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Along with her background as a researcher, writer, and teacher, Joanne Meier is a mom. Join Joanne every week as she shares her experiences raising her own young readers, and guides parents and teachers on the best practices in reading.
Favorite classroom read alouds
September 3, 2008
A friend and I were talking yesterday about the chapter books we used to love reading aloud to our second grade classes. We both have vivid memories of hot and sweaty kids coming in from recess, settling into their desks and reading aloud for 10, 15 or 20 minutes (!) with the class begging for more chapters.
There's something so magical about the right read aloud. For second and third graders, classroom read alouds open up the mysterious world of long chapter books. Usually the read aloud book would be too much for the kids to tackle on their own, but they have complex enough story lines to satisfy the students' want for meatier tales. Most kids this age really want to move beyond picture books.
Here's a (very!) short list of great read aloud chapter books for second/third graders. Please comment in to add to my list! We'll create our own list and put it here!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A "no-brainer" for this list. Each chapter ends in a way that leaves kids begging for ONE MORE! Even if they've seen the movie, there's nothing quite like this book.
Mr. Popper's Penguins. With laugh out loud images of Mr. Popper and his performing penguins, this one never gets old. Many silly antics for your class to enjoy.
The Magician's Boy is a terrific step into the fantasy genre. Released in 2006, this shorter chapter book is about a magician's apprentice who finds himself intimately involved in a puppet show of Saint George and the Dragon. I don't want to give anything away, but I bet your class will recognize some characters along the way.
There are lots of good resources about read alouds. Jim Trelease, author of the Read Aloud Handbook, has a list on his site, and we've got good tips on reading aloud. There are literally hundreds of suggestions out there; everyone seems to have their own criteria and opinions. Whatever you read to your class, don't forget…have fun! It's contagious!
Note: Comments are owned by the poster. We are not responsible for their content.
That's a great list. Reading is so important and it is the foundation on which success in all classes is built on. A great program that I want to share with other parents and teachers is the k5stars program. http://www.k5stars.com has great fun learning for young kids. Their Sight Words game is a great way to teach kids how to read.
My boys are thrilled with chapter books as read alouds! Some we have enjoyed are: The Wizard of Oz, My Father's Dragon, The Chocolate Touch, Half Magic, The Necklace of Raindrops, Catwings, Ramona The Pest, The Mouse and the Motorcycle.
Although we have also read Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone, I feel the series content too heavy for my young children, especially after book one. I would LOVE some other suggestions in the fantasy genre for younger children!
I'm so glad to read your comment, Lindsay, about Harry Potter. I bought it the last time we were at the book store because I can't wait to share it with my girls. BUT I think I need to wait a year or two. I just finished the new Penderwicks book and wonder too whether that one is appropriate for them--so much about boys and dating!
I am a school librarian and the most successful read-alouds for 2nd graders are folk and fairy tales, full of rich language and themes where good triumphs over evil and wit trumps brawn. Too many of people race to chapter books that are way too heavy for young children and miss these essential stories. That said, my favorite chapter books to read aloud include Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins, Pigs Might Fly by Dick King-Smith, The Legend of Spud Murphy by Eoin Colfer and The Wainscott Weasel by Tor Seidler. All reward a person who can ham it up with different voices. And they're all hilarious.
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What grade do you find these books work best for?