The Christmas countdown has begun. One of my favorite ways to count down the days until Christmas is to pull out her holiday book collection and read a different one every night. It’s my version of an advent calendar.
People often ask me what program I used to aid my daughter in becoming a strong reader. She was 5 years old reading at a 4th grade level. Now she is 6 years old reading at a 5th grade level. There was no curriculum used and no quick fix. To be honest, it was simply the fact that I have read to her every day of her life. Even when she was in my tummy, I read everything out loud. When she got bigger, I would read to her and point at the words as I was reading. By the time she was 2 years old she was recognizing words and reading them back to me.
Because she is a big reader, I make sure to put seasonal books away so she can’t get to them year-round. This keeps the excitement going for her and the anticipation of rereading some of her favorites. This year I will be pulling out:
Snowy Day
The Nutcracker in Harlem
Too Many Tamales
All Of A Kind Family Hanukkah
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A Piñata in a Pine Tree
Llama Llama Holiday Drama
Grace of Christmas
Hanukkah Bear
The Night Before Christmas
The Seven Days of Kwanzaa
The history of Kwanzaa
Li’l Rabbits Kwanzaa
All titles can be found on amazon.com
What are some of your favorite holiday children books or early chapter books?