Winter English Teaching Resources

Fun Christmas, December, and January
Reading and Creative Writing Activities

Are you looking for fun reading and creative writing activities to use with your elementary school students during the months of December and January?

On this page, you will find a variety of reading and creative writing activities to use with your students that contain winter and Christmas themes.

You can use the creative ideas that are on this page to help you plan engaging language arts activities for your students that are SNOW much fun!

The following types of teaching resources can be found on this page: lists of read aloud books that are great to use at this time of the year, unique story writing templates, reading sticker charts, poetry lesson plans, and grammar powerpoint presentations.

Winter is the perfect time of the year for your students to discover that reading is SNOW much fun! My students are encouraged to read during December and January with unique reading sticker charts that are designed especially to encourage and promote reading at this particular time of the year with winter themed sticker chart templates.

Engage your students in fun creative writing activities by using the snowman, gift box, snow globe, and wreath writing templates found on this page.

When I give my students unique and fun templates to write on, I have found that they tend to use their best effort on these assignments and they are more careful to not make careless spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

I hope that you will find some creative ideas to use with your own students during December and January with the Christmas and Winter English teaching resources that are found below.

Below you will find short descriptions for the
14 teaching resource sets that are found on this page.

Snowman Creative Writing Templates

For this unique set of teaching resources, students write a story inside snowman shaped templates. Your students will love completing this fun creative writing activity and their finished projects will making an eye catching winter bulletin board display inside your classroom.

There are 4 templates (on three worksheets) that are cut out and glued together to form this unique snowman shaped creative writing project. The assembled projects measure 16 x 17 inches (not including the arms).

This set of creative writing activities will guide your students through all of the steps of the writing process. Students start off using their story maps, and at the end, they complete their assignments on snowman shaped final draft templates.

This set of winter English teaching resources contains the following components:

• directions worksheet
• grading rubric
• story idea map worksheet
• first draft worksheet
• final draft snowman templates (with face drawn and blank face template)
• color final draft snowman templates
• 5 page bulletin board display banner (shown above)
• 4 colorful snowman bulletin board display accent pieces

This set of teaching resources includes a directions worksheet the teacher.

Below you will find an example of the grading rubric that is included in this set of winter English teaching resources. This grading rubic contains an area for both students and the teacher to assess this creative writing project.

Students begin this snowman creative writing activity by brainstorming and writing down their ideas on their story maps.

This story map will help students to plan their stories before they begin writing them. On the snowman story map worksheet, students brainstorm ideas about the characters, setting, beginning, problem, middle, solution, and conclusion.

After students have completed their story maps, they write the first draft of their stories on the first draft worksheets. Students proofread and edit their stories before they write on their final draft snowman templates.

The writing lines and spaces on this first draft worksheet match the spaces on the final draft snowman templates.

There are 4 templates (on three worksheets) that are cut out and then glued together to form this uniquely shaped snowman creative writing project. You can choose to give your students the snowman template that has a face drawn on it, or have your students draw their own faces using the blank head template.

Below are examples of the final draft black and white snowman templates, with and without a face drawn on the head template.

This set of winter English teaching resources includes color snowman templates that you can use as an example to show to your students before they begin this assignment.

Display this colorful example at the front of your classroom so that your students can see what their finished snowman creative writing projects will look like.

This set of teaching resources includes 4 snowmen bulletin board display accent pieces. You can use these snowmen to help you decorate your classoom display that features your students' fun winter creative writing projects.

• Our Snowman Stories
• Writing is SNOW Much Fun!
• Frosty Winter Stories
• We are Cool Authors!

A Gift From The Heart 3D Box

3 Dimensional Gift Box Creative Writing Templates

A Gift From the Heart is a fun 3 dimensional project. This set of teaching resources will help you to remind your students that the most special gifts do not involve money, instead, they are gifts that involve being thoughtful and kind.

Your students will enjoy completing the thoughtful writing responses that are required for this project and then assembling their templates together to form a 3D present. The assembled 3D gift box measures 5.5 x 5.5 x 8.5 inches (see the example on the left).

