Our Teachers Say
We’ve all heard about the benefits of reading books to your children each day. Reading with your child is a practice that creates space for deeper learning and exploring. It doesn’t matter if it’s a traditional book, graphic novel, non-fiction or historical fiction, it all counts. What matters most is just taking the time to read.
Reading aloud to kids has clear cognitive benefits. For example, brain scans show that hearing stories strengthens the part of the brain associated with visual imagery, story comprehension, and word meaning. One study found that kindergarten children who were read to at least three times a week had a “significantly greater phonemic awareness than did children who were read to less often.” (PBS)
My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil
Here’s the perfect back-to-school gift for budding artists. Like the creator’s previous picture book, My Dog Is as Smelly as Dirty Socks, this picture book encourages children to be creative and make their own object portraits. It’s a fun activity for home or for the classroom.
You can even check out portraits made by other readers in the “kids’ gallery” of author Hanoch Piven’s Web site, http://www.pivenworld.com—and while you’re at it, send in your own!
Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad
A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mails himself to freedom by a Jane Addams Peace Award-winning author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist.
Henry Brown doesn’t know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves’ birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows up and marries, but he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse,
The Little Engine That Could
“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…” Discover – or re-discover the classic story of the Little Blue Engine as she makes her way over the mountain in this beloved inspiring picture book.
The kindness and determination of the Little Blue Engine have inspired millions of children around the world since the story was first published in 1930. Cherished by readers for over ninety years, The Little Engine That Could is a classic tale of the little engine that, despite her size, triumphantly pulls a train full of wonderful things to the children waiting on the other side of a mountain.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
A big happy frog, a plump purple cat, a handsome blue horse, and a soft yellow duck–all parade across the pages of this delightful book.
Children will immediately respond to Eric Carle’s flat, boldly colored collages. Combined with Bill Martin’s singsong text, they create unforgettable images of these endearing animals.
Our Class is a Family
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.
Resources
- https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/why-reading-aloud-to-kids-helps-them-thrive
- https://www.npr.org/2021/10/01/1041859001/reading-aloud-benefits-childrens-literacy
What is your favorite book to read to children?
I always loved reading Judy Blume’s “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” to my 3rd graders at the end of the year. So funny! 📗❤️
So many books! I don’t have a favorite, but I love seeing students enjoy read aloud time! ❤️