August 4-8, 2025
Organize Your
Read alouds for the Year
A FREE 5-Day Online Workshop for 1st & 2nd Grade Teachers
Picture This...
You walk into your classroom on a Monday morning, coffee in hand. Your lesson plans are ready, and when it’s time for your read aloud, you know exactly which book you’ll grab.
This can be your reality this school year.
Why Read Alouds Feel So Hard
(It's Not Just You)
Time Crunch
You want to make read alouds a priority, but your day is already jam-packed with curriculum demands. Where do you find those extra 15 minutes when every second is accounted for?
Book Overwhelm
You’re staring at stacks of picture books but feeling stuck about which ones to use for what purpose. Without a system, you waste precious time hunting for “the right one” for each skill.
Question Confusion
Introducing the...
Organize Your Read Alouds Workshop
In this FREE 5-day workshop, I’ll teach you how to organize and implement powerful read alouds that fit your busy schedule. You’ll get practical strategies and ready-to-use resources you can implement right away!
…in less than 15 minutes a day!
SESSION ONE
Finding Time for Read Alouds
- Step-by-step hidden time finder method
- Personalized daily/weekly read aloud schedule
- Customizable schedule template (2 formats)
- Concrete plan for fitting read alouds into any day
SESSION two
Mapping Your Comprehension Strategy Plan
- Complete year-long strategy sequence guide
- Customizable strategy calendar
- Year-long planning template (filled and blank)
- Structured comprehension strategy roadmap
SESSION THREE
Organizing Your Books by Strategy
- Book-sorting criteria for each strategy
- Hands-on book categorization system
- Printable book labels and category checklist
- Ready-to-use book recommendation list
SESSION FOUR
Creating Effective Questions
- Strategy-specific question formulation guide
- Ready-to-use question frameworks
- Printable question stem cards
- Question bank for any comprehension strategy
SESSION FIVE
Putting It All Together
- Complete implementation system walkthrough
- First month read aloud planning blueprint
- Ready-to-use first month guide
- Full read aloud system for the entire year
JOIN THE WORKSHOP NOW!
Sign up now (it's free!) to transform your read alouds.
We recommend that you do not use your school email address.
We're In This Together
I’ve Been Where You Are…
- Frantically searching bookshelves as the clock ticks down
- Skipping read alouds when planning time runs out
- Improvising questions and wondering if they’re effective
This workshop offers real solutions from real classroom experience—no Instagram perfection, just practical strategies for busy teachers ready to feel confident instead of overwhelmed.
This Workshop Is For You If:
- You teach 1st or 2nd grade
- You love picture books & want to use them more effectively
- You struggle to find time for read alouds in your busy schedule
- You want a system for organizing your classroom library
- You're looking to make your read alouds more meaningful
- You want a clear plan for read alouds this school year
This Workshop is NOT For You If:
- You don't teach elementary school
- You don't enjoy reading aloud to students
- You don't use picture books in your daily instruction
- You're looking for a one-size-fits-all approach
Picture books are powerful teaching tools, but without a system for using them effectively, their potential remains untapped. This workshop gives you the exact framework to transform your read alouds from a last-minute scramble to a confident, valuable part of your daily instruction.
Just what I needed!
I came across your workshop and love your work. I have been teaching 2nd for a long time and utilized the strategies you speak of to read aloud and engage my students. I am impressed with how you organize your work creating beautiful plans.
Dorothy B.
2nd Grade Teacher
Imagine having a clear system for selecting books, planning questions, and fitting read alouds into your day—no more guesswork or wasted time. This workshop provides the exact structure you need to make read alouds one of the most impactful and efficient parts of your teaching day.
The Reality of Read Alouds for Most Teachers
Let’s be honest about what read alouds really look like for most of us:
- Frantically scanning your bookshelf minutes before your students arrive, trying to find a book—any book—that might work for today
- Feeling guilty because you know read alouds are important, but you can’t seem to fit them into your already packed schedule
- Wondering if your questions are effective or if you’re just asking “What happened next?” over and over
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And you’re in exactly the right place.
Limited Time Bonus Offers
Strategy Teaching Tips
Your all-in-one resource for teaching comprehension strategies through picture books, with question prompts, book recommendations, and practical techniques to maximize learning.
Read Aloud Schedules
Fill-in-the-blank daily and weekly schedules to pinpoint exactly when you'll fit read alouds into your busy day.
Discussion Question Cards
Print-and-use question starters for each comprehension strategy so you'll never be at a loss for what to ask.
You make it so easy!
I LOVE your workshop and videos. You are always so bright and cheery and encouraging. I love how you walk us through the read aloud steps in your videos. It helps make read alouds way more manageable!
Mary R.
1st Grade Teacher
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Have a Question?
This workshop is specifically designed for 1st and 2nd grade teachers who want to make read alouds a more effective and organized part of their instruction.
The workshop takes place in our private Facebook group. Each video will be posted in the group, and you’ll be able to download resources, ask questions, and share your progress there.
The workshop runs from Monday, August 4th through Friday, August 8th, 2025. Each training will go live in the Facebook group at 10 AM Eastern.
No problem! All videos and resources will remain available in the Facebook group. At the end of the workshop, you’ll also receive access to a recap page with all videos and downloads in one place.
Each daily video is approximately 15 minutes long. The accompanying activities will take about 15-20 minutes to complete. You can always work at your own pace!
Not at all! You’ll use books you already have in your classroom library. All other resources are provided as free downloads.
You can ask questions in the Facebook group, where I’ll be checking in regularly to provide feedback and support.
Meet Your Guide
Hi! I’m Sara, founder of The Colorful Apple, and I believe that reading is truly at the core of education.
After years in the second-grade classroom, I discovered that picture books are powerful tools that can be used in any subject area. They help students grasp complex concepts in reading, writing, science, social studies, and social-emotional learning.
But I also understand the realities of teaching—the time constraints, the curriculum demands, and the pressure to justify every instructional minute. That’s why I’ve created a practical approach to read alouds that works in real classrooms with real schedules.
I’m not here to add one more thing to your plate. I’m here to show you how to make read alouds work for you and your students, no matter how packed your day is.
SIGN UP NOW - IT'S FREE!
Don’t let another school year go by where read alouds are an afterthought! Join us and discover how to make picture books a powerful, organized, and efficient part of your teaching day.