I believe in reading to kids above their grade level. I think that it helps to hear new vocabulary in context and it helps their listening comprehension to listen with no pictures. I also believe that reading the same story for weeks at a time allows the students to create relationships with these characters. They often are sorry to see the book end and even weeks later will talk about how they miss certain characters.
Now there are two different ways you can go as a Kindergarten teacher. You can read Junie B. Jones and Horrible Harry stories. They introduce the students to a series of books they might develop an interest in continuing and make reading fun for them. There's nothing like hearing a class laugh at a well-placed joke in the story.
The other way is to read books with more substance. Books that can foster activities with depth and rigor. Those are the books I am going to share with you today:
This book is a little bit challenging. It's written in verse and uses words a bit above their vocabulary range, but it has a great message (don't judge a book by its cover) and my students last year really enjoyed it.
This is a book about a father who goes out to get milk for his children's breakfast cereal and doesn't come home right away. The story he makes up to explain why he took so long reminds me of one my own father would try to convince us with. :) It's a cute story but also takes some thinking to follow along with the main theme.
A great book when you talk about civil rights. I think this story gives another perspective-one of a child growing up in the segregated South trying to make sense of her surroundings.
This is a fun book about a little girl dealing with missing someone dear to her. The kids really liked it!
A classic in my heart. This is the story of what your toys do when you are not around. I used to have thoughts like this when I was little. They also have to deal with trying to figure out new experiences, which Kindergarteners also have to deal with.
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