As little ones step into this new chapter of their lives, they are not only greeted with new friends and teachers but also with valuable life lessons! Among the treasure trove of pre-k books there are those that hold special significance - stories about sharing, taking care of school supplies, exploring feelings, and celebrating families! Oldies but goodies (as I like to call them!) and a few new stories too!
Here's a tried and true list of read alouds for the first week of pre-k:
The Kissing Hand - Probably the most read & most popular first week of school book out there! It is the sweetest story about a little racoon with seperation anxiety as he prepares to go to school for the first time. There are SO many activities out there to go along with the story and parents LOVE the story too!
Llama Llama Red Pajama - This one is great for learning color words and it rhymes! Students love this book because it has a memorable character to whom they can identify with. It's one children love to hear read over and over again!
Llama Llama Time to Share - Another fantastic llama story.. as all the Llama LLama books are! Rhymes and encourages sharing, what could be better than that?! This is a great book to keep in your calm down area too!
Grover Goes to School - A classic! I still remember MY mama reading this to me as I started school! I remember so vividly Grover wanting friends to like him so he shared his school supplies TOO much! Love, love, love this book and I read it to my students every year!
The Night Before Preschool - Natalie Wing books are THE BEST! I own quite a few and the holiday ones are hilarious. This book is charming and has great illustrations!
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus - Another fan favorite! Funny, engaging, and a great one to start off a lesson on bus safety!
Berenstain Bears Go to School - Another classic and who doesn't love the Berenstain Bears?! Although Sister Bear is starting kindergarten, it is still a wonderful story about first day jitters!
Pete the Cat: Rockin in My School Shoes - I don't know when Pete the Cat stories popped up but my students were hooked! I own several Pete the Cat stories and they are super silly.. just what kids love!
Our Class is a Family - This is a #1 best seller and has modern AND CUTE illustrations! It's a quick read but has lots of rhyming! I love it because it talks about building a classroom community!
Too Much Glue - Awesome story for introducing glue! I always taught a whole lesson about how to handle glue..how to twist the top, how to close the top, etc. Many craft ideas for this book go with this book as well!
As you are gearing up for the first week of pre-k, consider adding a few of these titles to your teacher wish list! An easy way to make a simple wish list is to write needed school supplies, snacks, or books on post-it notes and stick them on your whiteboard/bulletin board during meet the teacher day. Parents can take choose a post-it and bring back the item during the first week of school.
You can also create an Amazon wish list of book titles. That way, whenever parents ask if there is anything you need, you can refer them to your already organized list!
Another idea is to search your local thrift stores. When I was a brand new teacher I brought a whole stack of children's books to the checkout counter at Goodwill. They asked why I had so many and I explained I was starting my classroom library.. they gave me the books for free! This might not always happen, but you can always give it a try!
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