Activity time: 5 minutes

Materials for Activity

• Story book

Preparation for Activity

• Choose a story from the following suggestions:

  • Christmas Makes Me Think by Tony Medina, 2008. A young narrator anticipates the presents he's wishing for, the big tree he's hoping to get, the cake he'll bake with his grandmother. But he begins to wonder. What about the people who don't get presents, or don't even have a place to live?
  • Llama, Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney, 2010. If there's one thing Llama Llama doesn't like, it's waiting. He and Mama Llama rush around, shopping for presents, baking cookies, and decorating the tree . . . but how long is it until Christmas? "Gifts are nice, but there's another: The true gift is, we have each other."
  • Christmas in the Stable by Astrid Lindgren, 1998. As a young girl listens to her mother tell the story of the first Christmas, where else would she imagine the miracle taking place but in the stable and fields she knows so well?
  • On Christmas Eve by M. W. Brown, 1997. Unable to sleep on Christmas Eve, four children creep downstairs to see the tree.
• Review How to Read a Story Book, under Resources in the Introduction.

Description of Activity

Hold up the book and say, in these words or your own:

Here's how I am going to read the story. Does anyone need to move so they can see and hear?

This will help children move if they need to and then get settled before the story is started, so they don't interrupt the reading. It also serves as a reminder that if they stand or sit right in front of the pages, no one else can see. Invite them to find a place to settle so that everyone can see. When all are ready, read the story.

When you finish reading, ask if anyone has thoughts about the story that they would like to share.

Including All Participants

Seat a child with hearing or sight difficulties near the reader.