It is very important that teachers take the time during the first weeks of school to begin to establish a community of respect. It's very tempting to simply tell students to open up their math book and start working. Please don't do that. Instead, take the time to get to know each other. Take the time to discuss what are your expectations and allow students to share what are their hopes/goals for the year. I always tell my students that we will be a family, because we will be learning and growing together for an entire year.
The first few weeks of school are full of you teaching and students practicing rules and routines. I find that students remember lessons that books teach better than when I just talk about the rules. Below is a list of 7 books that I believe will help you and your students start the year off on the right foot.
> Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
My daughter checked out this book from her school library, and she kept talking about how she loved the book. As she read the book to me, I thought about what a great back to school read aloud this book would be! Teachers always talk about why following the rules is SO very important. This book talks about when it it okay to NOT follow the rules. It's a great discussion starter for you and your students :)
> WOLF! by Becky Bloom
This is a very cute book that also has a wonderful lesson. Learning to read is not an easy task and is made up of more than just saying the words really fast. I would use this book when starting to launch reading workshop.
> What if Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick
This book provides a great visual of what would happen if everyone didn't follow the rules. This is a great read aloud as you discuss rules and create a list for your own classroom.
> How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague
Students always want to share their summer activities. After reading this book, students are given a brainstorming paper to list their favorite summer activities. Students are then told to pick one or two events to write about in detail. Students will then revise, edit, and illustrate their stories. This makes for a great display :)
> Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
I fell in love with this book back when I taught 1st grade. It is such a sweet book that talks about how everyone is special. It's also a great book to discuss how words can hurt and how important it is to respect each other. You can also take the time to create a cute name craft and decorate a bulletin board.
> A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue by Julia Cook
This is another great read of when it is okay to bring something to the attention of a teacher or any adult. It's not as cute as the Library Lion, but it provides several examples of what is/is not tattling .
> You Are Special, Little One by Nancy Tafuri
I have two little girls at home, so I have plenty of 'mommy loves you' books. I love taking these family books to school and reading one each week. They are bedtime story books, but my third graders love this time! They get so excited and say they love our 'story time'. This particular book talks about how each animal is special in their own way. It's a sweet book that also uses rich vocabulary words to describe each animal ;)
Download the list by clicking the image below. The download also includes a free template to help you organize your back to school read alouds. Enjoy!
