A Read Aloud Favorite {Must Read Monday}

Hey everyone!  I have been thinking that it would be fun to share some of my favorite read aloud books with you. Over the past few days, I have been making a list and organizing ideas for a lengthy all-in-one post. That is, until I stumbled upon Amanda Madden's Must Read Monday linky.  Yay!

http://www.teachingmaddeness.com/2014/04/must-read-monday-chocolate-socks.html

Instead of that lengthy post I mentioned above, I'll share one of my favorites in a much shorter post today. (You're welcome...hehe).  And, I will share other favorites in future posts.  It's a win-win for all of us!

I love to read aloud to my students. It is such a magical time, seriously.  Whenever I sit in my chair with an open book, my students are silent as I read. Silent!  Their eyes widen, they lean forward, they laugh, and they gasp. Sometimes, they physically respond to the text by rolling their eyes, covering their face, or shrugging their shoulders.  They love to hear my read alouds just as much as I love to share them!

I'll be the first to admit that read aloud time can be hard to come by.  By read aloud time, I mean a time where I read books to my students "just because."  My read aloud books are not tied to a specific lesson or skill. While I definitely use books as mentor texts, etc. (all the time), I like to read to my students to help develop a love of books.  You know, reading for pleasure, unaccountable reading, reading for the purpose of enjoying the story behind the words.  But, since you're a teacher, I think you get it. ;)

I like to read aloud to my students once a day.  Honestly, this is easier on some days than others.  This is why I love the Mercy Watson series. 

http://www.amazon.com/Mercy-Watson-Boxed-Set-Adventures/dp/0763657093/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398746273&sr=8-1&keywords=mercy+watson
The chapters are very short, which is perfect for those days when I only have 5-10 minutes to read to my kiddos. Let's be honest, some days just do not lend themselves to a 15-20 minute read.

The text may not be overly challenging or difficult, but it does leave room for brief discussions about vocabulary.  It also lends itself to making predictions and inferences.  Plus, it is very high interest.  The kids are always so excited when I pull one of these books out.

Once I begin reading them in class, I often see my students returning from Library with borrowed copies of the books.  That always makes me smile a bit lot.  Anytime I can inspire my kiddos to want to read, I'm one happy teacher!

I hope to share more of my favorite read alouds in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, do you have a favorite "quick read aloud" that you use in your classroom?  If so, I'd love for you to comment and share.  I am always looking to add to my collection!

Toodles!
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4 comments:

  1. What a fun sounding series of books, I'll have to look them up! And thanks for introducing me to a new linky party!

    Butterflying Through Teaching

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  2. Argh, I just feel I don't have any time to read - just because. Thanks for the book suggestion. I love books that can be read in short chunks - and that the kids are willing to go check out from the library. Sara

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  3. I love Kate DiCamillo and really need to read this series. I just finished her newest - Flora and Ulysses - a few weeks ago, and I love it just as much as her others! Thanks for reminding me to look into getting this series. Looking forward to reading your future posts :)

    Rebecca
    Ladybugs Lounge

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  4. I just discovered Mercy this year. Caulkins recommends using her as a mentor text. Mercy is a riot and second graders just love her.

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I'd love to hear what you have to say!