Top 10 Read Aloud Recommendations for the Beginning of Kindergarten
Starting kindergarten is a big milestone for young children. Picture books are a great way to help ease the transition. And, of course, it helps build excitement, and foster a love for reading. Here are my top 10 read-aloud book recommendations for the beginning of the school year. I am also adding some fun follow up ideas to make each story engaging and memorable.
1. "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn
Interactive Idea: Create a "kissing hand" craft. Have students trace their hands on paper and cut them out. Place a heart sticker or draw a heart in the middle of the hand. Encourage them to give their "kissing hand" to a family member.
2. "School's First Day of School" By Adam RexÂ
Interactive Idea: Make "jitters" jars. Fill small jars with glitter and water. When the children feel nervous, they can shake the jar and watch the glitter settle.
3. "The Name Jar" by Yangsook Choi
Interactive Idea: Create a name jar for the classroom. Have each student decorate a slip of paper with their name and place it in the jar.
4. "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes
Interactive Idea: Have a "name celebration" day. Encourage students to share the story behind their names. Students can also share about what they love about their names and create fancy name tags!
5. "The Pout-Pout Fish" by Deborah Diesen
Interactive Idea: Make "pout-pout" and "smile-smile" fish crafts. Use paper plates to create two fish—one with a pouty face and one with a smiley face. Discuss what makes the children happy and what they can do when they feel sad.
6. "All Are Welcome" by Alexandra Penfold
Interactive Idea: Create a "Welcome Wall." Let each child draw or write something about themselves to display on a wall. Add talking bubbles with the word "welcome" in different languages.
7. "Thank You, Omu!" by Oge Mora
Interactive Idea: Make a class "thank you" book. Have each child share about their favorite home meal. They can draw pictures (or created cut-out collages!) and include words. Staple the pages into a class book.
8. I Promise by LeBron James
Interactive Ideas:
- Class Promise: Work together to create a class promise or pledge. Discuss what promises they want to make to each other to ensure a positive and supportive classroom environment.
- Promise Bracelets: Have students make bracelets that symbolize their promises. They can use beads and string, and each bead can represent a different promise they want to keep.
9. El Cucuy is Scared, Too!
Interactive Ideas:
- Monster Craft: Create friendly monsters using paper bags or socks.
- Storytelling: Encourage children to share a time when they were scared and how they overcame it.
10. Becoming Vanessa
Interactive Ideas:
- Art Project: Have children draw or create their own unique outfits using various craft materials.
- Show and Tell: Encourage kids to bring an item that represents something special about themselves.
Happy Learning!
TP
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