Here Are 15 of My Favorite Books for Kindergarten
These are my favorite books for kindergarten! Are you searching for the perfect read-aloud books for the kindergarten students in your class? Or perhaps you’re an SLP looking for the perfect kindergarten books for speech therapy and reading aloud to small groups? This article provides an engaging kindergarten book list to build your speech room or kindergarten classroom library. This blog post is beneficial for kindergarten teachers and speech-language pathologists searching for the perfect story to read to students. So pick up a great book and get started! Hopefully, you will find some new favorites in addition to timeless classics. A great picture book can help encourage a love of reading in young students.
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Why Are Read-Alouds Beneficial?
Young children benefit from being read to.
There are so many reasons to read children’s books to your students!
Here are just a few reasons to read to your students:
- encourages vocabulary development
- develops comprehension skills
- increases listening skills
- is an engaging activity
- promotes critical thinking
- exposes children to cultural awareness
Vocabulary Development
First, reading stories aloud helps increase vocabulary development.
Children are exposed to new vocabulary words they wouldn’t otherwise hear in everyday conversation.
SLPs know that many children’s books expose children to tier II vocabulary.
Tier II vocabulary words are high-frequency words.
The most magnificent thing about them is that they can be used across settings.
“Explore” would be considered a tier II vocabulary word.
This is in contrast to tier I vocabulary words- those everyday words you would hear at home, such as ‘table’, or tier III words, which are specialized (such as medical terminology).
Reference:
“Tier 2 Word Lists and Vocabulary Lessons.” English Language Learning, blogs.sd41.bc.ca/ell/tier-2-word-lists-and-vocabulary-lessons/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Comprehension Skills
A story read-aloud helps expose children to narrative structure.
They learn about the plot structure, such as the characters, setting, rising action, climax, and resolution.
Reference:
Feccomandi, Andrea. “Narrative Structure: The Building Blocks of Stories.” Bibisco, 26 June 2024, bibisco.com/blog/narrative-structure-the-building-blocks-of-stories/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Listening Skills
Sitting and listening to a story helps build listening skills.
Children learn to focus and pay attention to the story.
Engagement
A delightful book that provides an imaginative journey can be the perfect way to engage your students.
Reading books about a child’s particular interests can also help to foster a love of reading.
Critical Thinking
You can target critical thinking skills during a story read-aloud.
Work on cause-and-effect by asking questions such as, “What happened because X did X?”
Your students can also make predictions before you turn a page in the book. “What do you think will happen next?”
Have your students compare and contrast characters, settings, or events in the story.
Your students can also work to identify the problem and solution in the story.
Can your students make connections between characters or events and their own lives? Start by asking, “Have you ever…?”
And finally, you can discuss the moral lesson of the story.
What was the point of the story?
What was the lesson learned?
Cultural Awareness
Books offer an engaging way to expose children to a variety of cultures, perspectives, and experiences.
How To Read Aloud
Here are some ideas for reading a story aloud to your students.
If desired, choose a story that teaches a specific concept.
Getting Started
Don’t forget about book covers! Show the cover and read the story name to your students.
Ask, “What do you think this book will be about?”
If you have interactive pieces or props for your story, pass one to each student.
For example, if reading a book like There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Lucille Colandro, you might create an “old lady” out of a tissue box.
Your students can “feed” the Old Lady while you read.
Alternatively, just grab a puppet that can be reused each year!
Highlighting Vocabulary and Student Involvement
You might also choose to have your students act out the story.
Your students could also help finish sentences when there is repetitive text, or do any actions (for example, if the character stomps, your students could also stomp).
Children using AAC devices can be encouraged to help finish sentences as well.
While reading, highlight any target vocabulary words- especially tier II vocabulary. Remember to use kid-friendly definitions for each word.
Is there music or audio you can play while reading the story to enhance the experience? For example, can you find audio of rain if there a storm in the story?
Questions to Ask
Ask students questions like:
- “What do we see on this page?”
- “What’s happening here?”
- “What do you think will happen next?”
- “Why do you think ____ is _____?”
- “How do you think ____ felt when____?”
- “Have you ever_____?”
Helpful Visuals
Visuals can be very useful during a story read-aloud!
