What is this illness Reading Comprehension Resource?

This Illness Reading Comprehension Unit is about germs, health, and vaccines. It includes tons of printable resources like leveled reading comprehension passages, discussion questions, writing prompts, vocabulary cards and activities, assessments, worksheets, and much more. You’ll have what you need to teach a comprehensive unit or series of lessons on this non-fiction topic.

What Does This Illness Resource Include?

This illness reading comprehension resource includes the following:

Teaching Guide

The teaching guide walks you through the different resources and suggests how to implement them in your classroom. You’ll have what you need to confidently implement the printable illnesses reading comprehension worksheets and activities.

Vocabulary Cards

The vocabulary cards each have the vocabulary term, an image that represents the word, and a kid-friendly definition.

Vocabulary Activities

The vocabulary activities help students develop an understanding of each of the vocabulary terms and be able to confidently use them in conversation.

3 Leveled Reading Passages

The three illness leveled reading comprehension passages help you differentiate and meet the needs of all your students, and help them feel confident in their reading abilities. Each illnesses reading passage was carefully crafted to look similar and have the same key vocabulary, but be scaled to meet the needs of a typical class with varied reading abilities.

Discussion Prompts

The discussion prompts promote reading comprehension and thoughtful class or small group discussions.

Discussion Prompt Cards

Laminate, cut out, hole-punch, and put the discussion cards on a ring so you can reuse them year after year.

Reading Comprehension Activity

This illness reading comprehension worksheet is based on the text structure of the reading passages, which gives students valuable practice opportunities.

Writing Prompt and Thematic Writing Paper

The writing prompt and thematic writing paper support students in practicing their writing skills in this integrated unit.

2 Comprehension Check-Ins

There are two comprehension check-ins with answer keys. This allows you to grade them quickly and differentiate as needed.

Why Teachers Love Our Non-Fiction Reading Units

Listed below are some of the reasons elementary teachers love our non-fiction reading units.

1. Our non-fiction units include an abundance of resources to choose from. This allows you to select which activities are best for your students.
2. All of the activities are either low-prep (some quick cutting) or no prep (just print and go) which saves you tons of time while still offering engaging learning opportunities to your students.
3. We’ve intentionally designed many of the resources to be open-ended and to include differentiated versions to make it easy for you to meet the needs of all your students. This also means that if you change grade levels in the future, you will likely still be able to use them with minimal modification.
4. All of our non-fiction units follow the same format and include the same types of activities customized to each topic. This creates a cohesive, year-long routine where students know the expectations and are able to focus on the topic.
5. All of our non-fiction units integrate reading, writing, and speaking standards with a timely and engaging topic, so students are fully engaged while practicing important skills.

Related Illness Picture Books

Check out the related illness picture books below that pair well with the illness comprehension worksheets and passages.

Other Illness Resources

Below are some other illness teaching resources that you may be interested in.

In closing, we hope you found this post about these illness reading comprehension passages, activities and worksheets helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:

• How to Create a Healthy Classroom Environment to Reduce the Spread of Germs
• January Activities for Elementary Students
• 100+ Winter Activities for Elementary Students

The post Illness Reading Comprehension Activities for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

3 Picture Books with Clever Characters

Below is a list of some of our favorite picture books with clever characters. Check them out below!

1. My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza

My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza is about a fox thinks that it’s his lucky day when a piglet shows up on his doorstep. He doesn’t even have to go out hunting! His food has come and found him. He pulls the piglet inside and prepares to eat him. Now this piglet is a very smart piglet. He gets the fox to bathe him, feed him, and massage him. It makes the fox feels so sleepy that he falls asleep and the piglet escapes with his cookies. When the piglet gets back home, he relaxes by the fire, eats his cookies, and figures out who he will visit the next day.

Check out these My Lucky Day Lessons and Activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

2. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson is about a small mouse who goes for a walk through the forest. During his walk, the mouse runs into several larger animals that want to make a meal of him. The clever mouse tricks each animal by saying he is off to have lunch with a gruffalo, a made up creature that scares each animal off.

