I always say that it takes two weeks for everyone to get settled in at the beginning of school. Routines are established, schedules are in place, students and teachers are settled in. I think we are now reaching that point, and now we are ready for a year of learning!
Now that I am settled in, I have the chance to share some of my favorite first week read alouds with you. There are so many wonderful picture books to choose from. These are the books I chose to share with my kiddos this year.
Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind is the book that I chose to share with my class to discuss finding those just right books and becoming a classroom of readers this year. This is such a cute book that students and teachers can both relate to. I know many of us have probably searched and searched for books for students just like Miss Malarkey.
Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon is such a sweet book for a lesson on respect and treating others with kindness. It is a great follow up to our classroom rules introduction.
A cockroach is the most unlikely character that I would normally want to read about, but in Crickwing there are so many wonderful lessons to be discussed about bullying, treating others with respect, and working together, that I completely forget by the end of the story that Crickwing is a cockroach. If you haven’t read this book, it is a great one to read.
My Mouth is a Volcano has been on my wishlist for a couple of years, and this summer I finally purchased it. It is a very cute book that even my fourth graders enjoyed, and learned from the message in the story. It is a great book for a discussion on how to work and talk with our partners and in our groups. Very cute!
I always enjoy reading First Day Jitters to my class. It is such a fun book that I think it is a great ice-breaker for the very first day of school. It helps to get us all relaxed and settled in, and helps to calm all of our jitters on the first day.
Over the years I have changed read alouds. This was the first year that I did not read Chrysanthemum, which is one of my all time favorites. I’m sure I’ll come back to it later in the year, perhaps when we study character traits.
What are some of your favorite first week read alouds? There are so many great books out there! Do you have any new ones that you have discovered and tried?
