December 20th: Jolly Old St. Nicholas

Jolly Old St. Nicholas, a poem by Emily Huntington Miller published in 1865.

Daily To Do (remember - cuddle up on a blanket, drink hot cocoa, make it snuggly and fun!)

  1. Listen to the carols

  2. Read the story, have a discussion with your child. 

  3. Glue the picture on the advent chart.  If you are looking for ways to tie in this advent calendar to your school work, go through the following questions for these subjects.

 Music – Listen to the different versions of the carol.  Honestly, just enjoying the carols is enough for music appreciation.

  1. What was the same about the versions of the song?  What was different?

  2. Were any unique instruments used?

  3. What was the tempo? Fast or Slow.

  4. Did they hear any dynamic changes? Quiet to Loud (Piano to Forte)

  5. Which version was your favorite? Take a poll in your family.

 

Reading

  1. Toddler/Preschool – ask them to point to different objects in the book. 

  2. Elementary schooler – Ask them for one thing they remember from the story.

  3. Middle & High Schooler – Ask them to narrate (summarize) the story.

Music Selections

Maddox playing his piano recital song

Book Recommendations

Dasher by Matt Tavares, though it isn’t technically about the song, is a sweet story about how the reindeer came to be part of the Santa story.

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, a sweet story about childlike belief.

Optional Extra Activities

Beth SmithComment