What is your favourite back to school read aloud?
Most teachers have their ‘go-to’ book, but sometimes it is nice to mix it up. To save you searching the internet or local library for the perfect book to share with your students, we collated a list of our faves here.
Books are a great way to teach concepts, for brain breaks, lesson transitions, or as a trusty time fillers. We decided to break our suggestions up into two sections: First Day / Week of School and Social, Emotional & Growth Mindset titles. The books with a ** next to them indicate titles that are suitable for older students.
FIRST DAY / WEEK OF SCHOOL
“First Day” by Andrew Daddo & Jonathan Bentley
“Old Friends, New Friends” by Andrew Daddo & Jonathan Bentley
“The Pigeon Has to Go to School” by Mo Willems
“Starting School” by Jane Godwin and Ann Walker
“Why I Love School” by Daniel Howarth
“My First Day at School” by Rosis Smith & Bruce Whatley
“Things I love about School” by Trace Moroney
“First Day Jitters” by Julie Danneberg
“Chomp Goes to School” by Melissa Mattox & Mark Chambers
“Zoo School” by Heath McKenzie
SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL & GROWTH MINDSET
“What should Danny Do” by Ganit and Adir Levy
“What should Darla Do” by Ganit and Adir Levy
“Tiger Days: A book of feelings” by M.H. Clark
“Whoever you Are” by Mem Fox **
“All the Ways to be Smart” by Davina Bell **
“Giraffes Can’t Dance” by Giles Andreae
“Pink is for Boys” by Robb Pearlman **
“Enemy Pie” by Derek Munson
“The Problem with Problems” by Rachel Rooney & Zehra Hicks
“Trying” by Kobi Yamada **
“How to Catch a Star” by Oliver Jeffers **
“Feelings” by Libby Walden & Richard Jones**
‘What to do with…’ series by Kobi Yamada (read more about these books here) **
Note to first-year and new teachers ⚠️
You don’t need to go out and buy these books. Your school or local library is bound to have a copy of one of these that you can borrow and enjoy with your class! Alternatively, you could find an online version on Youtube or perhaps your school has a subscription to an online library. Either way, save your dollars for a treat, because as a teacher heading into the school year – you deserve it!
Looking for more literature inspiration for your classroom?
Check out these 3 blog posts:
A list of Diverse Picture Books for Aussie Teachers
3 Books that Help Nurture a Growth Mindset
12 Picture Books to Support Learning in Math
We have also dedicated a whole page to early years reading material in our Kindy teacher survival guide. Find the guide here!
“This resources was very informational and extremely helpful at the beginning of the school year! It certainly helped everything run smoothly. ” – Brittany ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
One more thing before you go… are you a teacher in your 1st, 2nd or 3rd year of teaching? Come and join our Facebook Group. It is a group designed to help you through those first few years of your career. It is a supportive place where we share ideas, inspiration, and answer questions.
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What to read next:
Literacy Group Activities for Primary Students
Listening to Reading – Listening Ideas for Literacy Rotations