To the mouses surprise, he encounters the gruffalo on his walk. With quick thinking, the mouse takes the gruffalo on his walk and introduces him to the other animals. In the end, the mouse scares the gruffalo off and is able to enjoy a snack.

Check out these The Gruffalo Lessons and Activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

3. The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza is about a very hungry wolf! He has a craving for chicken stew and is pleased when he sees a chicken walk by him. He decides that this chicken will be perfect for his stew, but first he needs to fatten her up.

The wolf brings the chicken pancakes, doughnuts, and a cake. He leaves them at her door. When the wolf decides the chicken must be fattened up, he goes to eat her.

When wolf gets to the chicken’s house, she opens the door and brings the wolf inside. She tells her chicks that the wolf brought them the food and they jump on him with joy and thank him. The wolf does not eat the chickens, and instead has developed a friendship with them.

Check out these The Wolf’s Chicken Stew Lessons and Activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

Grab the Free Reading Resources!

In closing, we hope you found this list of picture books with clever characters helpful! They are part of our Starts With a Story collection. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!

The post Clever Characters in Picture Book Read Alouds for Elementary Teachers appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

6 Realistic Fiction Books for Kids

Below is a list of some of our favorite realistic fiction books for kids at the elementary level. Check them out below!

1. Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst

Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst tells the story of a young boy named Alexander. He really likes money and wants to buy a pair of walkie-talkies. One day, Alexander’s grandparents come to visit and they give him and his brothers a dollar each. Everyone in his family has suggestions for what Alexander should do with his money. He eventually starts spending his money little by little, instead of saving for the walkie-talkies. Alexander goes to the store to buy gum, makes bets with his family, and buys a one eyed bear at a garage sale. Before he knows it, Alexander is out of money and left trying to come up with a way to get more.

Check out these Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

2. Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan

Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan is told from the point of view of Rubina. Rubina receives her first invitation to a birthday party, and is overjoyed to go home and tell her family about it. However, she is met with disappointment when Ami tells her that in order for her to go to the birthday party, she has to bring her little sister, Sana. Rubina brings Sana to the birthday party and has a miserable time. They both get goodie bags from the party that have a big red lollipop in them. Sana eats hers right away, and Rubina hides hers away for the next day. When Rubina wakes up the next morning, she is furious when she discovers that Sana has eaten her lollipop! Eventually, Sana gets invited to a birthday party. She becomes devastated when Ami tells her she has to bring their littler sister Maryam. Instead of letting Sana be miserable at the party, Rubina tells Ami to not make Sana bring Maryam. Sana gets to have fun at the birthday party, and brings home a big green lollipop for Rubina.

Check out these Big Red Lollipop lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

3. Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats is a coming-of-age picture book that many children with siblings can connect to. Peter is constantly reminded of the new baby in his house, Susie. He has to play quietly, help his family, and even give his sister his old furniture. Peter sees his family painting the crib, cradle, and even the high chair pink for his sister. While they are not looking, he takes his old baby chair and his trusting dog to run away. Landing close to home, he sits in his baby chair and realizes he is much too big! His mom then makes something special for lunch and Peter returns, but not without playing a little trick! With this, he realizes that his baby sister is a new member of their family, and helps his dad to paint his last remaining piece of baby furniture pink.

Check out these Peter’s Chair lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

4. Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell

Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell is about how Adrian Simcox talks about his horse all the time. The horse has a golden mane and big brown eyes. But a little girl knows he is lying.

Told from the perspective of a peer, we see Chloe get more upset the more he talks about his horse. She complains to her mom, who brings her to Adrian’s house. His tiny house is half the size of hers! It even looks like it is trash day, but it is not. She then realizes that understanding is the key ingredient in friendship.

