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Sound It Out
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
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 our 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!
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.
Posted by: Iris | September 08, 2008 08:21 PMMy 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!
Posted by: Lindsay | September 12, 2008 11:20 PMI'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!
Posted by: Joanne | September 22, 2008 02:45 PMI teach second grade and my students love it when I read The BFG to them. They always beg for one more chapter. Another classic favorite is Charlotte's Web. I cry at the end every single year when I read it.
Posted by: Geri | November 02, 2008 02:35 PMAn exceptional one that I read with my fourth grade class every year is the BFG. It would also be great for third graders. My kids beg for me to read it daily. Particularly if you are into doing different voices, it is the perfect book.
Posted by: Lauren | December 14, 2008 09:59 AMI 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.
Posted by: Natalie Bernstein | December 15, 2008 03:38 PMThanks for the recommendations! Some of those titles are new to me, and I can't wait to check them out!
Posted by: Joanne | December 23, 2008 10:55 AMI have always believed and known how important reading is. My mom always made reading a priority and a "fun time" in our house (of 5 girls) and so we all grew up loving to read and loving books. I don't think the actual "severity" of how important it actually really is set in for me until here recently within the last couple months when I met children's author Emma Walton Hamilton. She has a new book out called "Raising Bookworms:Getting Kids Reading for Pleasure & Empowerment" and she talks many times throughout the book about how much more advantages readers have over non-readers including doing better in school, in life, and even that they are more likely to vote! She also provides some really good reading lists for each age and some tips for how to get kids reading and keep them reading including games, activities, and neat ideas for other fun things to do that incorporate reading or a book. The whole book is amazing, and you can find it at www.raisingbookworms.com
Posted by: Jessica | January 27, 2009 12:55 PMI had to chime in again and say that my boys (5 and 6) loved The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. This is a great family read aloud!
Posted by: Lindsay | February 03, 2009 12:04 AM
Comments
What grade do you find these books work best for?
Posted by: KSK | September 06, 2008 02:29 AM