12 Days of Literacy for the Holidays

The holidays are an exciting time of year for children and there are lots of opportunities to incorporate literacy into the fun!  The ideas here include suggestions to make Christmas and Hanukkah more accessible to children with visual impairments or deafblindness.  In addition, there are plenty of ways to promote literacy for learners at all levels.  We hope that you'll share some of your favorite holiday ideas too!

1.  Story Box Ideas for Holiday Stories

Preschool teachers Jaime Brown and Katie Armstrong share some of their favorite holiday storyboxes .

2.  Braille Designs for Christmas

Braille transcriber Edith West shares a number of different Christmas designs, including Santa Claus, a Christmas tree, angel, and candy canes.

3. Braille Designs for Hanukkah

Braille designs for Hanukkah from Edith West include the Dreidel and Menorah.

4.  Christmas Ideas for Children with Visual Impairments

Positive Eye's Gwyn McCormack shares fun ideas, including a Christmas Basket of Magic, Christmas Spinner, and Christmas Hanger.

5.  Holiday Gift Tags

Use braille or tactile stickers to label gifts with this idea from Liamsmom.

6.  Christmas Tactile Books

Create a tactile book with braille labels to tell the Christmas story.

7.  Decorating the Christmas Tree:  An Experience Book Tradition

Create a tactile experience book about trimming the Christmas tree.

8.  Christmas Tree Project

Practice positional concepts decorating a miniature tactile Christmas tree in this activity from TVI Liz Eagan.

8.  Christmas Sequence Activity for Students with Visual Impairments and Additional Disabilities

Work on vocabulary, language comprehension, matching and sequencing of events in this Christmas book.

9.  Tips to Make Reading Aloud Part of Your Family's Holiday Tradition!

Reading aloud is a great way to enjoy being together as a family during the holidays.

10.  Create a Holiday Conversation Box

Put together a box of holiday items with different sensory qualities, such as bells, candles, ornaments, pine bough, cinnamon sticks.  Explore them with your child to develop vocabulary and language concepts.

11.  Gift Ideas for Kids Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Have Additional Disabilities

If you still have some presents to buy, have a look at these great suggestions from Early Childhood and Deafblind specialist Holly Cooper.

12. 10 Ways to Include Your Child in the Christmas Fun

We'd love to hear about your ideas for incorporating literacy into the holidays!  Share your ideas and photos here.