Back then, I used a template that was drawn by someone else. This is a stocking that I drew. (LOL! I hope it looks like a stocking.)
The activity is simple. You ask children to fill the stocking with things that start with "s." That means they will draw things that start with "s" all over the stocking.
At this point in the year, my students were usually just starting to put letters and sounds together to write their own words. So, often I would have them try to label their drawings as well. For some of them, the labeling would just include making an "s" next to the object. For others, I would expect them to write down as many of the sounds in the word as they could.
I usually made a big deal out of this activity. It came at a perfect time to use it for some informal assessments. I would have the students color the items they drew as well as the stockings. Then, we would all get in a circle on the floor in order to share our drawings. Yes, I did one too! I also displayed them all on the wall or bulletin board.
I was able to assess things such as: the letter and sound correspondence, the ability to hear sounds in a word and write them down, fine motor skills, and speaking in a group.
Depending on your setting (home, public school, private school, etc.) and your limitations. You could also use this activity as the beginning to a talk about the tradition of hanging stockings at Christmas time. Or, you could ask children if there is anything in their stocking that they would like for Christmas.
Notes and Announcements
Secondly, my ebooks are going to be free on Kindle on December 17th and 18th. It would be a great time to check them out and perhaps even give a review! Please check out "Clarinda Cloud" and "Johnny's Adventure Makes Reading Fun" on Amazon.com. Taking advantage of an ebook giveaway is a great way to pick up new books, decide whether you would like to have a book in softcover, or write a review for an author. I am not a big fan of ebooks for children. However, they do make it easier to bring along your child's favorite books for vacations, trips to the movies, shopping trips, etc. If you have any questions or comments about my books, or ideas for me to use in future books, that you would like to share with me, please feel free to contact me.
Speaking of book giveaways, I am going to be co-hosting (with author/illustrator Virginia Wright) and participating in a Facebook event called, "2nd Annual Author Christmas Giveaway," on December 17th. Various authors are going to be getting together online to give away their books either in ebook form or softcover form. If you are on Facebook, please feel free to stop by. You are all welcome! It is a great way to chat with authors online!
Also, please remember that I am having a book giveaway contest for "Clarinda Cloud" for the month of December. Really, I am looking for feedback on my sites and interaction. However, I am happy to giveaway a book in the process. It is a win/win for both of us, right? Please follow the links for the blog posts on these sites for more information and to comment. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you!
*DUO Education Learning Blog
*Clarinda Cloud's Feeling Blog
*What is New with Jodi Desautels?