Sometimes it is easiest to teach a lesson by reading someone else’s words. Read alouds are a great way to teach your students rules and build a classroom community at the beginning of the school year. Here are the books I read aloud to my students during the first week of school!
1. First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
This is my favorite book to read on the first day of school. It is all about Sarah getting ready for her first day of school and all the anxiety she is feeling. It is a book that is easy for students to connect with. The best part? There is a twist at the end. Turns out…Sarah is the teacher!!! My students always freak out when I read that part of the book. They can’t believe a teacher would be anxious about the beginning of the school year! It’s a great way to connect with students.
2. Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen
This is a book with the goal to build and strengthen a classroom community. Students learn that their classroom is a place where it is safe to be themselves and a place where it is okay to make mistakes. Students learn that family isn’t always your relatives. It’s the ones who accept you for who you are. When you read this aloud, students are sure to feel like they are part of a special, unique family. For some interactive activities and a cute craft, click here!
3. The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane Derolf
I love reading this book to students because it shows them that we are all unique and make something beautiful when we come together – like a box full of crayons. This is a beautiful poem to celebrate the diversity that makes up a classroom. After reading this book I have my students create our door decoration!
4. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
This is a hilarious book that your students will love. In this funny story, a T-Rex is in a class full of human kids. This little T-Rex shows how tough it can be to fit in, behave well, and make friends at the beginning of the school year. This book teaches important lessons about getting along, empathy, and following the rules. I have a few activities that go along with this book on Teachers Pay Teachers.
5. The Juice Box Bully by Maria Dismondy
This book is all about the importance of standing up to bullies. It is a great story about a classroom community that is “disrupted” when a new student, who happens to be a bully, joins the class. The class has a promise they all commit to and the bully learns the importance of the promise and what it means. I use various activities after reading the book that focus on anti-bullying and the importance of a classroom community made of upstanders. We also make our first door decoration using this book!
These 5 books are the first books I read to my students at the beginning of the school year. They cover all “rules” that I have in my classroom and work to build a strong classroom community. I’d love to hear what books you enjoy reading to your students in the comments! If you want to see more books I read, check out my Instagram page. I share books constantly that I think are amazing to use as read alouds or books for your students to read. If you want more tips for the beginning of the school year check out my post here!
