Back to School Read Alouds and Anxiety

Do you have favorite books that you read the first week of school each year?  The pandemic has impacted our community in multiple ways.  Before COVID-19, some of your students may have experienced some type of trauma. After COVID-19, all of your students have experienced stress, change, or trauma. Save your favorite Back to School books for the second or third week of the new year.  Social and emotional learning lessons should be the focus at the beginning of this school year.

The Breaking News by Sarah Lynne Reul is a timely story.  This is a story about a girl's family and what they experience after hearing bad news on tv. The story tells how a young child can help his or her family and neighbors.

There are always a few students that feel anxious at the beginning of the year.  This year you may notice more students experiencing anxiety because of all that has happened recently. Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes is a wonderful book to add to your plans.  Your students will be able to easily identify with Wemberly, a character who feels anxious about the first day of school.

Let your class make a Wemberly Worried flipbook after you discuss the story.  Bonus:  This makes a great bulletin board for Back to School Night.

Do you need for social emotional learning (S.E.L.) read alouds?  I have compiled a book list you should check out.

Have you tried a feelings journal with your class?  It is a great way to take the pulse of your class.  It is included with this file.

Don't forget to check out my Back to School book list.


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Leveled Book List, fairy tales, April birthdays of Children's Authors

Hans Christian Andersen's birthday is April 2nd.  He is the author of many fairy tales.  April is the perfect month to integrate fairy tales with your other Spring lessons.

Include The Ugly Duckling with your pond life lessons.  Science and literature is a perfect combination!

• The Ugly Duckling (retold - original version is a higher reading level) Guided Reading level - G

Read fractured fairy tales and compare texts.  Let students write their own version of one of the fairy tales that you share.

• The Emperor's New Clothes - Guided Reading Level - L
• Principal's New Clothes: fractured fairy tale
• Guided Reading Level - K

Grab a copy of the Happy Birthday author forms from my February file.  

• The Princess and the Pea - Guided Reading level - O
• The Princess and the Pizza - Guided Reading level - N
• The Princess Pigtoria and the Pea - Guided Reading level - N

Martin Waddell was born on April 10th.  Some of his books that you might be familiar with are:

• Farmer Duck - Guided Reading level - J
• Can't you sleep little bear?  Guided Reading level - L
• Let's go home little bear - Guided Reading level - J

Let's go home little bear would be a good text to compare to Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Eileen Christelow was born on April 22nd.  You probably have a copy or two of one of her Five Little Monkeys books.

Five Little Monkeys play hide-and-seek

Her book, Where's the Big Bad Wolf, would be a nice addition to a fairy tale unit. Police Detective Phineas T. Doggedly is looking for the Big Bad Wolf after the pigs' house of straw and house of sticks was blown down.

Where's the Big Bad Wolf?

Guided Reading level - L

Amy Hest was born on April 28th.  She is the author of books about ducks and weather.  Perfect topics for your April lessons.

In the Rain with Baby Duck

Guided Reading level - J

Off to School, Baby Duck

Guided Reading level - I

Looking for new fairy tale ideas?  I just added a fairy tale themed file.  Students read the directions and either color the pictures or draw a picture.  Then write about the picture.

FREE Fairy Tale - Read & Follow Directions: Princess & the Pea

Grab a copy of the FREE April leveled book list.

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Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.

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Famous African Americans: Book List, Word Work and Word Wall

What's on your bookshelf? Do you have a front facing bookshelf like the one in the picture? I found this one at a thrift store. Most of my schools have had one like this. Use this shelf to feature weekly or monthly themes. Your students will be more engaged with reading when you change books frequently.

February is Black History or African American History month. You can easily incorporate lessons about the contributions by famous African American into your plans.

Girls and boys enjoy reading about Bessie Coleman.  She was the first African American to earn a pilot's license. Many classrooms have a word wall.  Have you set up a separate word wall for the themes or units that you are teaching?  For this word wall, I like to add a picture of the book cover next to the word.  Before I read a book to my class, I will choose a few words from the book to discuss.

Whole Group:
Discuss vocabulary words (word cards) - meaning of words, how these words might apply to the book, and use word in a sentence.
Read: Fly High! The Story of Bessie Coleman by Louise Borden and Mary Kay Kroeger to your class.

Word Work - Compound Words:
Hold up "tailspin" word card
Students will write it on dry erase board
Students will draw a line dividing 2 words
Students will think and write other compound words with "tail"

A fabric map like the one in the picture above is an easy way to connect social studies to your read alouds.  Students can find the setting of the book on the map.

Is your schedule hectic this month?  Begin your day with morning messages about African Americans.  There is a sample in the preview file that you can try.

I compiled a list of books that have African and African American characters.  You can get a FREE copy of the booklist.




Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE.
Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.

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