Christmas Caroling
Lori Jackson

I don't do a program or play at Christmas. The holiday is hectic and I choose to make caroling the focus in our room. The children use Carol Books that I made up years ago and tweak yearly. They are typed lyrics to very familiar Christmas songs along with some we learn together. There are Christmas coloring pages to illustrate. Twice daily we sing from the books and the kids (especially this year!) often buddy read them during our two independent reading times. Sometimes the classroom sounds like backstzage at the met! Every year, without fail, there have been several children whose reading level has been significantly impacted by music and I can think of three child I know -without doubt-learned to read with Frosty and Rudolph. Then we end our month, as we will today, with a family caroling party through shops and offices downtown (consisting of two blocks). The parents help prepare a spread that leaves the rest of the building envious! We get good family turn out and true participatioon (you can hardly go caroling with your kids and not sing along).