Check out these Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

5. Watercress by Andrea Wang

Watercress by Andrea Wang is about how a young girl and her family are traveling down a road in their old Pontiac. Suddenly, her parents get very excited- they see watercress growing off of the road! They all get out of the car to help gather this harvest of vegetables. As the family is deep in the muck, the child feels embarrassed and hopes no one she knows sees her.

Later that night, as they are sitting down for dinner, the young girl refuses to eat the watercress. She feels frustrated this food did not come from the grocery store. Her mother quickly goes to get a photo, where we learn that members of her family passed during the famine in her country.

Check out these Watercress lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

6. Saturday by Oge Mora

Saturday by Oge Mora is about a mother and daughter relationship. Ava could hardly wait. After her mother worked all week, it was finally Saturday! She looked forward to spending this time with her mom. They usually would go to the library for storytime, get their hair done, and picnic in the park. This Saturday was especially special because they were going to a puppet show!

Hopes started high that morning, but slowly, everything started to go wrong. Storytime was cancelled at the library, a splash from a car ruined their hairdos, and the park was too loud for a picnic. They rushed to the bus before they missed it for the puppet show. When they got to the front of the line, Ava’s mother realized she forgot the tickets in the kitchen! Ava’s mom broke down, but Ava reminded her that the most important thing about Saturday was that they were together. After, they went home and put on a puppet show of their own! After all, being together is really all that matters.

Check out these Saturday lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

Grab the Free Reading Resources!

In closing, we hope you found this list of realistic fiction books for kids helpful! They are part of our Starts With a Story collection. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!

The post Realistic Fiction Books for Kids at the Elementary Level – 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

This post features the following March read alouds:

• Women’s History Month Read Alouds
• Read Across America Books
• Children’s Books for Disability Awareness Month
• Leprechaun Read Alouds
• St. Patrick’s Day Children’s Books
• Holi Picture Books
• Spring Books for Kids
• Easter Books for Kids
• National Crayon Day Children’s Books

9 March Read Aloud Topics

Check out the list of 9 March read aloud topics you need in your classroom library.

1. Women’s History Month Read Alouds

March is Women’s History Month! This list of Women’s History Month Read Alouds is all about strong and powerful females. Titles included on this list are Rosie Revere, Engineer and Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre.

2. Read Across America Books

Read Across America Day always occurs during the month of March! These Read Across America Books help to encourage students to read while also celebrating the world of stories! A few titles included on this list are Jabari Jumps, Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre and We Are Water Protectors.

3. Children’s Books for Disability Awareness Month

March is Disability Awareness Month. This list of Children’s Books for Disability Awareness Month includes the titles Just Ask!, My Brother Charlie and Rescue and Jessica.

4. Leprechaun Read Alouds

This list of Leprechaun Read Alouds include multiple great stories to read on St. Patrick’s Day. Some titles included on this list are Clever Tom and the Leprechaun, How to Catch a Leprechaun and The Gingerbread man and The Leprechaun loose in the School.

5. St. Patrick’s Day Children’s Books

St. Patricks Day always takes place on March 17th. This list of St. Patrick’s Day Children’s Books are all about Leprechauns, four-leaf clovers, and St. Patricks Day luck! Some books included on this list are The Luckiest Leprechaun, Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato and Fiona’s Luck.

6. Holi Picture Books

Holi takes place during the month of February or March to celebrate the start of spring and the end of winter. This list of Holi Picture Books include stories about colors and family traditions! Titles included on this list are Holi Hai! and Festival of Colors.

7. Spring Books For Kids

March is the first month of Spring! This list of Spring Books For Kids include stories about flowers, rabbits, and gardens. A few stories included on this list are Tops and Bottoms, Those Pesky Rabbits and The Curious Garden.

8. Easter Books for Kids

Easter takes place in either April or March. This list of Easter Books for kids are all about eggs, bunnies, and Easter traditions! A few books included on this list are The Great Eggscape, The Easter Egg and The Easter Bunny’s Assistant.

