Celebrating family traditions throughout the school year is a great way for students to make the home-school connection.  This idea by Laura, Pre-K Teacher, in Walden, NY demonstrates how you can include students’ traditions in your classroom lessons.

Celebrating Family Traditions

At the beginning of December, I send home a letter inviting parents (or any adult friend or relative) to come to our classroom and share their stories about how they celebrate their holidays.

I encourage them to share photos of their celebrations, items they use for decorations, descriptions of favorite family traditions and recipes as well as special memories. Some parents even bring in tasty samplings of their traditional holiday treats. I love this activity because it’s a wonderful way for us to celebrate our diversity. It gives my young students a way to learn more about our different families and the cultural traditions they cherish. Plus, of course the children love seeing their parents in school.

How do you encourage students to celebrate their family traditions at school and build that home-school connection? Share with us in the comments below or visit the Really Good Teachers forums!