Readying Arkansas for a lifetime of literacy

Holiday Cards: a Fun and Practical Writing Tool

 

The holiday season is a wonderful opportunity for adult learners to develop their writing skills in an engaging and meaningful way. Writing holiday cards combines creativity with practical language skills, making it an excellent activity for tutors to incorporate into their lessons. Here are some tips and ideas to get started:

Why Use Holiday Cards in Lessons?

  1. Authentic Practice: Writing holiday cards is a real-world task that adult learners may encounter. It provides a natural context for practicing grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.
  2. Personal Connection: Creating holiday cards allows learners to express their feelings and connect with others, fostering a sense of accomplishment and relevance.
  3. Improved Writing and Grammar: By drafting and refining holiday card messages, learners engage in editing and revising. This reinforces grammatical rules and sentence structure. The activity offers practice crafting cohesive and concise messages—skills essential for effective communication.

 

 

Introduce the Activity

  • Explain the Purpose: Begin by discussing the tradition of sending holiday cards. Share examples from different cultures to make the activity inclusive.
  • Show Examples: Provide a variety of holiday cards (digital or physical) for learners to examine. Highlight key elements like greetings, messages, and closing phrases.

 

Teach Key Vocabulary and Phrases

  • Holiday Greetings: Teach phrases like “Happy Holidays,” “Season’s Greetings,” or “Wishing You a Joyous New Year.”
  • Expressions of Gratitude: Include phrases like “Thank you for your support this year” or “I’m grateful for our friendship.”
  • Warm Closings: Examples include “Best wishes,” “With love,” or “Sincerely.”

 

 Plan the Message

  • Brainstorm Ideas: Encourage learners to think about who they’re writing to and what they want to say. Use guiding questions: “What do you appreciate about this person?” or “What are your hopes for them in the new year?”
  • Organize Thoughts: Provide a template with sections for greeting, message, and closing to help learners structure their cards.

 

Practice Writing

  • Draft and Edit: Have learners write a draft of their message. Provide feedback on grammar, spelling, and clarity. Emphasize correcting common errors, such as subject-verb agreement or punctuation misuse, and encourage learners to rewrite for clarity and fluency.
  • Peer Review: Pair learners to review each other’s work. Peer review helps build confidence and encourages collaborative learning while reinforcing grammatical accuracy.

 

Digital Alternatives

To add a layer of digital literacy, introduce learners to online tools for creating e-cards. Platforms like Canva or free card-making apps allow them to combine writing skills with digital literacy.

 

Conclusion

Holiday card writing is a versatile and enjoyable activity that reinforces essential language skills while embracing the spirit of the season. By engaging learners in meaningful writing tasks, tutors can create lessons that are both festive and educational.

Resources

Canva – A free design app where students can make and print a Christmas card.

https://www.canva.com/

 

Hallmark – A list of ideas for holiday card greetings if students need inspiration. Also is a great example for students. 

Christmas wishes: What to write in a Christmas card

 

Adobe – Another website where students can design and print a card.

https://www.adobe.com/express/create/card/christmas

Contact Info

Thanks for visiting the website of Adult Learning Alliance of Arkansas.

124 W Capitol Ave, Suite 1000

Little Rock, AR 72201

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