9. National Crayon Day Children’s Books

These National Crayon Day Children’s Books include stories about a worldwide favorite coloring tool! This list includes titles like The Day the Crayons Quit, Harold and The Purple Crayon and The Day the Crayons Came Home.

In closing, we hope you found this list of March read alouds helpful!

The post March Read Alouds for Elementary Teachers (Grades 1-5) in 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

This post features the following February read alouds:

• Groundhog Day Books
• Valentine’s Day Picture Books
• Black History Month Books for Kids
• Presidents’ Day Books for Kids
• Dental Health Picture Books
• Substitute Teacher Books
• Holi Picture Books
• Jan Brett’s Winter Books
• 100th Day of School Books
• Random Acts of Kindness Week Children’s Books

10 February Read Aloud Topics

Check out the list of 10 February read aloud topics you need in your classroom library.

1. Substitute Teacher Books

February is a common time when teachers get sick, which means they have to prep their sub plans in advance! Some Substitute Teacher Books included on this list are The Substitute Teacher from the Black Lagoon, Miss Nelson is Missing, and Substitute Creacher.

2. Jan Brett’s Winter Books

Jan Brett’s Winter Books are perfect to read in the classroom during the cold month of February! A few titles included on this list are Cozy, The Hat and The Mitten.

3. 100th Day of School Books

The 100th day of school is a fun day to celebrate. A couple of good 100th Day Of School Books included on this list are The Night Before the 100th Day of School and 100th Day Worries.

4. Groundhog Day Books

Groundhog Day is always on February 2nd. This list of Groundhog Day Books features many entertaining stories about groundhogs! Some titles included on this list are Groundhug Day, Groundhogs Day Off and Groundhog Gets a Say.

5. Valentine’s Day Picture Books

Valentines Day always takes place on February 14th. This list of Valentine’s Day Picture Books includes stories with patterns of hearts, roses, chocolate, and loving one another! A few titles included on this list are Love Monster and The Last Chocolate, The Love Letter and Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch.

6. Black History Month Books for Kids

February is Black History Month. This list of Black History Month Books for Kids includes many great titles such as My Brother Martin, Henry’s Freedom Box and The Story of Ruby Bridges.

7. Presidents’ Day Books for Kids

Presidents’ Day is always in February. This list of Presidents’ Day Books for Kids include many stories about The White House, voting, and the election process. A few titles included on this list are Duck for President, Looking at Lincoln and If I Ran for President.

8. Dental Health Picture Books

February is National Children’s Dental Health month. These Dental Health Picture Books help educate students on this importance of taking care of their teeth! Some titles included on this list are Doctor De Soto, How to Catch the Tooth Fairy, and Bear’s Loose Tooth.

9. Holi Picture Books

Holi takes place during the month of February or March to celebrate the start of spring and the end of winter. This list of Holi Picture Books include stories about colors, parades, and family traditions. A couple of titles included on this list are Holi Hai! and Festival of Colors.

10. Random Acts of Kindness Week Children’s Books

Random Acts of Kindness Week takes place during the month of February. A few Random Acts of Kindness Week Children’s Books included on this list are Be Kind, The World Needs More Purple People, and Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed.

In closing, we hope you found this list of February read alouds helpful!

The post February Read Alouds for Elementary Teachers (Grades 1-5) in 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

5 Adventure Picture Books

Below is a list of some of our favorite adventure picture books for kids at the elementary level. Check them out below!

1. The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat is about how Beekle has a problem. Children in the real world have imagined all the other imaginary friends besides him. He is the only one left on Imaginary Friend Island. Instead of waiting for a child to imagine him, Beekle decides to go out to the real world and find his friend himself.

Beekle travels to the real world, and is the first imaginary friend to do so. He finds his way into a park with children playing with other imaginary friends. Beekle climbs to the top of a tree and waits for a friend to find him. He is sad when everyone goes home, and then he hears someone say hello. His real world friend has finally found him!

Check out these The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

2. Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is about a mischievous boy named Max. Max likes to wear his wolf costume and pretend to be a wild thing. Max gets sent to his room without dinner when he is rude to his mother and slowly his room turns into a forest and he travels to wear the wild things are.

