Best Books to Read for Read Aloud.
How to Choose the Read Aloud Books, Children
Pick fun and interesting books.
Do you remember when a teacher picked a fun book to read to the class? Or when your parent read a story before bedtime? What made it fun was that it was engaging. The books they chose were funny, interesting, and made us think. These are the type of books you want to pick. Find books that feature a topic or thing your child loves.
Choose books that you and your students love.
If your students love a particular book or author, use those books often. Also, introduce them to books that you love. Ones that you read as a child. They will love to hear about how you read that book as a child. Plus, sharing what you love makes you more likely to be engaging.
Choose the best!
Choose award-winning children’s authors. They win awards because of their excellent writing and illustrations. These are the books you should start with when getting read-aloud books.
How to do a read-aloud
Research shows that the best read-aloud is when the parent or teacher allows children to answer and ask questions. Interactive reading helps children learn vocabulary, comprehension strategies, and concepts. The interactive talk includes children making predictions and thinking about the characters’ motivations.
Choose books with excellent vocabulary.
Search for books containing repeated words. This makes it easy for students to remember certain words or themes. Also, choose books that include familiar words. Read age-appropriate books to expand students' vocabulary. Create age-appropriate definitions for those new words. You can model or act out these new words.
Get Dramatic
Use voices that reflect the mood of the character. Following the reading, encourage students to retell the stories. They can dress up as characters, make puppets, or make silly voices.
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Good Book Picks for Each Age Group
For Babies and Toddlers
It is not too early to read to this age group. Children at this age are listening. They are developing language and vocabulary.
Choose books with simple patterns. Select easy-to-read text with rhyming words and a rhythmic flow. Books should contain numbers, letters, colors, and shapes.
This age also benefits from sturdy books; they can examine them independently without causing damage. Flip or peekaboo page books allow babies to explore and be curious about the book.
Read books aloud for preschoolers.
These books should have bright and big illustrations for students to be engaged and be able to see them. Read books that have plots children can understand. The book text should allow students to ask and answer questions. The text should also rhyme to help them learn middle sounds. Include books with themes that any child could understand or have previous knowledge of. Books during the daytime should encourage play and observation. This is especially true if you plan to do activities related to books.
Llama Llama Loves His Mama, by Anna Dewdney
This book is excellent to read aloud because of the repetitive text that students can say with you. It also has rhyming words which are easy for students to remember. You can also do different voices and explain the various emotions Llama Llama feels.
Books for First Graders
First graders need books with rich language and phrases. Stories with complex plots will help them to want to predict what happens next. Look for books that relate to their experiences and feature characters that are the same age as them.
Books for Second Graders
At this age, students went to read books they loved more than once. Especially if the characters are relatable to their feelings, interests, or experiences. This is a good time to introduce nonfiction books such as biography, history, and stories about nature and science. They are also able to read chapter books. Include books that have some illustrations that help them be engaged and comprehend.
Books for Third Graders
Third graders can tackle tough topics that lead to discussion. The books can include topics about empathy, feelings, behavior, and other challenges students may face. Books with relatable characters that they can learn from will help students. You can do books with pictures because it helps students to build knowledge and support them in learning complex concepts.
- We Are Here (an All Because You Matter Book), by Tami Charles
Be Kind, by Pat Zietlow Miller
Teaches students how to show kindness to others.
Happy Valentine's, Mouse
Your favorite mouse is back. This time he is making Valentine's Day cards for his friends. While making Valentine's Day cards he tells why he loves his friends. This is a great book for students to discuss what they love about their friends.
Excellent for preschool students.
One of my favorite books was "Snow Day", which I read as a child. I think this book is perfect to read after children get back from a snow day or before a snow day happens. You can ask children what their snow day was like and compare it to the one in the story.
Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson
A little boy uses his crayon and his imagination to create different drawings. Students can predict what Harold might do next.
Excellent story to read for students to predict what they think Corduroy to do. They can also define the places that Corduroy found.
The Kissing Hand
The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn
The Kissing Hand is a great story for children who may feel anxious about being separated from their parents.
Read Aloud Books for Older Students:
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
A new student comes to school. This new student does not fit in with other students. Students bullied a new student because of her appearance. The book teaches students about bullying and how we should be kind to others.
The Other Side is another book by Woodson that deals with racism and two girls coming together.
Mr. Lincoln's Way by Patricia Polacco
A popular principal reminds students to show empathy. He accepts all students, even one student who displays behaviors. Mr. Lincoln still shows him kindness and teaches him kindness. The discussion of racism may be triggering for some especially those who face it every day.
Books for adults and children to read:
