As students get older and learn how to read independently, the amount of time teachers spend reading stories out loud to students gradually decreases. And it should. However, by the time students are in junior high and high school, students sometimes never have a teacher read a story to them. Of course students can read a story themselves. But there is something enjoyable for human beings when they hear a story read to them.
The research abounds on how human beings are wired for story. It’s in our nature and how we think. This is the perfect time of year, to pull some of those classic children’s holiday, winter, and Christmas stories off the shelf and read them to your students, no matter the age of the students you teach.
An Amazing Mrs. Snyder and a Fantastic Idea!
Mrs. Snyder was an amazing assistant principal, who would come around to each of the classes during the couple of weeks before Christmas break, with a basket full of Christmas books and read them to our students. It was a gift for me as a teacher, because it gave me a little break. But when I returned to the classroom 20 minutes later, I was surprised to see my 8th grade students enthralled in the retelling of some of their favorite Christmas stories. You could hear a pin drop. They loved it! And it was an amazing gift to them as well.
I learned a lot from her, and taking time to read to the older kids was just one of them. Ever since then, I regularly tried to read one short read-aloud tied to the social studies content we were learning. The students loved it. And why not? I still love to hear a good story. It’s true. We are wired for story. It’s how we make meaning of the world we live in and the experiences that we have.
I would encourage you in this crazy busy season between Thanksgiving and Christmas break to pull some of those classic stories of the shelf and strategically select times throughout the week to read them to your students.
When is the Last Time You Read These Stories?
How about grabbing a book from the list below. Better yet, you might even ask your students what their favorite Christmas story is and go find it.
How about some of these titles . . .
- ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
- Frosty the Snowman
- The Gift of the Magi
- A Christmas Carol
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- Christmas in the Barn
- The Polar Express
- The Special Christmas Tree
- Bear Stays Up
- When Will it Snow?
- Frozen Noses
- A Magical Christmas
- The Christmas Story
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Olive the Other Reindeer
- Sledding
- Christmas Mice
- The Missing Mitten Mystery
Human beings love to hear stories for the sheer enjoyment. Stories aren’t just for little kids. They are for all of us. During the craziness of these next couple of weeks, read to your students, especially the older ones, and see how it calms them and makes them smile.
Don’t forget to enjoy the story-telling for yourself. It will give you a little breathing space in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
What is one of your favorite Christmas stories? Leave a comment below.