Twas the Night
Before Christmas
A Visit from St. Nicholas
By Clement C. Moore
Illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith
Adapted by Maya Ayoub
Introduction
This book is intended to be read as part of an elementary school class curriculum (for students ages 8-11), with an instructional focus on holidays and cultural traditions around the world. The class is preparing to discuss the similarities and differences between the different holidays we will explore. The class is also learning about poems, and will soon be creating their own poems. My instructional goals for this specific book are to:
- Expose my class to old poetry in more formal language than they might be familiar with – by defining older terms in a non-intimidating way, using the coach, “Harold the Old”
- Give the students an opportunity to develop a good understanding of rhyming – with the help of the coach, "Clime the Rhyme," and by referring to the specific numbers by each of the poem's lines
- Encourage the students to connect this story to our study of other holidays – with the coach, "Kay the Holiday"
- Help the readers who need extra support to sound out difficult words as they work their way through the poem – by using the glossary. When a student clicks on one of the underlined words, they can see either another visual way to sound out the difficult word, or the definition of the word
- Engage the students – through reading comprehension questions throughout the book
- Encourage all students to be excited about the prospect of reading – through the use of visuals and music
- Practice rhyming and reading difficult words in the text – through audio tools in the book
1- Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
2- Not a creature was stirring , not even a mouse;
3- The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
4- In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
5- The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
6- While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
7- And mamma in her kerchief , and I in my cap,
8- Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
9- When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter ,
10- I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
11- Away to the window I flew like a flash,
12- Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
13- The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
14- Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
15- When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
16- But a miniature sleigh , and eight tiny reindeer ,
17- With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
18- I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick .
19- More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
20- And he whistled , and shouted, and called them by name:
21- Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
22- On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
23- To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
24- Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
25- As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
26- When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
27- So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
28- With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too
29- And then, in a twinkling , I heard on the roof
30- The prancing and pawing of each little hoof .
31- As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
32- Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound .
33- He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
34- And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot ;
35- A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
36- And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
37- His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
38- His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
39- His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
40- And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
41- The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
42- And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath ;
43- He had a broad face and a little round belly,
44- That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
45- He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
46- And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
47- A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
48- Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread ;