When Max arrives where the wild things are they show him their terrible claws, roars, and gnash their terrible teeth. Max becomes king of the wild things and leads him in a rumpus.

Max grows lonely and misses having someone who truly loves him so he returns home. His supper is waiting for him in his room and it is still warm.

Check out these Where The Wild Things Are lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

3. Corduroy by Don Freeman

Corduroy by Don Freeman is about a bear that lives in the toy department of a store. Each day, he hopes that someone is going to take him home. One day, a little girl stops by to look at Corduroy. While she wants to take the bear home, her mother said she had already spent too much money in the store. She also said Corduroy did not look new because he was missing a button. 

That night once all the shoppers have left the store, Corduroy goes out in search of his missing button. He takes the escalator upstairs, thinking it is a mountain and he has always wanted to climb a mountain. He makes his way into a room full of chairs, sofas, lamps and mattresses. When Corduroy is climbing on one of the mattresses he finds a button. He pulls and pulls until the button snaps off and sends him flying. That alerts the watchman who finds Corduroy and brings him back to the toy shelf.

The next morning, Corduroy wakes to find the little girl from the day before. She had returned to the store with money from her piggy bank to take Corduroy home. She brings him to her room where she has a little bed set up for him, right next to hers. Lisa replaces Corduroy’s button and he realizes she is a friend. Something both of them had always wanted.

Check out these Corduroy lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

4. The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen

In The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen, there was a circus ship with a greedy boss floating off the coast of Maine. When the boat began to crash, he told the captain to save him, not the animals.

The animals float to shore and frolic through the town, raising chaos. That is, until there was a fire and the tiger remembered how he used to jump through rings. He went into the building and saved the family.

From that moment, the townspeople appreciated the animals. A messenger came running, saying the greedy boss was there to collect his animals. Quickly, the people disguised the animals so the ringleader could not take them. The animals and people lived happily together in the little town of Maine from then on.

Check out these The Circus Ship lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

5. The Couch Potato by Jory John

In The Couch Potato by Jory John, The Couch Potato is happy with his life. He spends all day on the couch, and doesn’t have to get up for anything. He loves his comfortable couch and is happy that he never has to leave. He has gadgets and devices that can do everything for him and he doesn’t have to meet up with friends in person! He can see them through the screens. The Couch Potato thought that this was the perfect life.

One day, a new device was delivered to The Couch Potato. When he went to plug it in, the power went out! For the first time, he had nothing to do! The Couch Potato decided to take his dog outside for a walk. That’s when he noticed how bright it was and took in all the colors. His walk continued and he heard the birds chirping and noticed the stillness of nature. The Couch Potato enjoyed his time outside and relaxed in the park next a big tree. He took in his surroundings: the clouds, view and sunset.

When he finally returned home, he realized how much of his life he was spending on the couch. In that moment, The Couch Potato decided to spend more time outside. He played outside with his friends more often and took a break from all the technology. The Couch Potato realized he was so much more: entertaining, kind, and smart. But at the end of a long day one thing stayed the same, he still enjoys relaxing on the couch.

Check out these The Couch Potato lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

Grab the Free Reading Resources!

In closing, we hope you found this list of adventure picture books helpful! They are part of our Starts With a Story collection. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!

The post Adventure Picture Books for Elementary Teachers in 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

2 Poetry Read Alouds

Below is a list of some of our favorite poetry read alouds. Check them out below!

1. Change Sings by Amanda Gorman

In Change Sings by Amanda Gorman, presidential inaugural poet, Amanda Gorman, shares that to make change, we all need to work together. Despite background, disabilities, culture, and income, when we come together, we are stronger. Written in the first person, Amanda takes us on an empowering journey as she exudes kindness, inclusivity, and teamwork. With the incredible artistry of Loren Long, students will see the variety of ways that together, we can make a difference. They share that rather than building fences, build bridges, and to support members of the community that are less fortunate. This heartwarming and impactful story will be sure to get students thinking about the power within ourselves!

