The First Read Aloud

Two years ago, I left the classroom to begin serving as an elementary instructional coach.  There are many things that I miss about teaching, especially the first day of school.  I miss setting up my classroom, the smell of new crayons, the promise of new beginnings, and so much more.  However, the thing I miss the most is selecting the perfect book to read for the first read aloud to my class.

Reading aloud was the first thing we did as soon as the morning announcement ended.  The students were always so quiet, wondering, I am sure, what the first day would bring.  Many of them stared at me wide-eyed as I asked for their attention.  I could almost see the butterflies fluttering in their stomachs.  I loved saying "Good morning, I am so glad you are here!  Can you come join me on the carpet?  I would like to begin our year with a story." 

Over the years, I shared many wonderful books on that first week of school--First Day Jitters, Oh the Places You'll Go, Chrysanthemum, The Dot, as well as many others.  However, my favorite first book to read was The Big Orange Splot.  To prepare, I cut out a large orange splot, like the one on the cover of the book, from orange butcher paper.  This splot was the only thing that hung on the walls in our classroom when they arrived that first day--admittedly, I did get some raised eyebrows from parents. 



The Big Orange Splot

In this story,  a seagull with a can of bright orange paint "dropped the can (no one knows why) right over Mr. Plumbean's house."  This splot is quite upsetting to his neighbors who live on a "neat street."  When the story ended, the fun began.  The kids always made the connection to the seemingly out of place splot in our classroom and the story.  We would talk about our dreams, just like Mr. Plumbean and his neighbors.  Together we would make plans for our classroom.  What would it look like?  What procedures should we put in place?  What would we like to learn?  How do we like to learn?  The room buzzed with excitement. 

I learned about this book from a website I happened to stumble on years ago - Teaching Children Philosophy.  It has many other wonderful book suggestions along with questions to help you facilitate deep conversations.  Just a warning--not all of the topics presented are appropriate for elementary classrooms. 

What is your favorite first read aloud?  Share your ideas by commenting below.  I would love to hear from you!