Without a doubt, my favorite part of each school day is reading aloud to my students. And it’s not just fun for me–sharing a novel together has almost endless benefits for children! They get to listen to a fluent reader, talk about a text with their peers, and most importantly, enjoy a good story! Using novels together in class is also an authentic and engaging way to teach and reinforce important reading skills. I use novels to teach all of the fiction skills and strategies we learn in fifth grade, from connections to characterization.
Reading novels out loud is also a great way to introduce your students to characters and experiences that can expand their world view. There’s a lot of kid lit out there, but I try to be intentional about which books I choose to read with my students. I purposely choose books that have protagonists who aren’t white males because unfortunately, white characters are still the norm in publishing, and I want to make sure my kids are exposed to a wide variety of people and cultures.
Read on to see my top five read aloud recommendations and why my students loved each book!
Continue reading “Five Novels You Need to Read With Your Fifth Graders”
Earlier this school year, I started doing something in my classroom that has forever changed how I assess my students’ understanding of the novel we use for our read aloud. This activity is easy to implement, requires just an index card, and allows your students to showcase their creativity. It’s the six word summary, and it is amazing!
