Back-to-School Books and Activities

Back to school read alouds are a great way for your new students to get to know you and feel comfortable in a low-stress environment.  Everyone loves to be entertained.  Even better when you can find matching educational activities that you would be covering anyway to strategically place in your lesson plans!

Choosing the right books and activities for your students really can make a difference in whether they will want to return after their first day of school.

Some good book choices are posted below, along with some other fabulous return to the classroom activities – all provided by some of my fellow blogging buddies just for you!

Activities to Start Off the School Year

• Classroom Freebies is always a great place to start!  {Though I may be biased as that site is one I also created and manage – haha!}
• Need some new solutions for using binders this year in the classroom?  These 3 Back to School Binder Ideas might get your wheels turning!

• An entire page devoted to The Kissing Hand!  How fun are these cookie cutters?

• With the littles, it is super important to teach name writing as soon as possible in the school year.  This name writing activity that goes along with the book Chrysanthemum will certainly come to good use!
• First Day Jitters anchor chart!  {source}

• Here is a handout you can use in your class to follow up your reading of the book What if Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick.
• A full week’s worth of lessons and connecting activities using Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!  Love these!

• Who doesn’t love the adorable Lilly and her Purple Plastic Purse?   I know I do.  Here is a free 20 page unit to go along with that book.  Your lesson plans were never done so quickly.

• The No, David books are some of my favorites!   I love the colorful large illustrations and simple words children can understand.  Even better when there are some teaching ideas to correlate with David heading to school!
• Speaking of great series, If You Take a Mouse books are always fun and I enjoy how the story always circles around back to the beginning somehow.  Here is a great unit for If You Take a Mouse to School!

• Love these super cute listening posters from the teacher wife!

• Oh, the Places You’ll Go is a classic book – perfect for graduates and new students alike!   Here is a page of several worksheets to use with your students too!
• Do you have older students and prefer to start the year off with a great chapter book instead?   Thank You, Mr. Falker is a perfect title to take a look at when choosing your best book.  This website includes some suggestions for comprehension and discussion along the way.
• If you like the book Wonder (and like to watch the movie after), you’ll want to check out this site with tons of resources to accompany it!
• So, so, so many ideas here from The Picture Book Teacher’s Edition for How I Spent My Summer Vacation!
• Lots of comprehension connections listed for the book A Fine, Fine School if you have first or second graders!   Even includes a point of view freebie to practice!

Great Books for the First Weeks of School

Thanks to all the blogging buddies who shared their great ideas and I hope you are able to get some fresh ideas for yourself!

Need one more bonus printable?

Check out this super fun “Note to Myself” handout I just created for you.

Perfect for a first day or first week activity, it allows students to reflect on what they hope to do or accomplish this year, but in an informal way.

Make sure to have students date their paper – and then save them in a safe place where you will remember to grab them again the last couple weeks of school.

Students can get their papers back and see how they actually did.

They just night be amazed at how many items they unconsciously checked off their sheet!

Grab your handout below.

Click here to email your freebie

What other activities and/or back to school books are on your go-to list that might have been missed?  Feel free to leave a comment below to add to our collection!

Enjoy,

~Charity