When students head back to the classroom, teachers have lots of goals in mind. For instance, there is a huge focus on teaching the standards with high-quality lessons and activities. Additionally, teachers work hard to differentiate assignments to meet the needs of each student. While doing this, they also work hard to cultivate a classroom community. Honestly, it is essential for students to understand how amazing it feels to be in a classroom of kind, caring classmates. One of my best recommendations involves back to school read alouds. Picture books are a fantastic way to teach students important social-emotional lessons and real-life situations. So, l am excited to share my back to school read alouds and activities with you!
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Selecting Back to School Read Alouds and Activities
Honestly, there are so many amazing picture books. I have a huge list of favorites. So, it was hard to narrow it down. But, I went through all my bins and have three favorites to share.
Eduardo Guardado
This is probably my favorite of the books I will share! I could never say the title correctly, and my kids always laughed at me. It is the perfect book to share all about teamwork, which is important to establish at the start of the year!
Eduardo Guardardo may look fluffy and cute, but he is no little sheep! He is about to graduate from the FBI, which is the Fairy Tale Bureau of Investigations. So, he goes through all sorts of training for his certification. Then, it is time to go on his first case. However, he quickly learns he can’t do it alone. He needs the help of the other characters. Thankfully, he is finally able to get some help, and they solve the case together.
Honestly, kids absolutely love this story! All fairy tale creatures are in it, so students have a sense of familiarity in an unfamiliar time.
To connect back to school read alouds and activities, I have a lesson plan focusing on teamwork. Students are given a mission by creating their teamwork badge. This collaboration focuses on characteristics of what makes a good teammate.
My Mouth is a Volcano
I’m sure teachers can relate to this book in so many ways! It is from the very well-known author Miss Julia Cook and describes something every classroom experiences.
This story is about a little boy who cannot control his mouth. Louise has these rumbles deep down inside him, and he just cannot control them. So, he wiggles and giggles, which causes everything to start coming out.
Louise keeps getting in trouble because of his inability to control his mouth. On top of school, he’s having issues at home. So, he tries to find some strategies that he can put into place to help control his volcano of a mouth.
This is one of my favorite back to school read alouds that helps classmates understand it can be hard to control our bodies. It shows why we need to make sure we have strategies in place to help and support our students as they work on control.
There is even a Read Aloud Lesson that helps identify strategies for being a respectful student and classmate! Students have a brainstorming session by creating a volcano. Then, they identify respectful listening strategies they can apply throughout the year.
The Sandwich Swap
This amazing selection is by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah!
This is a heartwarming story when selecting back to school read alouds and activities! It focuses on friendship. Lily and Salma are best friends. They love jumping rope, drawing pictures, and eating lunch together. However, they do not eat the same food at lunch. Lily eats peanut butter sandwiches, and Salma likes hummus. Each page walks readers through their similarities and how they respect each other’s differences.
This is a great book to have an important conversation about friendship at the beginning of the year. Whether students are new friends or haven’t seen each other over summer break, this is all about having fun and being kind.
Be sure to check out a great Read Aloud Lesson for this story! Students will love making friendship sandwiches as they focus on what makes a great friend.
Students experience many emotions as they head back to the classroom. They are excited to see friends but nervous about the new classroom, teacher, and content. Thankfully, back to school read alouds and activities provide the perfect way to help students relax! Best of all, they teach valuable skills students can use throughout their lives.
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