The Day The Crayons Quit
A little boy finds a letter from each of his missing crayon colors. Read each crayon’s letter and then see how Duncan tries to solve the problem at the end of the story.
This book has a lot of text, but kids can relate to the coloring issues and humor. They will find the peach crayon with peeled paper especially humorous towards the end of the book.
It’s not a quick read aloud, so save it for when you have a good chunk of time to read. And if your class loves it there are more crayon books to follow up with.
Books For The End Of The School Year
With the excitement of summer quickly approaching, super fun books about the end of the school year will help keep your students engaged! Kindergarten Planet and I wanted to share our favorite books for the end of the school year we are sure you and your students will love!
Last Day, Hooray! by Nancy Poydar
Celebrate the final days of school with these students as they engage in activities such as taking down pictures, signing cards for each other, and cleaning up their room! This one is a great one for if it is time to do those things in your classroom as well!
When Its the Last Day of School by Maribeth Boelts
James wants to have the best last day of school ever! He wants to earn the last gold sticker, and do his best all day long !
Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
Who doesnt love Miss Bindergarten? Miss Bindergartens students have had a great year filled with fun memories, and now it is time to say goodbye. This is a great read aloud for the last days of school as you say goodbye to your own students.
The Berenstain Bears Graduation Day by Mike Berenstain
The Night Before First Grade by Natasha Wing
The Night Before series is one of my favorites! If you teach Kindergarten, this is a must read as you send your students off to be 1st graders! This book is about Penny and her adventures as she gets ready for a big day the first day of 1st grade!
Last Day Blues by Julie Danneberg
by Barbara Park
These Kindergarten Read Alouds Will Wow Kids
If you have the opportunity to read to your childs class during storytime, these kindergarten read alouds are sure to be big hits!
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First Day Jitters By Julie Danneberg
Sarah Jane does not want to go to school. She is scared and doesnt know anyone and nobody knows her. First Day Jitters is great for kids that are going to a new school. The teacher in the story is so nice and helps Sarah Jane feel at home in the classroom.
The illustrations are beautiful and youll enjoy this book just as much as your child does. Buy First Day Jitters here or watch it read aloud for free here.
Spaghetti In A Hot Dog Bunby Maria Dismondy
How can Ralph be so mean? Lucy is one of a kind and Ralph loves to point that out. Lucys defining moment comes when Ralph truly needs help. Because she knows what she stands for, Lucy has the courage to make a good choice. This charming story empowers children to always do the right thing and be proud of themselves, even when they are faced with someone as challenging as Ralph.
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The Very Very Far North
Buy: Bookshop | | Indiebound
This is my new favorite read aloud, and I don’t say that lightly! Duane the polar bear has a curiosity and sense of adventure that leads him first to a shipwreck where he meets C.C. the Owl. He then encounters even more new friends like Handsome the musk ox, Magic the arctic fox, and Major Puffin. Together, they explore the wonders of the northern landscape. The cast of animals is as diverse in their personalities as they are in species and the thread of the story focuses on learning to appreciate one’s friends. An absolute must-read book, and an excellent choice for kids of all ages.
What To Look For When Choosing The Best Read
Letting your childs interests lead the way in choosing a book is key, according to Tauber, whether thats fantasy, mystery, or books about cats. The most important thing is that the child is excited about what they are seeing and hearing so they can build a lifetime of enthusiasm toward reading, says Tauber.
Another trick? Tauber says children often connect with books where the main character is the same age as them. Thats why many of the books on our list feature elementary-aged characters.
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A Place Called Kindergarten By Jessica Harper
This sweet book from the farm animals’ point of view is a wonderful way to start the first day of school. As the farm animals wonder where their favorite boy Tommy has gone, they soon learn he has gone to a place called kindergarten.
Follow-up activity: Have your students take a field trip around the school to learn more about their new barnyard.
If You Take A Mouse To School By Laura Numeroff
Laura Numeroff’s If You Take a Mouse to School is another in a series of familiar books that young readers love. This humorous story of mouse going to school and wanting more and more.
Follow-up activity: Have students create their own If you take…story by choosing an animal and continuing the same pattern as the story.
