Why Teaching American Christmas Traditions Matters for ELL Students
Every December, I love bringing a bit of holiday magic into my classroom with a “Holidays Around the World” unit. But over the years I noticed a challenge: many English Language Learner (ELL) students and younger children didn’t understand basic holiday vocabulary like stockings, ornaments, or milk and cookies for Santa.
Without that background knowledge, festive lessons often felt confusing — not fun. I needed a resource that would let every student, regardless of their grade or English level, truly enjoy and understand American Christmas traditions.
Disclaimer: In this blog, the terms ESL students (English as a Second Language), ELLs (English Language Learners), and ML (Multilingual Learners) are used interchangeably. While “Multilingual Learners” is becoming the more widely accepted term, “ESL students” and “English Language Learners” are still commonly used in various contexts. My aim is to be inclusive and clear to all readers, regardless of the terminology they are familiar with.
Introducing the Holidays Around the World: USA Unit
That’s why I created the Holidays Around the World: USA unit, a carefully designed, scaffolded set of materials to help all students — from Kindergarten up through older ELLs — participate, learn, and celebrate.
Building Cultural and Geographic Context
The unit begins with a visual PowerPoint introducing the United States, its location, and its Christmas customs. Vocabulary cards, noun- and verb-noun collocation posters, and picture-rich slides build a solid foundation so students meet each new word with confidence.
Travel-Inspired Learning to Boost Engagement
Students “travel” via their own boarding passes and passports: they draw self-portraits, fill in personal details, and glue a “USA stamp,” making learning feel immersive and playful.
Differentiated Christmas Writing Activities for All Levels
Writing activities come in five differentiated levels — from drawing and labeling to intermediate and advanced paragraph writing — so that learners at every stage can express their ideas.
Students write about:
- Holiday foods
- Traditions
- Symbols
- Geography
Everything connects to Christmas in the USA, supporting vocabulary development and cultural understanding.
Emergent Reader for Early Literacy and ESL Support
For reading practice, the unit includes an emergent reader that reinforces vocabulary and cultural content in a simple, accessible way.
Christmas Postcards to Encourage Authentic Writing
Writing tasks expand further with postcard templates (ranging from drawing only to independent writing) to encourage meaningful, student-driven output.
Hands-On Christmas Crafts to Reinforce Holiday Vocabulary
Hands-on crafts bring traditions to life:
- Paper Christmas trees
- “Ugly sweater” designs
- “Milk and cookies for Santa” craft
A special glass-ball writing craft offers both large-scale and smaller, more detailed versions — ideal for mixed-grade classrooms. These creative tasks give students a break from heavy reading or writing while still deepening their cultural understanding.
How This Christmas Unit Supports Mixed-Grade and ELL Classrooms
Using this unit, I’ve watched students become more engaged, confident, and enthusiastic — especially ELLs, who gain a stronger sense of ownership over their learning.
Benefits Teachers See in the Classroom
- Everyone works on the same theme, but at their own level
- Vocabulary sticks because it appears in visuals, text, and activities
- Mixed-grade groups collaborate smoothly
- Students practice reading, writing, crafting, and speaking in meaningful contexts
Above all, the unit transforms holiday learning into a shared, joyful cultural journey — not just a language lesson.
Introducing American Christmas traditions to ELL and mixed-grade learners doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With visual supports, hands-on activities, and differentiated writing tasks, students can build language skills and cultural understanding while having fun.
If you’re looking for an inclusive, engaging way to teach holiday traditions, this USA unit is designed to help every student feel confident, connected, and excited to learn.
Need more Christmas/ Holiday themed ideas and resources for your ELLs, read here.
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