Christmas in March? Easter in July?

Themes are wonderful vehicles for learning...trust me, I am a preschool teacher. I LOVE themes. I love filling my classroom with whatever theme we are learning that month. But one thing I also do both in my class and at home is to leave holiday books out after the holiday has past.  Our homes aren't big box stores that must liquidate the merchandise to make room for the next wave of holiday treats. You can and should leave these books out if your children are still interested in them. You might be whisking away a favorite book. Instead, let your kids read and re-read these books with their own knowledge of the special events that they just experienced around the holiday. To compare and contrast your children's real-life experiences with those portrayed in their favorite holiday book, use questions like:

1. How was your holiday different from the way it was portrayed in the book?
2. Do you wish we celebrated [holiday] more like they do in the book?
3. What is one tradition we have that they didn't discuss in the book?  
 
This is one more way that we can integrate books more deeply into our children's lives. If in a few days or weeks later they get bored with the book, put it away until next year, but you don't have to. Our Halloween books are some of our year-round favorites!
 
Do you have a favorite holiday book that never seems to make if off your shelf? Tell us about it on the Scholastic Parents Facebook page.