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Who loves to read folktales to their class?! Folktales are great because you can learn about different cultures and traditions. Most folktales teach some type of lesson that can be discussed with students. They make great interactive read-aloud stories for library time as well as in-class read-alouds. Typically in folktales, the main characters are animals or objects instead of people. The exact definition of a folktale is a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people or folk, especially one forming part of the oral tradition of the common people. any belief or story passed on traditionally, especially one considered to be false or based on superstition. I made a list of my 16 favorite folktales of all time for you to check out for spring: *Links to purchase the books are all affiliate links which means that if you purchase from that link I make a small
Do you have a plan for teaching reading strategies to your K-2 learners? I’m talking reading strategies like these: You might be thinking “that is a lot!” How can I teach them ALL of those strategies at such a young age?! The point of teaching K-2 students about reading strategies is to equip them with strategies to help them understand the books they read tomorrow and the day after that. With consistent modeling and guided practice, our students will make these strategies their own. We can absolutely address teaching many of these reading strategies using picture books for this age of students. Is it shocking to you that students can learn advanced reading strategies through a basic picture book? They absolutely can, especially when you find the best of children’s literature! Here are some picture books you can use to teach different reading strategies (affiliate links included): Teaching Main
Have you tried using choice boards with your students yet when doing interactive read alouds? If you aren’t sure what an interactive read aloud is, I discuss it in great detail in this blog post. This Picture Book Digital and Print Choice Boards February BUNDLE are perfect to help accompany all of your February read alouds! The Picture Book Digital Choice Boards February BUNDLE is great for ages K-2 to accompany 4 different read aloud stories (Affiliate links below) Click, Clack, Moo I Love You! Love, Splat I Am Abraham Lincoln Whistle for Willie Due to copywriting issues, I could not read the stories aloud and include them in the product. So you can purchase the books yourself and read aloud in person or make a loom video or live stream version of your reading if you are teaching virtually. You could also check on Youtube or with your
February is National Black History Month. There are some great books for read-alouds that I love to use in February and some fun activities to go with them to help celebrate Black History Month that I would love to share with you today. Here are the best read alouds to celebrate Black History Month.  *This post contains affiliate links. It just means that if you purchase the products that I recommend, I receive a small commission. Thanks! HENRY’S FREEDOM BOX: A TRUE STORY FROM THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD  By: Ellen Levin Book Description: A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mailed himself to freedom. Henry Brown doesn’t know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves’ birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows
October is such a fun month for picture books! This time of year, everyone is getting excited for the upcoming holiday season and the weather changing. My October pictures favorites include a lot of fun Halloween stories, funny fall books, and plenty of giggles for your students! BONE SOUP BY CAMBRIA EVANS Known across the land for his infamous appetite, Finnigin is never seen without his eating stool, his eating spoon, and his gigantic eating mouth. But, when Finnigin finds himself in a new town on Halloween, he hopes to join a great feast with the creatures who live there. But not a body or soul will share any of their food with the ever-famished Finnigin. So what’s a hungry skeleton to do? Armed only with his wits and a special ingredient, will Finnigin be able to stir up a cauldron’s worth of Halloween magic? MISS SMITH AND THE
Perhaps more than ever before, Social-Emotional Learning is at the forefront of the minds of everyone involved in education. The following picture books address a variety of social-emotional learning. These authors deliver their messages in effective, resonant ways that speak to the elementary learner. Stock your shelves with these Ten Picture Books to Teach Social Emotional Learning. These titles are appropriate for all ages at the elementary level! Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig Brian is the invisible boy. Although everyone can physically see him, nobody includes him in their games or activities.  When new student Justin arrives and teams up with Brian on a project, it changes Brian’s life and shows everyone how much he has to offer. This is a great book to share that will especially speak to the introverts in your library classes or school.  Enemy Pie by Derek Munson Jeremy Ross moved into the neighborhood,

Keeping Cool in the Library is my blog, where I share my passion for fostering a love of reading with children. As a librarian, I believe reading should be fun and accessible to all students. That’s why I share engaging and interactive lesson plans, creative ways to build exciting library collections, and resources to inspire even the most reluctant readers in any classroom or library. Check out my blog posts and products in my store, and join my email list below.

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