Embedded Files
Suggestions for Effective Read-Aloud Time
Make reading aloud a DAILY habit.
Spend a moment Previewing the cover - Who is the author/illustrator? If you look them up ahead of time, you might have interesting information to add.
Do a picture walk before reading, talk about what you see in the pictures.
Track your reading with your finger.
Read with expression - consider changing the tone of your voice for dialogue.
Adjust your reading pace to fit the story. You don’t have to rush to the end.
Allow your child to interject their thoughts without being pushed to complete the book.
Be willing to pause and whisper to yourself what you’re wondering about while you read a certain part. “That seems like it’s an important word/part/sentence/idea.”
Ask your child to interact with the print - "Can you find a word that starts like your name?"
Invite your child to “read” repeated, predictable words/phrases.
Ask questions about the story -
"What do you think will happen next?"
"Do you think that character made a good choice? Why or why not?"
"What do you like about this picture?"
“Do you notice any patterns?”
Bring attention to sounds of words - "What sound do you hear at the beginning/end of ---"
Ask other family members to be readers so your child has many role models for reading.
Author: Abby Huntsman
When Isabel’s teacher asks her students who they want to be when they grow up, Isabel doesn’t have an answer.
Isabel knows it makes her happy to help her friends, neighbors, and family—but can a person really grow up to be a helper?
It’s time for Isabel to open her eyes and her heart and see all the different jobs people do: the police officers, firefighters, soldiers, teachers, doctors, and clergy who dedicate their lives to helping people every day.
Author: Kelly DiPucchio
"Where are the girls?"
When Grace's teacher reveals that the United States has never had a female president, Grace decides she wants to be the nation's first and immediately jumpstarts her political career by running in her school's mock election! The race is tougher than she expected: her popular opponent declares that he's the "best man for the job" and seems to have captured the votes of all of the class's boys. But Grace is more determined than ever. Even if she can't be the best man for the job, she can certainly try to be the best person!
Author: Scot Ritchie
In this engaging nonfiction picture book, five young friends --- Nick, Yulee, Pedro, Sally and Martin --- spend the day traveling around their neighborhood and participating in activities designed to raise money for their local library. Along the way, they learn about the people and places that make up their community and what it means to be a part of one. A map opens the story, with each of the places the children will be visiting labeled, including the gas station, retirement home, school, police station, soccer field, community garden and, of course, the library! Then each of the following spreads features a different location, detailed in a bright, busy illustration. Illustration captions expand the locations' connections to the concept of community. For example, when they stop at a yard sale, the caption reads, “Donating means you give something to help a good cause. You can donate money, things or your time.” In some cases, readers are asked to find things or people within the illustrations, which adds an interactive experience.
Author: Shannon Olsen
Teachers do so much more than just teach academics. They build a sense of community within their classrooms, creating a home away from home where they make their students feel safe, included, and loved.
With its heartfelt message and colorfully whimsical illustrations, “Our Class is a Family” is a book that will help build and strengthen that class community. Kids learn that their classroom is a place where it’s safe to be themselves, it’s okay to make mistakes, and it’s important to be a friend to others. When hearing this story being read aloud by their teacher, students are sure to feel like they are part of a special family.
Author: Kate Baker
Take a sneak peek inside homes from all around the world with this charming lift-the-flap book, written by Kate Baker and beautifully illustrated by Rebecca Green. From cozy wooden houses in snow-blanketed Greenland to traditional Maasai mud huts in East Africa, young children will discover different ways of living across the globe and get a unique glimpse into diverse cultures and communities.
Author: Julia Cook
Myrtle and Erytle are twins who don't look alike or act the same, but they do share one common love...SHOES! Their father uses their love of shoes to encourage the young twins to start thinking about future careers early.
Author: Anne Rockwell
On Career Day the children in Mrs. Madoff's class take turns introducing special visitors. Every visitor has something interesting to share, and together the class learns all about the different work people do, from writing books, to working in construction to being a veterinarian.
Author: Miranda Paul
What if your hands reach, wrench, yank, and crank? The hands in this book―and the people attached to them―do all sorts of helpful work. And together, these helpers make their community a safe and fun place to live.
As you read, keep an eye out for community members who make repeat appearances! Can you guess all the jobs based on the actions of these busy hands?
Author: Mary Ann Hoberman
Where does everyone and everything live? A House Is a House for Me is a rollicking rhyme about houses. Some of the houses are familiar, such as an anthill and a dog kennel, while others are surprising, such as a corn husk and a pea pod. This longtime favorite is filled with pictures that parents and children will want to look at again and again in a beautifully produced, deluxe full-sized edition.
Page updated
Report abuse