Tear Jerker Read Alouds {And My Other Favs Too!}

Reading to my class is my FAVORITE part of the day.  I love when they settle in for their snack and I can just read.  I love picking things they'd never give a second glance to and I love choosing things we can dig deeply into.

Every year I have three books I read that make me cry.

They love it!  :)

They are...

Stone Fox

Find Stone Fox on Amazon

I have read this every year to my class... even when I taught 1st/2nd grade.  I love sharing this book, talking about the history, and asking students to take a stand to decide if Little Willie should win or if Stone Fox should win.

I love getting to the final race... reading fast... watching the kids literally sit on the edge of their seats.

And then, turning the page to the sad sad sad finale... but then the amazing kindness... and then just letting it all sink in.

I cry every single time.  Even though I've read it for 8 years now... every time!

Tear jerker #2...

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Find The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane on Amazon

So beautiful!  So perfect for talking about how characters can grow and change.  Every time it makes me think of my Meggie Kay- my Cabbage Patch Doll who was my bestest friend when I was little.

Tear jerker #3...

Hachiko Waits

Find Hachiko Waits on Amazon

Last year is actually the first year I read this.  And I made the mistake of doing it RIGHT after Stone Fox so we could draw comparisons... it's a fabulous story about friendship and loyalty, but also tugs at those heart strings!

I also have some books that make me LOL!  This year I was laughing more than the kids were when we read Pippi Longstocking.

Find Pippi on Amazon

We just finished it and will be watching the movie later this year... you know the totally 80s Pippi movie... YES!

I also L-O-V-E Little House in the Big Woods.  The chapter where the papa sees the "bear" in the woods only to realize that it's really a... oh, I won't ruin the hilarity for you.  But it's pretty hilarious!

Find Little House in the Big Woods on Amazon

Every year after we read Little House we make butter... it's so fun and such a good connection to the book!

You just need small jars with lids, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt.  The kids shake, shake, shake for about 20 minutes.  We pair up and share a jar.  Every two minutes or so, we switch and the other partner shakes.  About halfway through, I always start dumping out the buttermilk that forms in the jars.  It helps make the finished product more solid.

This is sooooo tasty!  We slather it on bread and enjoy a delicious taste of life from the past!

What are your favorite read alouds?  I'm always looking for new chapter books to add to my collection... do share in the comments!

Books, Books, BOOKS!

You guys are awesome! You have kept me forwarding and replying to e-mails all day!

I will send out the last free units when I wake up tomorrow. Since I have the day off from school, it's a toss up of whether I will be able to sleep in or if I'll wake up at my normal time... which, sadly, happens sometimes!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, see the previous blog post about read alouds!

Daily Read Alouds and an Outstanding FREEBIE for One Day Only!

A few years ago when I was working on my Master's degree, we talked about daily read alouds and I was surprised that not everyone just automatically reads aloud every day to their students.

I can get on quite a soapbox about this topic, so I'll try and remain calm (!) but I just wanted to share some of my favorite read alouds, get some from you, and relish in the joy of reading aloud to kids.

I read several times a day. During my Daily Five mini-lessons, I usually read at least one book every day for instructional purposes. I have some favorite book lists for comprehension strategies that you can find here.

I also read during snack. My students eat and I read from a chapter book. Sometimes we do things like draw our visualizations, keep track of good words or characters, or track character development. Other times, we just read to enjoy a good book. Some of my favorite chapter book read alouds are Charlotte's Web, Mr. Popper's Penguins, My Father's Dragon, The Chocolate Touch, Pippi Longstocking, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Stone Fox, and anything and everything Roald Dahl.

A few summers ago, two reading gurus from New Zealand visited my area and I attended a week long conference with them. Aside from being incredibly fun and entertaining, I learned a ton! They suggested doing 3 read alouds daily... 1 for instruction and 2 just for the heck of it. I have tried to embrace that philosophy since then. My kids LOVE when I read aloud to them and it is one of my favorite times of the day too.

I heard someone say once, "If my students can read to themselves, I don't need to read aloud to them". FALSE! My 8th grade language arts teacher (Mrs. Pinney... who I *love* and who inspired me to be a teacher!) read to us every day and I still remember it. I LOVED it!

Reading aloud helps your students develop important listening comprehension skills, hear fluent reading, and practice important skills like visualizing and predicting. Not to mention all of the instruction you can do on a whim- vocabulary, helping understand jokes, and showing emotion during a book. I love Stone Fox and read it every year even though it's a toughie and I have to help my students think through the story. But, I always cry and have a few students who do too. A few years ago, one of my little boys said in an awe-filled whisper with tears running down his cheeks at the end of the Stone Fox, "Wow. Who knew a book could make you feel something like that?". That was a teacher heaven moment that I will never forget!

So, in the spirit of all things read aloud, and Thanksgiving, and the giddiness I am still feeling after a HUGE Donor's Choose project of mine for tons and tons and TONS of stuff for my math workstations got funded last night, I am giving away my unit for The Chocolate Touch OR My Father's Dragon. Both of these are available for pay on The Teaching Oasis however, if you follow my ridiculous list of demands below, I will shower you with the free unit of your choice!

1.) Leave a comment suggesting a favorite read aloud and why you love it... either a picture book for instruction or enjoyment, or a chapter book. I'm in need of new chapter books because I looped with half of my class!

2.) In the comment, leave your e-mail address and which unit you'd like.

I'm going to be a jerk though and insist that demand #1 is followed! So, please recommend something for me and why. I looooove buying books and adding them to my library. I'm counting on you to help!

That's it! This is for one day only... so I'll start shipping out units on Tuesday (or maybe even tonight if I'm feeling ambitious!)! Marygrove College has a great blog on the importance of reading aloud for older students... if you can, go check it out!