Check out these Change Sings lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

2. The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander is originally from ESPN’s Undefeated. This story is written as a poem throughout the pages. This book covers ground from the deep trauma of slavery, to the bravery of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to the more recent Serena sisters. This beautiful text includes detailed illustrations, rich vocabulary, and a timeline of all that African-Americans have endured.

Check out these The Undefeated lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

Grab the Free Reading Resources!

In closing, we hope you found this list of poetry read alouds helpful! They are part of our Starts With a Story collection. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!

The post Poetry Read Alouds for Elementary Teachers (Grades 1-5) in 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

5 Children’s Books about Helping Others

Below is a list of some of our favorite children’s books about helping others. Check them out below!

1. Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett is about how Annabelle lives in a dark and dreary little town. One day, she discovers a box filled with colorful yarn. She decides to knit herself a sweater, and when there is leftover yarn she knits one for her dog. Everyone starts to notice Annabelle’s colorful sweaters so she begins to make them for others: her neighbor, teacher, classmates, and animals. Each time she knits something, there is still extra yarn! Word spreads about Annabelle and her magic yarn, and people begin visiting the town. An archduke even comes and offers Annabelle large amounts of money for the box of yarn, but she declines. The archduke is angry and decides to have robbers steal the box of yarn. When he returns home, the archduke is surprised to find the box is empty. He throws the box out the window and curses Annabelle. However, the box makes its way back to Annabelle and she continues to knit.

Check out these Extra Yarn lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

2. Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris

Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris is about how Kamala and Maya had the great idea of turning the courtyard in their building into a playground. After all, it wasn’t being used and it would give the children a place to play. They asked their mother how they could make it happen and she told them to talk to the landlord about it. The girls wrote a letter and drew a picture and brought them to the landlord to discuss their idea. Right away he told them no. While the girls were disappointed, they kept thinking about how to change his mind. 

The girls talked to the other children in the building who were just as excited about the idea of a playground. Later, they all returned with a longer letter and again he told them no. He did tell them they could build the park if they do it on their own. Determined, the girls got started on the project. They talked to their parents, made posters, and knocked on doors. Unfortunately they got the same answer from everyone: no. One neighbor, Mr. Green, did stop to talk. He offered to get some scrap lumber and sand from work to build a sandbox. Another neighbor brought an old tire for a teeter-totter. Slowly, more and more people started to help turn the courtyard into a park. The neighbors, children and landlord were all impressed with Kamala and Maya and what they were able to accomplish. This book teaches students to follow their dreams, never give up and the power of working together.

Check out these Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

3. A Hat for Mrs. Goldman by Michelle Edwards

A Hat for Mrs. Goldman by Michelle Edwards is about Mrs. Goldman and Sophia. Mrs. Goldman knits hats for many people and she teaches Sophia how to knit and add pom-poms to the hats. Sophia loves spending time with Mrs. Goldman. 

One day, Sophia and Mrs. Goldman walk Mrs. Goldman’s dog in the cold winter weather and Sophia notices that Mrs. Goldman doesn’t have a hat to wear. Mrs. Goldman tells Sophia that she gave her hat to Mrs. Chen. Sophia decides that she will make Mrs. Goldman a hat. 

Sophia works very hard on the hat over many days. When she finishes, she notices big holes in it and uses pom-poms to cover the holes. She surprises Mrs. Goldman with the hat and Mrs. Goldman loves it.

Check out these A Hat for Mrs. Goldman lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

4. Just Help! by Sonia Sotomayor And Angela Dominguez

Just Help! by Sonia Sotomayor and Angela Dominguez is a story about children making their community a better place. Readers will be encouraged to find the small, simple ways they can help others each day.

