Here is a collection of books for read-alouds and mentor texts during the fall season. These books feature diverse characters and have vivid illustrations. Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase. This does not cost you any extra money. Autumn Story Books Hiking Day– Follow a family as they hike up Hickory Hill and reach the summit. They see colorful fall leaves and…
There are two ways to think about holidays in public school. One is that you do not include any holidays in school activities. The other is to teach students about a range of different holiday celebrations from around the world throughout the school year. Try not to fall into the trap of only talking about holidays in December. This by default ends up centering Christmass and leaves out all of the important holiday celebrations from most other religions. Teaching about…
Jewish American Heritage month is during the month of May. Read about famous and everyday Jewish people from throughout history and present-day. To learn more about the month, visit jewishheritagemonth.gov. A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of The Snowy Day– Learn about the life of children’s book author Ezra Jack Keats, who grew up Brooklyn, N.Y., to Jewish Polish immigrants. Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909– Read about Clare…
Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks are ground squirrels that create burrows underground and hibernate in the winter. Create groundhog text sets using articles and books to introduce students to this furry rodent. Text sets allow students to build background knowledge about a topic as they read each new text. Discover books and articles to create groundhog text sets for students to read. Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click…
Early reader books are designed for students that are beginning to read independently. Students at this stage typically know a large number of sight words, cvc words, blends, digraphs, and are beginning to read some long vowels. Illustrations play an important role in most early reader books. They assist students in understanding the meaning of unfamiliar words and add in details about the story that the author is not able to do so with the limited text length. Typically students…
The beginning of the school year is a great time to read books about starting at a new school, culture, respect, names, and identity. Books with a diverse range of characters allow students to see their own and other cultures represented. It is especially important for MLs to read and listen to books where they see characters similar to themselves represented. Here are some great books to use a read aloud at the beginning of the school year. Many of…
Help students learn about schools around the world with this selection of books. Students can use the information that they learn to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between their own school and those that they read about. It is also a great opportunity for students that have attended school in other countries to share some of their own experiences. Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on an…
Get kids excited about reading during the summer with these fun summer-themed fiction and nonfiction books. Students will enjoy reading about the ocean, camping, and summer traditions. Many of the characters come from immigrant families or have family members that live in other countries. For more ideas about helping children read over the summer check out my Summer Reading Tips for ELLs. Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on…
Introduce students to a range of gender identities using picture books. Help them learn about different pronouns and how to use them. There are also books that show transgender and nonbinary kids and adults as the main characters. This set of gender identity picture books can be used throughout the year. They can help children see themselves and learn about the gender diversity around them. Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means I may receive a commission if…
Spring is a great time to read books about the environment, animal and plant life cycles, and other outdoor topics. For English Language Learners (along with all students) it is important to read books with characters from diverse backgrounds. Try and integrate characters with similar backgrounds as the students you work with so that they can see kids that are similar to themselves in the books that they are reading and listening to. Here is a list of spring books…