TEN BACK TO SCHOOL READ ALOUDS FOR PRESCHOOL
Back to school season is upon us! I’ve created a list of ten back to school read alouds that are perfect for the first weeks of school. You and your class are sure to enjoy these lesson-learning, diversity-filled, and just plain fun, read alouds during the first few weeks of school.
These back to school read alouds can help to build a positive classroom community and are great for social emotional learning and development. You can click on each book below to purchase on Amazon or click the links in each book’s short bio to find a YouTube read aloud version.
I PROMISE
I Promise by Lebron James was inspired by the creation of the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio. In this book students declare a set of promises in which they strive to be the best version of themselves in everything they do. I love reading this story at the beginning of the year and work with my students to create our own set of promises to ourselves for the upcoming school year. Having students take the lead in creating a list of promises or agreements helps to create buy in with your students. If you’re looking for a digital version of I Promise, you can find it on YouTube by clicking here.
OUR CLASS IS A FAMILY
Our Class Is A Family by Shannon Olsen introduces students to the idea that family is more than just your biological family members and that our classroom is like a family. Students learn that our classroom can be a safe haven for all and encourages students to embrace their classmates and celebrate our differences. This book is great starter to open discussions about students and their families and how their differences make them special yet loved by their classroom community. You can find a digital read aloud version of Our Class Is A Family by clicking here.
ALL ARE WELCOME
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold is a story that lets young children know that no matter what, they have a place, they have a space, and they are welcome in their school. All Are Welcome celebrates students for their differences and highlights our diversity as a strength. Similar to I Promise, All Are Welcome can be used as a tool to help students develop I Can Statements and promises that will help to guide the way students will treat and respect each other throughout the school year. You can find a digital read aloud version of All Are Welcome by clicking here.
DEAR TEACHER
Dear Teacher by Amy Husband is a collection of letters from Michael to his new teacher explaining why he can't go to class. When Michael's teacher writes back telling him how sorry she is he'll miss all of the exciting school activities planned for the year, Michael realizes all the fun he'd really miss out on. A fun activity that you can work on with students is having each student write a special letter to teachers to introduce themselves and talk about things they are looking forward to accomplishing during the school year. You can find a digital read aloud version of Dear Teacher by clicking here.
A LETTER FROM YOUR TEACHER ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
A Letter From Your Teacher On The First Day of School by Shannon Olsen is a letter written from the teacher’s point of view. Students are given the message that their new teacher is someone they will get to form a special bond with. Their teacher is not only there to help them academically, but also to cheer them on, and to provide a caring, safe environment for them to learn and grow. Similar to Dear Teachers, students can write a letter to their teacher talking about things they are looking forward to accomplishing this school year. You can find a digital read aloud version of A Letter From Your Teacher by clicking here.
THE NAME JAR
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi chronicles the story of Unhei, a new student who just moved from Korea, who is anxious about fitting in. Unhei decides to introduce herself on the first day of school using a chosen American name from a glass jar. But while Unhei thinks of being a Suzy, Laura, or Amanda, nothing feels right. With the help of a new friend, Unhei will learn that the best name is her own. This year I plan on using the Name Jar read aloud as an introduction to our family study. Students will research the history of their names and share any special meanings their name may hold and why they love their name. You can find a digital read aloud version of The Name Jar by clicking here.
YOUR NAME IS A SONG
Your Name Is A Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow is the story of a girl who is frustrated when she spends the day at school and everyone mispronounces her beautiful name. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their lyrical walk home through the city. Empowered by this newfound understanding, the young girl is ready to return the next day to share her knowledge with her class. Similar to the Name Jar, students can research the meaning and history of their name and share a reason why they love their name. You can find a digital version of Your Name Is A Song by clicking here.
WE DON’T EAT OUR CLASSMATES
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins is the story of Penelope Rex. Penelope Rex can't wait to meet her classmates on the first day of school but Penelope finds it hard to make friends because she finds them so delicious and wants to eat them. Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and realizes she doesn’t want to eat her classmates but make friends with them. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates is a great book to use to discuss the importance of being kind to our friends. You can find a digital read aloud version of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by clicking here.
TOMORROW I’LL BE KIND
Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind is a follow up to the award winning book Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave. Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind by Jessica Hische encourages students that tomorrow, they will be grateful, helpful, and kind. It is a great book for social emotional learning as students will learn about ways they can be kind and helpful to their peers. I plan on using this book to help introduce a fun community building lesson. Students will each write and illustrate one promise they will make for tomorrow and create a class book. You can find a digital version of the read aloud for Tomorrow I’ll be Kind by clicking here.
POSITIVE NINJA BY MARY NHIN
Positive Ninja is one book in a children’s series entitled Ninja Life Hacks. Author Mary Nhin covers the topic of positive and negative thoughts in this fun children’s story. Positive Ninja used to struggle with negative thoughts until one day her friend Kind Ninja taught her a simple strategy to help change her negative thoughts into positive thoughts. This year I plan on using Positive Ninja as a part of our social emotional learning curriculum. As a class we will talk about the importance of having positive thoughts and brainstorm other techniques that can help us change our negative thoughts into positive thoughts. You can find a digital version of Positive Ninja by clicking here.
