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Back to School Read Alouds for Upper Elementary

July 24, 2020 By Rachel Vincent

One of my favorite things about the first weeks of school is all the different back to school read alouds!!  Buying back to school books has become a slight obsession of mine.  I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite back to school read alouds that I use at the beginning of the year!

Since I have so many back to school books to read in my classroom, I like to make sure the ones I actually read aloud have a purpose.  The other books are out for students to read throughout the first weeks of school.

First Day Jitters by Julie Danneburg

Back to School Read Alouds First Day Jitters

This is probably one of the most common books read on the first day of school, but I’ve read it every year and now it’s kind of tradition.  The fact that it shows students that teachers get nervous too is one of my favorite things!  I usually read this at the beginning of the first day right before I share all about the teacher.

 

Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

Back to School Read Alouds Your Name is a Song

This book is new to me (see I’m always buying more back to school books!) and I will use it during our first couple of writing lessons when my students research the meaning of their names.

Spaghetti In a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Desmondy

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun Back to School Read Alouds

I love reading this book when before the students complete an “all about me” type of activity.  This is a beautiful book that encourages students to be proud of who they are.

Decibella and her 6-inch Voice by Julia Cook

This is the perfect book to read aloud when teaching voice level procedures.  Students can relate to the book about what levels are appropriate for what activities in the classroom.

Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller

This is such a funny book that is great to read when introducing classroom rules and expectations.

The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

I usually read this book later in the week, but it leads to great discussions on how we need to make sure we include everyone and that everyone is seen and heard in our classroom.

Dream Big by Deloris Jordan

I love using this book to introduce how we should make goals for ourselves and our classroom.  I often read this before we create our class vision or mission statement.

Teamwork Isn’t My Thing, and I Don’t Like to Share! by Julia Cook

The perfect book for discussing teamwork and working together in groups!

Stand in My Shoes by Bob Sornson

This is another great book when discussing how we treat other people and building that community in your classroom.

What are some of your favorite back to school read alouds?

back to school read aloud pin

All of these books and more are in my Amazon Store.

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  • Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Back to School, Reading

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    Rachel | 4th Grade Teacher
    How long is your students’ attention spans? I o How long is your students’ attention spans?
I only have about 10 minutes before I lose them! 🤪
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4️⃣ Hand Signals - Perfect for multiple choice questions
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🗣🗣Which number are you trying this week?!
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4️⃣ Non Instructional Goal - What other area are you trying to improve?
Here’s my 4 goals!
1. Vocabulary Instruction 
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3. Leave by 3:00 3 out 5 days
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What are your goals?
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Less teacher talk 🗣
More student talk 👥
1️⃣ Give your students time to catch up with each other. Even adults like to chit chat about what we did during break!
2️⃣ Review procedures by playing a fun game. Charades is a great way to act out procedures to see if other students can guess what they’re doing!
3️⃣ The halfway point of the school year is a great time for students to set goals!
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