Each morning, Sonia’s mother asks her what she will do to help that day. Sonia looks up to her mother who is a nurse at the hospital. At school that day, Sonia and her friends were making care packages for soldiers fighting overseas. Everyone brought in items to add to the care packages. Later, she and her friends work together to clean up the park. Each small act of kindness inspired someone else to help in a different way. Brooklyn started a recycling program at school, Jasper donated toys to patients at the children’s hospital, and Maya gave a sweater away to her friend.

At the end of the day, Sonia’s mother asks her what she did to help that day. Sonia thinks back on all the things she and her friends did to help their community. But she also reflects on all of the people that helped her and their community. Sonia Sotomayor’s book is sure to get children inspired to help!

Check out these Just Help! lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

5. Amos McGee Misses the Bus by Philip C. Stead

Amos McGee Misses the Bus by Philip C. Stead is about how Amos McGee is so excited for his outing the next day that he is up all night unable to sleep. When he wakes up the next day, he is in a rush to get to work and isn’t thinking clearly. Amos makes a lot of mistakes that prevent him from getting to work early enough to finish his chores so he can go on an outing.

Amos tells the animals that he was so tired from not being able to sleep and very disappointed about missing his outing. The animals let Amos nap and work together to do his chores when he is sleeping. When Amos wakes up he discovers his chores are all done and he and the animals can go on an outing together.

Check out these Amos McGee Misses the Bus lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

Grab the Free Reading Resources!

In closing, we hope you found this list of children’s books about helping others helpful! They are part of our Starts With a Story collection. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!

The post Children’s Books about Helping Others for Elementary Teachers appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

4 Performing Arts Books for Kids

Below is a list of some of our favorite performing arts books for kids at the elementary level. Check them out below!

1. Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman is about an imaginative little girl who wants to play the role of Peter Pan in her class play. When the other students in the class say that she can’t because she is a girl and she is black, Grace is determined to show that she can be the best Peter Pan. Amazing Grace teaches us about what can happen when you really want something and you put your mind to it.

Check out these Amazing Grace lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

2. Not Quite Snow White by Ashley Franklin

Not Quite Snow White by Ashley Franklin is about a girl name Tameika. Tameika loves to perform, and has loved every role she’s had. When she finds out that the school play is Snow White, Tameika can’t wait to audition and be a princess. However, Tameika overhears other students saying that she is too tall, too chubby, and too brown to be a princess.

Tameika becomes upset and starts to question whether or not she can be a princess because of her appearance. When she goes home, her parents help her get her confidence back and realize that she is just enough of everything needed to be a princess. Tameika goes back to school to audition the next day, and remembers all the good things about herself. She blows everyone away with her audition, and becomes Snow White.

Check out these Not Quite Snow White lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

3. We Will Rock Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

We Will Rock Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins is about how sometimes Penelope Rex feels like her classmates only see her as a dinosaur. They don’t see all the fun things she likes to do, like reading, drawing, playing games and making music. When Mrs. Noodleman tells the class about the upcoming talent show, Penelope realizes this is her chance to show her classmates who she really is. She wants to rock her classmates!

Although she is nervous, Penelope signs up for the talent show. She is so excited and it is all she can think about and talk about. When it is time for the dress rehearsal, Penelope starts to think about how she might not be a rockstar after all. She freezes on stage because she is so nervous! The next day, Penelope crosses her name off the talent show sign up sheet.

That night, Penelope’s father shows her all of the great things family members have accomplished. This helps Penelope see they are so much more than just dinosaurs. She decides to put her name back on the list the next day. As she makes her way over to the sign-up sheet, her classmates ask if they can be part of her band!

At the talent show, Penelope shows everyone how she is a rock star! Although her band doesn’t win, Penelope is happy she was able to show her class who she really is.

Check out these We Will Rock Our Classmates lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

4. Listening With My Heart by Gabi Garcia

Listening With My Heart by Gabi Garcia is about a girl named Esperanza who finds a heart shaped rock. She tells herself that she is going to use the heart to remind herself to listen with her heart with everything she does. Using the rock, she rescues a kitten and is friendly to Bao when he doesn’t have anyone to play with. 

