Literacy Lessons for Little Learners: Spreading Joy and Cheer with Santa's Gotta Go! by Derrick Barnes

Book Cover - Santa's Gotta Go! by Derrick Barnes

At the Early Excellence Project, we believe in the power of books to inspire joy, creativity, and meaningful learning moments for children. This holiday season, we’re excited to feature Santa's Gotta Go! by Derrick Barnes. This festive story follows Santa as he finishes his Christmas Eve duties and embarks on an unforgettable journey to spread holiday cheer in surprising ways.

Through humor, vibrant illustrations, and heartwarming moments, this book provides opportunities for little learners to explore themes of generosity, gratitude, and the magic of the holiday season. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you'll find valuable character development lessons that resonate universally, making it a meaningful read for every family.

In this post, we’ll share literacy lessons to spark fun and creativity while supporting your child’s reading and comprehension skills.

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Holiday-Themed Vocabulary

The playful language in Santa’s Gotta Go! introduces children to words and phrases associated with the holiday season. As you read, pause to highlight new vocabulary like "sleigh," "jolly," or "celebration." Try these fun activities to build your child’s vocabulary:

• Picture Match: Ask your child to point out illustrations that match the new words.

• Act It Out: Encourage your child to act out or describe the meaning of each word in their own way.

• Word Jar: Create a “holiday word jar” where your child can collect new words and revisit them throughout the season.

  
  

This interactive approach makes learning new words engaging and memorable!

Sequencing Santa’s Adventures

The story follows Santa on his exciting post-Christmas journey. Use the book to teach your child about sequencing by discussing the order of events:

• After reading, ask your child to recall what Santa did first, next, and last.

• Use simple prompts like, “What happened after Santa delivered the presents?”

• For younger learners, draw pictures of the key events and have them place them in order.

  
  

Sequencing activities help children build comprehension and narrative skills while encouraging attention to detail.

Illustration from Santa's Gotta Go! by Derrick Barnes

Exploring Generosity and Gratitude

One of the central themes of Santa’s Gotta Go! is the joy of giving and sharing. After reading, take time to discuss the following questions with your child:

1. “How does Santa show generosity in the story?”

2. “Why is it important to share with others?”

3. “What are some ways we can spread joy like Santa?”

Follow up with a creative activity:

• Generosity Jar: Help your child decorate a jar and fill it with ideas for kind acts, such as making a holiday card, sharing toys, or donating to a food drive.

• Thank You Notes: Encourage your child to write or draw thank-you notes for family members, teachers, or friends to show gratitude during the holiday season.

  
  

These conversations and activities encourage empathy and kindness, both key elements of early social-emotional learning.

Sharing Gratitude Through Video

A wonderful way to extend the themes of Santa’s Gotta Go! is by helping your little learner express gratitude in a modern, creative way. Using a smartphone, guide your child to record a short video message to share with family and friends. Here's how:

• Prepare the Message: Ask your child to think of a few things they’re grateful for this holiday season. For example, they could thank a grandparent for a special gift, share something they love about a family tradition, or simply wish someone a happy holiday.

• Practice Makes Improvement: Help your child practice what they’d like to say, keeping the message short and sweet. Encourage them to use expressive language and share their personality!

• Record the Video: Find a festive spot in your home to record the message. Use simple props, like holiday decorations or a favorite stuffed animal, to make it fun.

• Share the Cheer: Once the video is ready, help your child send it via text or email to family and friends.

This activity reinforces the themes of gratitude and connection while introducing your little learner to the power of digital storytelling. It’s a heartfelt way to spread holiday cheer and stay connected with loved ones.

Rhyme and Rhythm Fun

Derrick Barnes uses playful rhymes and rhythmic text to make Santa’s Gotta Go! an engaging read-aloud experience. Use the rhyming text to boost phonological awareness:

• Rhyme Hunt: Ask your child to listen for rhyming words as you read and repeat them aloud together.

• Make Your Own Rhymes: Challenge your child to come up with their own rhymes inspired by the story. For example, “Santa’s on the go, spreading joy like snow!”

