cuff" of the stocking in an ABAB color pattern.

After coloring and trimming their stocking, students make an alphabetical list of things they'd enjoy finding "stuffed" in their stocking.  Once they've completed and checked their list, they rewrite the final draft on their stocking.

For the other writing prompt, students gather in groups of 3-4 and exchange their stockings with each other.

Everyone in the group "stuffs" a Christmas compliment into their classmates' stockings, by writing something nice about that person.  Encourage the use of adjectives. 

This activity is especially appropriate if your class does the "Fill a Bucket" program. Completed projects make a nice, self-esteem building, December bulletin board.

Now You're Talkin' is an especially imaginative writing prompt, that I really enjoyed making samples for. 

It's especially beneficial if you're working on the proper use of quotation marks.

There are 5 different writing prompts to choose from.  Pick one for your students, give them a choice, or have them do a different one each day and assemble them into a journal.  I've included a cover if you want to do that. 

Students color the pictures, then pretend to be a gingerbread man, reindeer, and snowman, jotting down things they might say if they could talk.

To help explain things, I've included completed samples for each one for you to share with your kiddos.

If you could hear Santa or his elves, what might they be saying? are the other two writing prompt options.

Encourage the use of adjectives and remind students about proper spacing, capitalization and end punctuation.

If you're not doing these as a journal, have students choose their favorite, mount on construction paper and hang them on a hallway wall or bulletin board.

Finally, my personal favorite, is a class made book entitled Who Will Pull Santa's Sleigh?  Making class booklets, were always my first grader's favorite writing activity, as well as much sought-after reading options during quiet time. 

Here's the scenario for this fun December writing prompt: Oh no! Santa's reindeer are sick!  Who will pull his sleigh on Christmas Eve? 

Students choose an animal and write why they think they would be a good choice, then illustrate their page.  Collect and collate your students' contributions and make into a class book.   I've included a cover for it.

Read your completed book as a whole group, by having each student read their own page when you come to it.  Be sure and make one of your own, or share the completed sample that I've included in the packet.

To help give your students some interesting ideas, and get them excited about writing, you might want to read Who Will Pull Santa's Sleigh Tonight, by Laura Rader.

In this story, as with the writing prompt, the reindeer are sick, so Santa holds auditions for replacement animals.  

Another hilarious story, with awesome illustrations, is Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight? by Jerry Pallotta.  This story takes place pre-reindeer time, when Santa was wondering who could pull his sleigh.

Your kiddos will get lots of ideas, as there are many silly scenarios presented by different animals trying out for the job --  from skunks, kangaroos and giraffes, to monkeys, mice and even snakes.  In the end, Santa finally realizes that reindeer are the perfect animals for pulling his sleigh.

I've included a Venn diagram, as well as a graphing extension you can do if you read both books.  Click on the link to view/download the Who Will Pull Santa's Sleigh? class-made book packet. 

That's it for today.  Thanks for visiting. I hope these writing prompts help to get your students excited to practice.

The sun is trying to peek out, making the snow sparkle, which puts me in the mood to do some decorating.  Wishing you a festive day.

"Christmas without reindeer is like snow without moonlight: it loses its sparkle." -Unknown