Esperanza is excited for the school play and is devastated when she falls down and forgets her lines. She hides backstage and discovers the rock has broken. Bao gives Esperanza a picture that says friend, and Esperanza learns that she hasn’t been a friend to herself. 

Esperanza goes home and focuses on her favorite things to help herself feel better and be a friend to herself.

Check out these Listening With My Heart lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

Grab the Free Reading Resources!

In closing, we hope you found this list of performing arts books for kids helpful! They are part of our Starts With a Story collection. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!

The post Performing Arts Books for Kids at the Elementary Level – 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

5 Classic Read Aloud Picture Books

Below is a list of some of our favorite classic read aloud picture books. Check them out below!

1. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, two ducks. They are looking for a good place to make a nest and raise ducklings. After flying for a long time, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are too tired to keep going and land on an island in Boston’s Public Garden. They enjoy swimming in the water and eating the peanuts people throw from the swan boat. However, when they are almost run over by a bicycle, Mrs. Mallard decides they need someplace new. After flying around the city the land on an island in the river and start to make their nest. Soon after, their eggs hatch and Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are busy caring for their ducklings. When Mr. Mallard leaves to explore the river, Mrs. Mallard stays back and teaches the ducklings.

When it is time to start heading back to the Public Garden to meet Mr. Mallard, Mrs. Mallard teaches her ducklings to walk behind her in a line. They try and cross the street but there are too many cars! Thankfully a police officer comes to stop traffic and let the ducks cross. The family reunited in the pond and decides to live there.

Check out these Make Way for Ducklings lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

2. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

In The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, Ferdinand was a small bull who was different than all the other bulls. He preferred to sit quietly under a tree and smell the flowers. The other young bulls spend their days running, jumping and butting heads. Ferdinand was not interested in that. His mother worried that he was lonesome, but when she realized he was happy being alone, she let him be.

Check out these The Story of Ferdinand lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

3. Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus

Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus is about how Leo the Lion cannot yet read, draw, or write. He cannot eat neatly and he cannot speak. As his friends around him show signs of blooming, his dad begins to worry. His mom shares that they need to be patient, as Leo is a late bloomer. Then, one day, while no one was watching, Leo bloomed! He could read, write, adn draw. He could eat neatly and speak sentences. Join Leo and his family on a story that reminds us that everyone develops in their own time!

Check out these Leo the Late Bloomer lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

4. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton is set back in the 1930s amidst the end of the Great Depression. Mike Mulligan had a trusted steam shovel named Mary Anne. Together, they have dug out land for canals, mountains for highways, and cellars for skyscrapers. Over time, Mike sees that there is progress with newer and stronger machines, making Mary Anne almost obsolete. Mike finds one last chance to show the world how impressive Mary Anne is by digging a cellar in the town of Poppersville. Join Mike and his machine on an adventure of resilience, dedication, and hard work!

Check out these Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

5. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina is a timeless classic. The book tells the story of a small town peddler who sells caps. However, this peddler is not like other peddlers. He walks around town selling his caps stacked on his head. There are gray caps, red caps, blue caps, brown caps and even checkered caps.

One day, no one wants to buy caps from the peddler. Without money for lunch, he decides to take a walk in the country. After walking a while, he settles down under a tree for a nap, and his caps are still stacked on his head!

He wakes up to find that his caps are missing! He looks around only to look up into the tree, that’s where a group of monkeys are wearing his caps! He tells them to give them back but they don’t. He gets angry and stomps his feet, and the monkeys copy him! Finally, feeling frustrated the peddler throws his cap on the ground. The monkeys do the same! He is able to collect his caps and walk back into town.

Check out these Caps for Sale lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!

Grab the Free Reading Resources!

In closing, we hope you found this list of classic read aloud picture books helpful! They are part of our Starts With a Story collection. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!

The post Classic Read Aloud Picture Books for Elementary Teachers – 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.