Tricks
&
Treats
for Learning by Dr. Valerie Allen
The “teachable moments” can happen any time on any occasion. As we move into the holiday season one such event is Halloween. Aside from your personal, school, or neighborhood activities, Halloween can be a prime learning opportunity. Here are six ways to turn Halloween into an enjoyable learning experience to share with your child. atlantaparent.com
Vocabulary:
There are many words related to Halloween which can be categorized as nouns or verbs. Words can be alphabetized. They can be used to create word pictures or to find rhyming words. They can be sorted by number of syllables. Some words to consider: black cat, boo, broom, candy, costume, Fall, Jack-O-Lantern, October, pumpkin, scary, treat, trick and witch.
Big Word into Little Words:
Using only the letters in the word Halloween, make as many small words as you can in five minutes. You can offer points for the total number of words, with a bonus for words of five letters or more. Some of these words include: he, hen, hall, all, an, law, lean, low, eon, no, own, we and when.
Real vs. Make Believe:
Encourage critical thinking about facts and fiction. Discuss fairy tales and characters in children’s books. Decide which parts of a story are about real things and which parts are pretend. This can also be an opportunity to discuss social issues about truth, misinformation, lies and deception.
Creative Imagination:
Talk about costumes and who they represent. Discuss how people dress in different countries and those who wear uniforms. Talk about the difference between styles of dress and costumes. Use a story character and make up an adventure story. Discuss the purpose of clothing to offer protection from the elements, safety and identification with others.
Cultural beliefs.
Research the history of the celebration of Halloween. There are significant religious, cultural, and agricultural roots in the celebration of Halloween. This can open discussions about differing beliefs, understanding and tolerance.
Food Celebrations.
There are certain foods we enjoy during specific holidays. You can find simple, no-cook recipes for children to make and enjoy together. Discussions can include favorite holiday foods. You can talk about the ingredients used in pumpkin pie, apple pie and mincemeat pie; which items are the same and which are different. Candies can be counted, sorted by texture or color, or by flavor. Other foods might include maple syrup, apples, cinnamon and cider. Halloween can be used to open doors to learning, not just to those cute little Trick or Treaters!
October 2013 Atlanta Parent 37