Christmas and winter traditions : Greetings and letters

Have fun sharing Christmas stories such as The Jolly Christmas Postman and Dear Santa to inspire children to talk about their Christmas and Winter Traditions, as well as to write cards and their own letter to Santa.

BLOCK OVERVIEW & UNIT PLANS

Winter greetings (suggested as 5 days)

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Active Learning

Christmas cards
The Jolly Christmas Postman
Sending cards
Family traditions

Activity Cards

Creating and Thinking Critically

Matching game
Card writing
Christmas Books
Jokes

Activity Cards

Exploring and Playing

Role play
Lanterns and music
Maths
Play dough decorations

Activity Cards

Books to Share

Read the first part of The Jolly Christmas Postman. What characters do we recognise from other stories? List and read their names.
Read the first part of Christmas in Exeter Street. What signs of Christmas can you spot? Cards on the mantelpiece, wreath on door, presents, balloons, stockings, etc.
Continue reading Christmas on Exeter Street. Can you count all the guests? Phew! What would it have been like in the house? Fun, noisy, squashed.
Share reading any other Christmas stories of your choice (see suggestions on Block overview).

Poetry/Rhyme of the Week: Jingle Bells (see resources)
Introduce on Monday (send a copy home). Perform as part of a class carol-singing excursion.

You Will Need

Essential texts
The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet & Allan Ahlberg; Christmas in Exeter Street by Diana Hendry and John Lawrence

Websites
Hanukkah quiz from bbc.co.uk/cbeebies
The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa from youtube.com
My First Eid from bbc.co.uk/cbeebies

Resources
A selection of christmas cards
Pre-stamped and addressed envelopes
Christmas objects (baubles, bows, decorations)
Salt dough
Dough/biscuit cutters
A3 heavy paper or card

Resources

Phonics: Code-Breakers

Code-Breakers is a synthetic phonics programme that teaches phoneme-to-grapheme correspondences (PGCs) in a systematic, child-friendly fashion.

Find out more about Code-Breakers
SPaG Presentations

Many Hamilton units come with interactive Grammar Presentations integrated into the overall teaching and textual context. Alternatively, these presentations can be used as stand-alone whiteboard sessions. Try your year group below.

Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6
Group Readers

Group Readers are charmingly illustrated short books written to facilitate reading and comprehension progression from Reception right through to Year 6.

R Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6

English Reception Autumn Greetings and Letters