Back to School Booktivities

To kick off our Read Alouds for Back to School, we choose two of our favorite classics.

We will read The Kissing Hand and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom on the first days of school.

Most firsties are familiar with these stories, so it gives them comfort knowing that their new teachers know them too!

Small world…

*TIME OUT*

This is the moment when we show the book we are about to read and beginning first graders may begin to shout out all at the same time…

“I know that story!”

“HEY! My kindergarten teacher has that!”

“My dog ate that one yesterday!”

Whatever the case, it is enthusiasm for reading but still shouting out and not something we like to encourage…

Especially in the first few days.

So, we have a rule.

If you know the story, give us a Quiet as Fish “Thumbs Up”…

That’s Teacher Talk for, “I adore that you know this book. Please do not shout it from the hilltops, Friend. Just give me your little thumb and I’ll smile, nod and move along.” It works…

Every year is different, so we may need to reread the story a few times aloud over the first few days of school. We think rereading a story not only builds good listening skills and reading fluency, but also instills the long lost art of patience in our students. It always amazes us how many kids believe if they’ve heard a story one time that they don’t need to hear it again. WHAT!?!

So we read, read and then…READ some more!

We know they’ve got the story when they can chime in and we sit quiet.

Like a rock concert, you know?

The lead singer stops singing and the crowd continues.

That’s probably where the term,

“Teachers are Rock Stars” came from…just saying.

Once they are “first grade” familiar with the stories, we will introduce our Back to School Booktivities.