There are so many books available at our fingertips now more than ever. With the help of Amazon, Barnes and Noble, small bookstores, and local libraries, thousands of children’s books are a click or just a short drive away. There are so many books to choose from that it can be overwhelming to figure out which books are best for using as read alouds. Read below to learn what read aloud books are, why they are important, and what to look for when picking them out. You’ll have what you need to know how to choose a book to read aloud to your elementary students!
What are read aloud books?
Read aloud books are important tools for teachers and a true gift to children. The provide opportunities for teachers to model reading fluency and expression, thinking strategies, reading strategies, a love of reading, and more. They can be picture books or chapter books. They can be fiction or nonfiction.
What are the benefits of reading books aloud to children?
Read aloud books help build and develop the following in young learners:
- reading fluency and expression
- a love of reading and learning
- an interest in books
- understanding that written words carry meaning
- book handling skills
- rich vocabulary above their independent reading ability
- auditory processing skills
- reading comprehension skills
- good thinking strategies
- problem solving strategies
- critical thinking skills
- higher level thinking skills
- a sense of community in the classroom
- exposure to a variety of genres
- curiosity and inquiry
How do I pick a good read aloud book?
Components to look for when picking out texts to use as read alouds:
- Lends itself to a specific reading comprehension strategy (e.g. visualizing, questioning, inferring, etc)
- Interesting yet predictable plot (e.g. suspense, adventure, and humor)
- Use of dialogue
- Diverse characters students can see themselves in and can learn from
- Relevant to your student population (e.g. culture and student interests)
- Striking illustrations or photographs
- Relatable or captivating characters
- Characters of a similar age to your students that have the same fears and interests
- Age-appropriate for your students
- Rich word choice or challenging vocabulary that is accessible
- Variety of genres and formats (e.g. autobiography, poem, and newspaper article)
Best Read Aloud Books for Elementary Teachers
The information above gave you guidance on how to choose a good read aloud book. The lists below share some of my favorite picture books that take all of the guess work out of it. Many of the books on the list are part of my Starts With a Story collection.
August Read Alouds
- First Day Of School Books For Elementary Teachers
- Back To School Read Alouds For Grades 1-5 Classroom Teachers
September Read Alouds
- September 11th Books For Elementary Students (1-5)
- Grandparents’ Day Books: Popular Read Alouds
- Constitution Day Read Alouds For Elementary Teachers
- Fall Books For Kids: Read Alouds For Elementary Teachers
- Books About Apples: Read Alouds For Elementary Teachers
- Hispanic Heritage Month Books For Elementary Teachers
- Substitute Teacher Books For Elementary Students
October Read Alouds
November Read Alouds
- Day Of The Dead Children’s Books for Celebrating Dia De Los Muertos
- Veterans Day Books For Elementary Students
- Kids Books about Native Americans For Elementary Teachers
- Turkey Children’s Books For November Read Alouds
- Thanksgiving Read Alouds For Elementary Teachers
- Children’s Books about Bullying for National Bullying Prevention Month
December Read Alouds
- Gingerbread Man Books And Activities
- Hanukkah Books For Kids
- Children’s Books About Winter: A List Of Elementary Read Alouds
- Christmas Around The World Books For Kids
- Christmas Read Alouds For Elementary Students
- Multicultural Christmas Picture Books For Kids
- Reindeer Books For Kids
- Kwanzaa Children’s Books For Elementary Teachers
January Read Alouds
- New Year Books For Kids
- Penguin Books for Kids Every Elementary Teacher Needs
- Snow Books for Kids Every Elementary Teacher Needs
- Jan Brett Books and Activities for Elementary Students
- Animals in Winter Books for Kids Every Classroom Library Needs
- Martin Luther King Jr. Books For Kids In Elementary School
February Read Alouds
- Chinese New Year Books for Kids
- Groundhog Day Books for Elementary Students
- 100th Day Of School Books for Kids
- Valentine’s Day Picture Books for Elementary Students
- Children’s Books for Celebrating Random Acts Of Kindness Week
- Presidents’ Day Books for Kids at the Elementary Level
- Black History Month Books for Kids In Elementary School
March Read Alouds
- Read Across America Books for Kids
- St. Patrick’s Day Children’s Books for Elementary Students
- Spring Books For Kids In Elementary School (Grades 1-5)
- Women’s History Month Read Alouds for the Elementary Classroom
April Read Alouds
- April Fools Books For Kids: Celebrating With Picture Books
- Easter Books for Kids
- Earth Day Stories For Elementary Students
- Children’s Book About The Library For National Library Day
May Read Alouds
- Books about Teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week (Grades 1-5)
- Mother’s Day Books For Kids at the Elementary Level
- Memorial Day Read Alouds for Elementary Teachers
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Books
June Read Alouds
- End Of The School Year Books for this School Year
- Father’s Day Read Alouds for Elementary Teachers
- Children’s Books for Pride Month
July Read Alouds
Free Reading Activities and Book Lists
We hope you found this information about how to choose a book to read aloud to your students helpful. This free reading resource includes the following:
- a list of seasonal picture books for each month of the year
- blank book lists for you to record your own titles
- printable reading logs for your students
- print and go monthly reading challenge charts
