Happy Holidays!

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by Lydia Breiseth

· Tell stories: Use some of your holiday time together to tell stories from your childhood. Ask relatives and friends to share their own stories too. Storytelling helps children become better readers. Family stories are also an important part of your child's heritage.

· Read together: Look for some time to read together and talk about the books you read. If you have extra time, read a longer chapter book or children's novel out loud to your child. You will enjoy being together and discovering a good story.

· Visit the library: Check your library's holiday hours and, if you have time, take your children to the library. Encourage your child to browse the children's section — it's the perfect opportunity to see what's on the shelves.

· Learn about new traditions/holidays: Look for children's books or online information about holidays you celebrate, special traditions, or other winter celebrations. Your child may have friends at school who celebrate different holidays. You can learn more about global traditions of holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Three Kings Day, and the Winter Solstice.

· Give books: Give your child a book for the holidays. It doesn't have be new — you can share one of your favorite books or look for a special old book from a used bookstore! If relatives are looking for gift ideas for your child, ask them to give a book this year.

· Look for other reading and writing gifts: Give your child some comic books, magazines, or special note cards for writing letters. This is a great time to find something connected to your child's interests, like sports, nature, or art.

· Make travel fun: If you are traveling during your vacation, look for maps and tourist books about your destination. These are a great way to prepare for the trip — and to pass time in the car or on the plane.

· Listen to audiobooks: If you will be in the car for long trips, use your child’s Learning Ally account or rent an audiobook from the library. (You can also buy books from Audible.com or iTunes.) Ask your child to help choose a couple of books for the trip.

· Write letters and thank-you notes: Help your child write letters or e-mails to relatives and friends. Show your child how to write thank-you notes for holiday gifts.

· Make lists: Ask your child to help write shopping lists, activity ideas, or television and movie schedules. This is good writing practice — and a big help to the adults too!

Even if your time is limited, a few extra minutes or hours reading together can make an important difference to your child. Who knows? You may even create a new reading routine for the New Year!

Colorín Colorado is the premier national website serving educators and families of English language learners (ELLs) in Grades PreK-12. Colorín Colorado has been providing free research-based information, activities, and advice to parents, schools, and communities around the country for more than a decade. Click here to learn more about Colorín Colorado.

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Jocelyn is a 5th grade student at South Hi Mount Elementary School. She has made tremendous growth during her three years of dyslexia instruction. Her Provider of Dyslexia Instruction, Mr. Adams, is so proud of her accomplishments and will miss her next year.

Interviews by Margaret Rooke

I know I'm skilled at thinking differently. Definitely my mind works in another way from other people. I play sports pretty good. I play defense in American football, trying to tackle the people running with the ball. Some people might think I'm going to put in this pass but I'll do something different.

If I see a car being fixed using machines I think, 'Why rely on machines and new technology?' I question things: 'Why not do it this way, with your hands?' They can do this one way, I can do this two ways. If you are going to tackle this guy, find another way. Don't have all ten people on one guy to tackle him. Spread out. Have new ideas.

Some of my ideas are straightforward. I want to go into the military, into the ground forces or maybe a military police officer. My grampy was in the military as a chief warrant officer. My great grampy was in World War 2. My uncle went to Afghanistan multiple times. I want to serve my country and help people to feel safe. I am proud of them and want to carry on this tradition.

If you have a best friend you can tell them about your dyslexia but you don't have to tell everyone else. You can just say, 'I learn differently from other people.' You don't have to say you learn the dyslexic way. Sometimes they might not know what it means and you don't have to explain it to them.

If people try to tease you, you can just ignore them. Maybe yours is the right way to learn.

Social Studies, Science, French, English, Math - I don't like any of it. I know it's important but I find it really tough. I found out I was dyslexic a year ago. I had found writing and trying to learn difficult. Sometimes I'd get really frustrated. I couldn't understand what they were trying to teach.

Mom and Dad would have to have meetings with teachers. Then I went to a professional for tests. They told me I was dyslexic but I didn't know what it meant.

Now I learn things in a different way. I use a computer at school or an iPad or if I'm doing a test the teacher reads the questions out to me. Even now, everything I'm doing in class is not really fun. I'm just sitting there when I could be outside and having fun with my friends.

Sometimes I take a break from class and walk around the school and refresh. Getting a drink can help. Being around my family helps too, them supporting me. Try your best and that's all you can do and hopefully everybody will like it. If people try to say you have a disability or want to exclude you I would just say, 'I'm a normal kid. I learn different from you; you learn different from me.'