Back to school is ALWAYS a hectic and often stressful time of year. Your routines aren't set in place yet, and you have so much to teach your kiddos about the school day (ESPECIALLY in primary grades).
The first few weeks of school should always filled with learning classroom routines and procedures, but teachers shouldn't forget to jam pack the day with fun opportunities for learning.
Here are some of my favorite read alouds and activities to complete during the first few weeks of school, PLUS some crafts and activities to pair with them!
I've always read First Day Jitters on the first day of school!! I love letting the students know that teachers feel nervous too (which I undoubtedly do...my nerves are crazy before the kids arrive). I always buy {way too much} apple juice and place these free labels on them from TPT.
This year, they colored in this free coloring page while they enjoyed their jitter juice at their seats.
Above are some of my favorite read alouds that have super cute crafts and activities to pair along with them!
My students and I read "Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners" by Laurie Keller. It can be a long read, so my advice it to kind of skip through and reword where needed for your primary students to understand.
Then, we sort through actions in a pocket chart and decide whether or not we would like if "otters" did that to us.
Above and below you can see differentiated craftivities for upper and lower primary students to go along with this adorable read aloud. One is a cut and paste (or the space can be used to draw) and the other is an open ended writing activity.
Our Class is a Family is an amazing story by Shannon Olsen, and I love the sense of class community that it promotes.
I create an anchor chart with my students to resemble the book.
Then, students and myself add our self portraits to our class family anchor chart. I just fold white printer paper into fours and cut it out prior to handing it out to students.
I'll display this year round (along with our class promises poster)!
Another one of my absolute FAVORITE stories for Kindergarten is "The King of Kindergarten" by Derek Barnes. The illustrations are stunning, and it gives such a sense of pride to all of my kinder students.
My kinders created their own sunshine inspired by the story. I love hanging their fantastic artwork in the hallway so early in the school year. I'm super proud to show off all of my new kings and queens on kindergarten.
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn is such a good read. I saved this for a few days into school this year instead of day one. I had a few students who were having a hard time adjusting after our first long weekend, so it was such a save to be able to teach them about the kissing hand after we returned to school.
The Magical Yet is certainly a great read year round, but I love highlighting how I am going to challenge them in kindergarten, and just how much they will grow!
It's also a lifesaver to be able to tell students to "believe in the magical yet" when they meet challenges and frustrations so early in the year.
I Walk with Vanessa is such a good early year read for two major reasons. One, it teaches students about kindness. Two, its all illustrations, and that helps me to engage my students in really observing pictures during read alouds throughout the year.
Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker...I need you some years more than others. This year, this book was a MUST. It teaches students the importance of taking the time to listen rather than always be the one speaking.
I hope these favorites of mine are helpful to you and your students!! If you would like any of the craftivities be sure to click on the pictures above or the links throughout the post. You can also find them at my Teachers Pay Teachers store!! If you would like to purchase these crafts and activities in a bundle to save money, click here or below!!!
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