Christmas in the Classroom

There is just something magic about Christmas. Christmas is about love, giving, searching for good, and miracles.

Children associate Christmas with positive memories and excitement. Positive memories and emotions create hooks in the brain. One of the joys of teaching is using these hooks to build new skills.

This simple activity with Christmas tree cut-outs and button manipulatives can be used to teach a variety of skills building on those positive dendrites.

1. Cut Christmas trees from green craft foam or felt. (Christmas tree template printable: http://familyfun.go.com/printables/christmas-tree-ornament-patterns-702979/)
2. Use buttons as manipulatives .
3. Choose a skill topractice!

• Orally state math story problems while students use the buttons to create the problems on the trees. Stress words that are synonyms: plus, and, add; minus, subtract, take away.
• Practice positional words, “Put the button at the TOPof the tree.” “Put two red buttons UNDER the yellow button.”
• Demonstrate the communtive property using the trees, buttons, and a dry erase board.
• Place the trees and buttons at the math center and challenge students to write math story problems.
• Practice one-to-one counting using the mats and buttons.
• Learn beginning addition and subtraction skills.