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All Are Welcome By Alexandra Penfold
All Are Welcome will remind students that no matter who they are or how they look, they are welcome at school. The bright illustrations and lyrical text will make this book a wonderful addition to any classroom.
Follow-up activity: Create kindness bookmarks with positive messages on them and share them with others.
David Goes To School By David Shannon
David really struggles to figure out how his school day should be. Davids antics in the classroom will make your students giggle and provide the perfect opportunity to discuss appropriate behaviors.
Follow-up activity: Have students create a t-chart comparing good school behavior and bad school behavior.
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Round Is A Tortilla: A Book Of Shapes By Roseanne Thong
In this lively picture book, children discover shapes all around them: rectangles are ice-cream carts and stone metates, while triangles are slices of watermelon and quesadillas. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, and all are universal in appeal. With rich illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text, and an informative glossary, this playful concept book will reinforce the shapes found in every childs day!
Bedtime Is Canceled By Cece Meng
A concept most kids can get behind. Two sneaky kids dont like going to sleep, so they write a note that proclaims bedtime is cancelled! The note goes public via the news and it creates a lot of shenanigans kids stay up and exhaust their parents, parents cant work, society is crumbling! Eventually the kids come to accept that bedtime is a necessary part of life.
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Grumpy Pants By Claire Messer
Have you ever had a grumpy day and not known why? Penguin is having a grumpy day like that. No matter what he does, he just cant shake it! Sometimes the only thing left to do is wash the grumpy day away and start over. The simple text and lively illustrations are the perfect cure for even the grumpiest of days.
The Kissing Hand By Audrey Penn
School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chesters fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a childrens classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp.
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Play This Book By Jessica Young And Daniel Wiseman
There are lots of ways little hands can make music. Each page of this interactive book invites readers to strum the guitar, slide the trombone, crash the cymbals, and moreno instruments required! With a delightful rhyming text and engaging illustrations, this book is full of instruments waiting to share their sounds. The only thing this band needs is YOU! Just use your imagination, turn the pages, and Play This Book!
Prince Puggly Of Spud And The Kingdom Of Spiff
Buy: Bookshop | | Indiebound
This delightful novel is written entirely in verse. The premise is wonderfully silly: in the Kingdom of Spiff everyone is obsessed with fashion, and ridiculously elaborate fashion at that. Well, almost everyone — the Princess prefers pajamas… and books. In Spud, however, things are a bit different and when Puggly of Spud and Frannie of Spiff meet up they set out to teach the others a thing or two about what is really important. This is really fun to read aloud because of the fantastical vocabulary and the rhyming couplets. Even the font is “fancified.” I do, however, recommend it for more experienced listeners. I certainly think a 5 year old can listen to it, but it is not the usual fare and I found that mini recaps of the action before we began each reading session to be extra-helpful. Nevertheless, it was a hit.
Want more books to read aloud to 4, 5 and 6 year olds? Try these lists:
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A Letter From Your Teacher By Shannon Olsen
Students’ enthusiasm about school will grow with this sweet book about a teacher that writes a love note to her students. As the teacher shares, all the fun and exciting things she is looking forward to during the school year, students’ school interest will grow.
Follow-up activity: Have students write a letter back to the teacher about what they are looking forward to during the school year.
Things I Can Do To Help My World By Melanie Walsh
Do you remember to turn off the tap while you brush your teeth? How about using both sides of the paper when writing and drawing? Or planting seeds and nurturing the new plants as they grow? Bold, child-friendly illustrations and die-cut pages will draw even the youngest listeners to this gentle reminder of the easy, everyday ways we can be kinder to the earth.
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The Plays The Thing: Teachers Roles In Childrens Play
Responding to current debates on the place of play in schools, the authors have extensively revised their groundbreaking book. They explain how and why play is a critical part of childrens development, as well as the central role adults have to promote it.
This classic textbook and popular practitioner resource offers systematic descriptions and analyses of the different roles a teacher adopts to support play, including those of stage manager, mediator, player, scribe, assessor, communicator, and planner.
This new edition has been expanded to include significant developments in the broadening landscape of early learning and care, such as assessment, diversity and culture, intentional teaching, inquiry, and the construction of knowledge.
