School starts on Thursday and I am beginning to compile my stack of Back to School read alouds. I'm excited to be sharing some of my favorites with you!
Since independent reading stamina isn't high these first few weeks, I like to have a lot of these books ready to go to during our normal reading blocks.
I will also pull them out during snack time and after a recess to bring us back together, cool down (since it's still in the 90s!) and start to introduce some important concepts that we will continue to cover all year long (like Growth Mindset).
At the beginning of the year, I don't tend to do a lot of heavy-duty "teaching" when I first read these books. When we are more into the swing of things, I will bring them back out and we can then do another read aloud as I pause along the way, ask questions, model thinking aloud, we turn and talk, and more.
But for these first few days of school, I want to show my class that reading is community building, it's a chance to relax and escape into a story, and that a book can be enjoyed just because. We'll get to all of the deeper stuff soon enough!
Most of my Back to School Read Alouds center on community, uniqueness, risk, not being afraid to fail, and self-confidence.
My hope is that by setting these priorities in the first few weeks of school through reading aloud, students will all know they are welcomed just as they are.... and that our classroom would not be the same without them!
To check out these books, simply click on any of the book titles below. Each links you directly to its page on Amazon where you can look inside, read the reviews, and find similar titles.
I hope this list gives you lots of ideas for read alouds these first few weeks back. Here's wishing you a successful back to school season!
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Thanks so much for your suggestions. I have several of these and I just love, LOVE The Big Orange Splot! I have never seen it featured or mentioned before; it is seriously underappreciated!
ReplyDeleteHappy teaching,
Terri
Cute suggestions.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these books. My daughter is going into third grade and need help with reading. You should think about design your own books. This site might be helpful. http://www.printingcenterusa.com/printing/booklet-printing
ReplyDeleteMy favorite first day read aloud is The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes. It leads to a great discussion of what learning is really all about...knowing that mistakes happen and it's important we learn from them. Our classroom is a place where we can all take risks and learn together.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite first day read aloud is The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes. It leads to a great discussion of what learning is really all about...knowing that mistakes happen and it's important we learn from them. Our classroom is a place where we can all take risks and learn together.
ReplyDelete