Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Read Aloud Classroom podcast. We are back today with our interactive Read Aloud series. Last week we laid the foundation for transforming our Read Aloud time by exploring lesson planning strategies that work for busy teachers. Today we’re diving to the art of choosing the perfect picture book because when you have limited time, every book choice matters.
If you’re just joining us, we’re in the middle of a five part series designed to help you implement powerful, interactive read alouds, even with a packed schedule. And don’t forget to grab your free copy of 50 Picture Books Every Classroom Needs to support you on this journey. I will give you some more information on that at the end of this episode.
You know that feeling when you’re standing in front of your classroom library looking at all those books and thinking, which one should I choose? Maybe you’ve done what I’ve done. Grabbed a book off the shelf and winged it. Only to realize halfway through that it just wasn’t the right fit. Today, we’re going to make sure that never happens again.
But before we dive in deeper, if you’re loving these Read Aloud tips, be sure to hit that follow button so you don’t miss any of our five part series on Interactive Read Alouds. Each episode builds on the last to help you create those engaging reading moments in your classroom. So here’s the thing about interactive read alouds.
They are incredibly powerful teaching tools.
When you have a quality book and an effective lesson, you get so much bang for your buck. Our students are usually captive audiences during read alouds, which gives us this amazing opportunity to build and deepen their comprehension skills. But it all starts with choosing the right book. So I want to share five essential questions that I ask myself when I’m selecting books for read alouds.
And we’ll dive into some deeper selection criteria that can really transform your read aloud time. So question number one, will this book’s storyline or topic be interesting to my students? You know what I mean? We want those books that make kids’ eyes light up. Look for high quality books with enough complexity to spark curiosity.
And if you’re choosing nonfiction, here’s a pro tip. Look for books that read more like stories rather than just being packed with facts. We want to inform without overwhelming our students.
Question 2. Does this book mirror my students and offer windows to them? I love this concept from Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop. I hope books being both mirrors and windows. We want our students to see themselves, their families, and their experiences reflected in the books we choose. But we also want to give them windows into different lives and experiences.
This is where the magic of building empathy happens. Question 3, and this is crucial. Does this book help me teach the reading skill or strategy I’m targeting?
For example, if you’re teaching visualization, you’ll want a book with rich descriptive language. If you’re working on making inferences, look for books with some complexity in the plot or character development. Question four focuses on vocabulary. Does this book have rich vocabulary? With all we know from the science of reading research, vocabulary instruction is absolutely crucial.
I like to look for books that have between four to eight really good vocabulary words that we can dig into. It’s not just about learning new words, it’s about understanding why authors choose specific words, how we can use them ourselves.
And finally, question five. Is this book on my students listening level? Now, here’s something exciting. Research shows that students can usually comprehend text up to three grade levels above their reading level when they’re read aloud. We still need to make sure the concepts and ideas are accessible to them.
Now, let’s talk about some deeper selection criteria that can really elevate your read alouds. Think about choosing books that are funny, moving, exciting, and thought provoking. We want them to present a variety of cultures and perspectives. We want to help students understand how people handle life’s challenges.
And we want to address significant issues in their age group, friendship, family, peer pressure. And the book should also include engaging language patterns, especially for younger readers.
And don’t forget about genre variety. So try mixing fiction and nonfiction on the same topics. Include poems and articles in your read alouds. You could even create text sets around themes or authors and make sure that you’re using informational text strategically.
One thing that can be game changing in your classroom is looking for books that can serve multiple purposes. For example, finding a book that not only teaches the comprehension strategy you’re focusing on, but also connects to your social studies unit. That is a win win situation. I know what you might be thinking.
This sounds great, but when am I supposed to find time to look through all these books? I hear you. That’s exactly why I’ve created a free guide called 50 Picture Books Every Classroom Needs. And it’s so much more than just a book list. I know how precious your planning time is, which is why I’ve included ready to use discussion questions for each reading strategy, thinking prompts for your students, and practical tips for teaching these strategies with any book in your classroom library.
Whether you’re teaching theme, main idea, sequencing, point of view, or other essential reading strategies, you’ll have everything you need right at your fingertips. No more late night searching for the right questions to ask or wondering if you’re making the most of your read aloud time. So to grab your free guide, visit thecolorfulapple.
com slash 50 books and sign up. That’s thecolorfulapple. com forward slash five zero books. I’ll also leave a link in the show notes as well. But it will be delivered straight to your inbox, ready to help you plan meaningful, engaging read alouds that you can feel confident about. Think of it as your read aloud cheat sheet, because we all know that teaching is challenging enough without having to reinvent the wheel every time we pick up a picture book.
But remember, taking the time to choose the right book isn’t just one more thing on your to do list. It’s really an investment that makes everything else in your lesson more powerful and engaging. The perfect book can transform a good read aloud into an amazing learning experience.
Next week we’ll talk about how to deliver your interactive read aloud lesson once you’ve chosen the perfect book. You won’t want to miss it. Before we go I want to share our books of the week. This week we’re going to be talking about teaching character traits.
The first book that I have to teach character traits is The Paperback Princess by Robert Munch. This one really invites discussions about empowerment, courage, independence, as well as challenging those traditional gender roles by illustrating the strength of character over appearance. It really emphasizes that real heroines can save their day with their wit and courage, regardless of their appearance.
Next, I have Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. Chrysanthemum encourages your students to embrace their identities and respect others uniqueness. It reminds us that open mindedness and empathy can shift perspectives and contribute to an accepting environment. The third book I have to teach character traits is Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin.
Noticing that I really love all the books on this list, they’re all some of my favorite books. But dragons may love tacos, but hate spicy salsa. Adam Rubin discovers this as he hosts a taco party for his dragon friends. The party takes an unexpected turn when the salsa Much to the dragon’s dismay, turns out to be a spicy, leading to a chaotic and fiery mess.
Next we have Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle. This story portrays a young girl who is devoted to drumming, and in this book we learn how she stays true to herself and how she is determined to follow her dreams.
The fifth book I have to teach is The Name Jar by Yang Sook Choi. In this book, a young girl considers choosing a new name when students at her new school in America struggle to pronounce it. But as she embraces her Korean heritage and with the support of her friends, she discovers the beauty and strength in her name.
Thanks for joining me today in the Read Aloud Classroom. If you found value in this episode, I’d be grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a positive five star review. This helps spread the word to other teachers just like you. And come connect with me on Instagram at The Colorful Apple and find all of the links and resources mentioned today at TheColorfulApple.
com. Can’t wait to see you next week in the Read Aloud Classroom.