Due to spelling differences in English, there are two separate sets of teaching resources for the printable worksheets and gift box templates. You can select the version that contains the spelling that is used in the country that you live in. (Examples: color / colour and favorite / favourite)

This fun activity does not have to be a project related to Christmas, but December is an ideal time to use these lesson plans. Before I begin this project with my students, we discuss the different times of the year that we give gifts to people: birthdays, Christmas, Hanukkah, and other important religious holidays that are celebrated by the students in my class and other cultures around the world.

Before we begin this activity, I often read The Way to Start a Day by Byrd Baylor to my students.

• This is not a Christmas themed book, but I like to read this book to my students during December because in the United States, this is when one of our biggest holidays of the year occurs. As I discuss the themes in this book, I have my students research important holidays that are celebrated in other countries around the world. I have created a Country Holiday Wheel cooperative group project based on this idea.

Next, I lead my students into a discussion that the best gifts that we can give are gifts from the heart. We discuss thoughtful things that people do for us and ways that we can be thoughtful to others.

These three dimensional activities also tie in well with the message found in Dr. Seuss' popular holiday book How the Grinch Stole Christmas:

This set of winter English teaching resources contains the following components:

• directions
• first draft worksheets
• six final draft black and white templates that assemble into the 3D box
• six final draft color templates that assemble into the 3D box
• bulletin board display banner (shown above)

Below are examples of the direction worksheets that explain how to assemble the 3D gift box.

There are 4 writing topics in this 3D box:

• A Gift For My Class: Something thoughtful and kind that you can do to help your classmates or teacher.
• A Gift For My Family: Something thoughtful and kind that you can do to help your parents or siblings.
• A Gift For My Community: Something thoughtful and kind that you can do to help your community, or someone who is less fortune in your community.
• A Gift For The World: Something thoughtful and kind that you can do to help the environment or children in other countries.

Below are examples of the first draft worksheets. The writing lines and spaces on these first draft worksheets match the spaces on the final draft gift box templates.

In order to assemble this three dimensional project, students need to cut out and then glue 6 templates together: 4 sides, a top, and a bottom. There is a drawing area on each of the 4 side templates.

For this assignment, I feel that is important for you to practice assembling one of the 3D projects before you begin this activity with your students. Then, you will have an assembled example to show your students when you are introducing this assignment to your students.

I have included color templates in this set of teaching resources in order to save you time in having to color your gift box templates.

Winter Wreaths
Creative Writing Templates

During the months of December and January, include a fun creative writing activity in your language arts lesson plans by using these fun winter wreath projects. Your students will enjoy writing a winter story or poem inside these unique wreath shaped templates.

This set of teaching resources guides your students through the writing process as they start off using first draft worksheets and at the end, students complete their final drafts on fun wreath projects that they have assembled themselves.

Once your students cut out and glue their two templates together, they will have unique wreath shaped creative writing worksheets which measure 12 x 10 inches.

This set of winter English teaching resources
contains the following components:

• first draft worksheet
• final draft wreath templates
• color final draft wreath templates
• black and white and color bow templates
• 5 page bulletin board display banner (shown above)

Students write the first draft of their stories or poems on the first draft worksheets. Students proofread and edit their work before they write on their final draft wreath templates.

There are two templates that are glued together to form this winter wreath creative writing project. There are bow templates included in this set of teaching resources. The assembled project measures 12 x 10 inches.

Your students will enjoy writing stories or poems using this fun winter creative writing activity. Their finished wreath projects will making an eye catching winter bulletin board display inside your classroom that will capture everyone's attention!

S.N.O.W. Poetry Lesson Plans:

Acrostic Poems Written Inside Snow Globe Templates

Are you looking for a fun winter poetry activity that will help you design an eye catching bulletin board display in your classroom for December and January?

Your students will find completing
this S.N.O.W. acrostic poem SO much fun!

For this winter poetry activity, students lightly draw a picture inside their snow globe templates using color pencils. In the example above, a pine tree has been lightly drawn in the background. Then using a dark ink pen, students write their poems on the lines.