• Clap It Out: Clap along with the rhythm of the text to help your child feel the beat and patterns of the words.

These activities make reading fun while building essential pre-reading skills.

Spread the Holiday Spirit

Santa’s Gotta Go! by Derrick Barnes is a delightful story that reminds us all of the joy in giving and sharing during the holiday season. Through these literacy lessons and activities, your little learner can develop key reading skills, practice generosity, and make meaningful connections with the story’s themes.

We hope this post inspires joyful moments with your little learners. From all of us at the Early Excellence Project, happy holidays and happy reading!

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Looking for more ways to nurture your child’s love of learning? Check out other blog posts from our Literacy Lessons for Little Learners series, featuring books like

• A is for Ambitious by Meena Harris and

• Who Are Your People? by Bakari Sellers.

  
  

Stay tuned for next month’s book feature, and as always, thank you for joining us in fostering a love of literacy!

Literacy Lessons for Little Learners: Embracing Big Dreams with A is for Ambitious by Meena Harris

At the Early Excellence Project, we love books that inspire little learners to dream big, be bold, and understand the power of their own potential. A is for Ambitious by Meena Harris does just that by taking children on an alphabetical journey of confidence, perseverance, and ambition. Through vibrant illustrations and empowering words, this book encourages young readers to embrace their strengths and believe in themselves.

In this post, we’ll explore literacy lessons that help your little learner tap into the power of ambition while enhancing their reading and comprehension skills.

Introducing Big Words to Little Learners

One of the fun aspects of A is for Ambitious is that it introduces children to a variety of new and exciting vocabulary words, many of which may be unfamiliar to them. As you read the book with your child, take time to pause on each word and talk about its meaning. You can:

• Encourage your child to come up with their own sentence or example for each word.

• For younger learners, simplify the word's meaning and ask them to use it in a conversation.

  
  

This practice helps build a child’s vocabulary and confidence in using ambitious language!

Alphabet Awareness: Learning from A to Z

While A is for Ambitious celebrates big ideas, it also offers a great opportunity to reinforce alphabet knowledge. Here are a few ways to use the book to boost letter recognition:

• As you read each page, point to the letter and have your child say the letter out loud.

• Encourage your child to find objects around the house that begin with the same letter featured on the page.

• For older children, have them come up with their own ambitious words for each letter of the alphabet.

  
  

By making connections between letters, sounds, and words, your child will strengthen their early literacy skills.

Celebrating Ambition: What’s Your Dream?

The book showcases various forms of ambition, from being “Bold” to “Fearless” to “Visionary.” After reading the story, ask your child to think about their own big dreams. What do they want to accomplish? Who do they want to be?

This can lead into a fun and creative activity:

• Have your child draw a picture of themselves doing something ambitious—whether it's flying to space, becoming a leader, or helping others in their community.

• Encourage older learners to write a sentence or two about their ambition, using one of the powerful words from the book.

  
  

This activity not only supports creative expression but also helps children articulate their dreams and see themselves as capable of achieving great things.

Confidence-Building Conversations

A is for Ambitious promotes self-confidence, which is a critical part of early childhood development. Use the book as a starting point to talk with your child about the qualities they possess that make them strong, unique, and ambitious. Ask:

• “What makes you feel confident?”

• “Can you think of a time when you were brave or bold?”

• “What do you want to do when you grow up that will make you feel proud?”

  
  

These conversations help children practice self-reflection while also reinforcing the themes of the book.

Using Art to Explore Ambition

Art can be a wonderful way for children to express their understanding of big ideas. After reading A is for Ambitious, engage your child in a simple art activity:

• Create an “Ambition Poster” where your child draws different things they want to do or achieve, each labeled with a word from the book.

• Encourage them to add colors, patterns, or even cut out images from magazines that represent their dreams.

  
  

Art projects like these allow children to process ideas through creativity and reinforce the ambitious mindset promoted in the book.

Storytelling: How Do We Achieve Our Goals?

This book is also a fantastic tool to introduce young children to the idea of working toward goals. You can:

• Ask your child to pick one of their dreams or ambitions and walk them through how they can achieve it.