How To Catch A Mermaid By Adam Wallace
Arent mermaids an absolute favorite amongst kids? They all seem to love mermaid stories. It could be because they are so magical and mysterious. How to Catch a Mermaid by Adam Wallace is a picture book about catching a mermaid with mirrors, crowns, and whatnot. The pictures are super vibrant and will keep your kids engaged. There is a lot for them to discover in this book, so definitely add this book to your kids library. You can get the book here!
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Bread And Jam For Frances By Russell Hoban
Francess favorite food is bread and jam and she refuses to try other foods. Francess mother treats her to bread and jam for every meal until this picky eater gives in and learns to love the spaghetti and meatballs, lobster-salad sandwiches, and vanilla pudding that her mother provides. Dont read this one on an empty stomach!
Food Truck Fest By Alexandra Penfold
Join the members of one family as they head to the Food Truck Fest! They gather their things, cross the bridge, and prepare for a fun-filled day. And as they get ready, the workers on the food trucks get ready, toopreparing, tasting, and traveling across the bridge to join all the other kitchens-on-wheels. With delicious free samples and cuisines from around the world, its a day of trying new things and having fun together!
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The Best Chapter Books For Kindergarten
Using read-alouds in the classroom is one of the most powerful teaching strategies for helping young students develop a love for reading. Finding new books to read students in different genres and exposing them to different types of text helps them connect to literature in many ways. Once school would get started, I would always get the itch to break out chapter books during the read-aloud time and to use them with my advanced readers who were ready for a challenge. However, I struggled to find books that were developmentally appropriate at this stage for my little learners. So I dug in and did some research, and I am so excited to share with you today a comprehensive list of the best chapter books for kindergarten!
The Little Blue Truck By Alice Schertle
Beep! Beep! Beep! Meet Blue. A muddy country road is no match for this little pick upthat is, until he gets stuck while pushing a dump truck out of the muck. Luckily, Blue has made a pack of farm animal friends along his route. Theyre willing to do whatever it takes to get their pal back on the road. Filled with truck sounds and animal noises, here is a rollicking homage to the power of friendship and the rewards of helping others.
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Rulers Of The Playground By Joseph Kuefler
This funny picture book about sharing, friendship, and kindness in the playground setting will remind students that it’s important to play together and share. Jonah and Lennox both want to be “rulers” of the playground. They soon realized being the ruler isn’t as fun as playing together.
Follow-up activity: Have students create their ideal playground out of a variety of materials such as construction paper, tape, markers, etc.
At Least One Of Your Kindergarten Read Alouds Should Be Fun Fun Fun
Many teachers want you to read more than one book when you come to read to the class. Typically, then, I arm myself with two choices one kindergarten read aloud that is guaranteed to get laughs , and another that imparts a great lesson.
Go with the fun book first. Once you hook the students with a book that gives them a solid case of the giggles, it makes it easier to read another great book that will help them learn something too. Whether its a message about confidence, adopting a growth mindset, or understanding their complex emotions, the possibilities are endless. There are even great books about starting kindergarten if youre reading in the beginning of school.
So dont stress.
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The Best Picture Books To Read Aloud In A Classroom
I frequently get notes from parents who have volunteered to read a couple of picture books to their childs classroom and they have no idea what books to choose.
Its such a fun experience to read aloud to a classroom of children and Im always delighted to suggest a few great picture books to use as kindergarten read alouds or up through first, second and even third grade.
One thing Ive noticed is that some parents feel pressure to choose a book that is new to the classroom, but Ill let you in on a little secret that youve probably noticed in your own home children love repetition. They arent afraid of reading the same book over and and over again.
If you bring out a book theyve read before, children are almost always THRILLED and theyll be quick to tell you, Ive read this book before! or I love this book! or My grandma reads me this book!
If you find a child who turns up his nose at listening to a book for a second time, especially when its in a new setting and by a different adult, that child is definitely the exception.
So the trick isnt picking out a picture book that is so obscure theyve never heard of it or thats brand-new, its picking a book that will make a fun kindergarten read aloud .
I have lots of picture books I love that dont necessarily lend themselves to being read to a large group.
These are 25 picture books that are easy to read aloud to a group and are pretty guaranteed hits with the elementary school crowd!