After these snow globe templates have been cut out along the thick black border, your students will have unique poetry templates to write their acrostic poems on. There are two sets of templates included in this set of teaching resources:

• snow globe templates for girls (example shown above)
• snow globe templates for boys

This set of winter poetry lesson plans includes:

• first draft worksheet
• 2 black and white snow globe templates and worksheets (for boys and girls)
• 2 colorful snow globe templates and worksheets (for boys and girls)
• 5 page bulletin board display banner (shown above)

Everything that you need to complete this poetry assignment with your students is included in this set of teaching resources. All that you will need is scissors, coloring pencils, and pens.

For creative writing assignments, I believe that it is important for students to go through the steps of the writing process.

For this reason, my students never begin writing their winter poems on their final draft snow globe templates, instead they write on first draft worksheets. Then, students edit and revise their poems on their own, with a partner, or in individual writing conferences with me.

Below is an example of the first draft worksheet that is included in this set of teaching resources.

After students have edited and revised the first drafts of their poems, you should give them their final draft snow globe templates. These snow globe templates have thick border lines, so it is easy for students to cut out their poetry templates themselves.

I have found that when I give my students fun templates to write on, they tend to use their best effort, and they are more careful to not make careless errors.

For their final drafts, students lightly draw and color a background using color pencils. Then, using a dark ink pen, students write their snow poems on the lines.

By using these unique snow globe templates, you will be able to create a dynamic poetry bulletin board display that highlights winter in your classroom.

Below you will find a matching set of reading teaching resources:

Snow Globe Reading Sticker Chart

Reading is SNOW Much Fun!
Snow Globe Sticker Chart Set

Reading is SNOW Much Fun is a sticker chart set that will help you to motivate your students to read this winter.

Cut out your students' sticker chart templates along the thick black border and you will have unique snow globe shaped sticker charts to record the number of books that your students have read during December and January. There are separate templates to use for boys and girls.

Students place stickers inside the 14 snowflake spaces on their templates after they have finished reading a book.

This set of winter English teaching resources includes:

• 2 black and white sticker chart templates (one for girls and one for boys)
• 2 color sticker chart templates (one for girls and one for boys)
• 5 page bulletin board display banner (shown above)
• parent letter and reading record sheet
• 8 snowglobe bulletin board accent pieces

This set of teaching resources includes 8 colorful snowglobes to use as bulletin board accent pieces to help you create your eye-catching winter bulletin board display.

The 8 reading phrases that are written inside the snow globes are:

• Owl: Be a Wise Owl and Read a Book!
• Bear: It's SNOW Cool to Read!
• Squirrel: Chill Out With a Good Book!
• Fox: It's SNOW Secret - Reading is COOL!
• Worm: Be COOL and Read a Book!
• Cat: Reading Builds Your Vocabulary!
• Dog: Reading Books is a Pile of Fun!
• Sheep: Reading Books is SNOW Much Fun!

Below is a letter that you can send home to parents that explains this home reading program, along with the reading record worksheet for parents to sign each time their child reads at home.

This parent letter is in the form of a Microsoft Word Document so that you can edit it to your own word choice.

Chill Out With A Good Book!
Penguin Sticker Chart Set

Chill Out With a Good Book is a sticker chart set that will help you to motivate your students to read 20 books.

Although these penguin templates are ideal to use during the winter, this reading sticker chart can be used anytime of the school year.

Cut out your students' sticker chart templates along the thick black border and you will have unique penguin shaped sticker charts to record the number of books that your students have read.

This set of winter English teaching resources includes:

• black and white sticker chart template
• color sticker chart template
• 5 page bulletin board display banner (shown above)
• parent letter and reading record sheet
• 6 penguin bulletin board accent pieces

This set of teaching resources includes 6 penguins to use as bulletin board accent pieces to help you create your eye-catching winter bulletin board display.

The 6 reading phrases that are written inside the penguins are:

• Be Cool and Read a Book!
• Cool Students Read Every Day!
• Reading is a Cool Activity!
• Readers are Cool People!
• Chill Out With a Cool Book!

Below is a letter that you can send home to parents that explains this home reading program, along with the reading record worksheet for parents to sign each time their child reads at home.

This parent letter is in the form of a Microsoft Word Document so that you can edit it to your own word choice.

More December, January,
Christmas, and Winter Resources:

Click on the graphics below to view each resource.