• Break down the steps into small, manageable tasks—just like learning the alphabet, one letter at a time!

  
  

By discussing goal-setting in a simple and fun way, you’re helping your child understand the value of perseverance and effort.

Empowering Our Little Learners

A is for Ambitious by Meena Harris is more than just an alphabet book—it’s an invitation for young readers to believe in themselves and their power to do incredible things. By incorporating these literacy lessons, you can help your child practice reading skills while building the confidence and drive to chase their dreams.

We hope these ideas spark meaningful conversations and activities with your little learners. Stay tuned for more literacy lessons, and as always, happy reading!

Literacy Lessons for Little Learners: Exploring Identity with Who Are Your People? by Bakari Sellers

At the Early Excellence Project, we believe that every story offers an opportunity to help our little learners develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. One powerful book that encourages young children to explore their identity and family roots is Who Are Your People by Bakari Sellers. This beautifully illustrated picture book helps children learn about their heritage, family values, and the strength that comes from knowing where they come from.

In this post, we'll share ways you can engage your little learner with this meaningful book while supporting their literacy development.

Making Connections to Your Own Family

In Who Are Your People, Bakari Sellers speaks about the importance of knowing one's history and understanding the people who came before us. After reading the book with your child, encourage them to talk about their own family. Ask questions like:

• "Who are the people in our family?"

• "What stories do we know about them?"

• "What makes our family special?"

  
  

This conversation not only reinforces comprehension but also fosters a sense of pride in their background. You could even create a simple family tree together, letting your child draw or place pictures of family members on a chart. This visual can help connect the themes of the book to your child’s real life.

Building Vocabulary Through Storytelling

The language in Who Are Your People? is rich and poetic. Take time to introduce new vocabulary words, such as “ancestors,” “heritage,” or “resilience.” Here’s a fun way to reinforce vocabulary:

• After reading, choose 3-5 new words from the story.

• Create a “word of the day” chart where your child can learn the word, use it in a sentence, and even draw a picture of what the word means to them.

  
  

This activity makes learning new words interactive and helps develop stronger language skills.

Character Exploration: Who Inspires You?

Who Are Your People? highlights the idea of being inspired by those who came before us. Ask your child to think about someone in the book or someone in their own life who inspires them. This could be a grandparent, a teacher, or even a friend. Then, engage in a fun writing or drawing activity:

• Younger learners can draw a picture of their inspiring person.

• Older children can write a sentence or two about why that person is special.

  
  

This activity connects literacy with emotional development as your child reflects on the qualities of people they admire.

Cultural Traditions: Celebrating Differences

The book beautifully honors the traditions and stories of African American history, but it also opens the door to celebrating all cultures. Use this opportunity to talk with your child about the traditions your family follows, whether it’s a favorite holiday, food, or story. Ask your child:

• “What traditions do we have in our family?”

• “How do these traditions make us feel connected to our past?”

Encouraging this kind of dialogue helps children build a sense of identity and promotes cultural awareness.

Art and Creativity

Art is a wonderful way to reinforce literacy skills! After reading Who Are Your People?, let your child express their ideas through art. Here’s a simple art project:

• Have your child draw their own “people”—whether it’s their family members, ancestors, or even friends who are like family.

• Create a collage or mural that celebrates their community.

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As they create, you can ask them to describe who they are drawing, encouraging storytelling and building their narrative skills.

Encouraging Pride and Awareness

Who Are Your People? by Bakari Sellers is more than just a story. It’s an invitation for children to explore their roots, connect with their history, and find pride in who they are. Try using some of these strategies during your reading time at home to foster your child’s sense of self and encourage a love for learning that will last a lifetime.

Stay tuned for more literacy lessons for little learners! Happy reading!

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Looking for more Literacy Lessons for Little Learners to support your child in learning to read and building reading comprehension and fluency? Check out other blog posts from this series:

• Literacy Lessons for Little Learners:"I Am Enough" by Grace Byers

• Literacy Lessons for Little Learners:"Ada Twist, Scientist" by Andrea Beaty