Review story elements with your students using visuals.
It can be beneficial to use visuals or a story map or diagram.
Story elements include:
- the setting
- characters
- problem or conflict
- events or important actions
- resolution
Additionally, have a set of pictures that represent emotions.
Your students can hold up or point to the emotion they think a character is feeling.
Open-Ended Book Companion
Do you want to easily discuss story elements and ask comprehension questions during the story?
When you’re managing a group of students, sometimes it’s easy to forget what you want to discuss.
Also- it’s super helpful to always have the visuals readily available that you need.
Make sure to check out this Open-Ended Digital Book Companion.
You can use it with any story to help guide your lesson.
Before the story, you can go in and modify text to ask specific questions.
While reading the story, you will display the page that says “listen to the story” with a picture reminder.
After that, you will click through the slides to discuss story elements and questions, including:
- characters
- where did the story take place?
- when did the story take place?
- retell the story
- answer basic wh-questions
- explain cause and effect
Follow-Up Activities
Discuss the morality lesson at the end of the book.
Complete a related activity after the story is read aloud.
This could be a worksheet, a cooking activity, or a craft. The possibilities are endless!
If possible, have pictures that represent the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
Have your students sequence the pictures in the correct order.
Then, work on retelling the story.
The Best Kindergarten Books
Looking for a great read-aloud? Here is a comprehensive list of the best children’s books for kindergarten students:
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
- Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
- The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
- Elephant and Piggie Series by Mo Willems
- Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
- Duck and Goose by Tad Hills
- Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
- How To Catch a Monster by Adam Wallace
- Bear Can’t Wait by Karma Wilson
- The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
- The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes
- Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
- Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! by Nancy Carlson
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The beloved classic Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is the perfect book for inspiring imagination.
It’s a great addition to your library and is a Caldecott Medal winner.
You probably already know about this story.
A boy dressed in a wolf suit causes chaos in his house and his mom sends him to bed.
Of course, Max sets sail to an island and finds the Wild Things, where he is named king.
He smells good things to eat, so eventually, he makes his way home.
How To Make It Interactive
Your students can act out the movements in the story.
They can pretend to sail, roar, and dance with Max and the Wild Things.
After the story, your students could draw a picture of their own “Wild Thing”.
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Do you need the perfect book for the first day of school?
Read The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi at the beginning of the year.
Unhei is new to school, and she has just moved from Korea.
No one can pronounce her name.
She tries choosing an American-sounding name from a name jar, but it just doesn’t feel right.
In the end, she realizes that her name is just perfect for her- and she’s proud of it.
This story teaches the courage to be yourself- and to be proud of your background.
Check out these interactive activity ideas from SEL Dallas to use with this story.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is so much fun and one of the most engaging board books.
This is a great way to work on letter recognition but also exposes children to catchy rhymes.
As the letters try to race each other to the top of the coconut tree, your students can enjoy predictable, repetitive text.
Follow this story up with a fine motor alphabet activity, or this felt board activity tree.
Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
The book Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae is all about embracing your differences.
It is also a story about acceptance.
Gerald is a giraffe who is tall and clumsy- but he really wants to be a good dancer.
Every year, the animals hold a Jungle Dance.
It makes Gerald feel a bit sad because the other animals are good at dancing and he isn’t.
The other animals laugh at him when he goes to the dance and gives it his best shot.
He leaves the Jungle Dance feeling defeated and useless.
It just so happens, however, that he runs into a cricket with an encouraging message.
Check out this book companion to pair with the story.
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
If you want to teach empathy and discuss “big” emotions, then be sure to check out one of my favorite books, The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld.
In this story, Taylor builds a special block tower.
But then out of nowhere, the tower is knocked down.
Taylor is distraught!
One by one, his animal friends visit him to discuss the situation.
All the animals think they know what Taylor should do about it.
But nothing feels quite right.
Finally, the rabbit comes and simply listens.
This turns out to be just what Taylor needs.
After the story, you can discuss the importance of listening to others.
Your students could also share times when they felt specific emotions shown in the story.
Elephant and Piggie Series by Mo Willems
By far, some of the best books for young readers include the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems.
Many books are in this series, and I had difficulty choosing a specific one to focus on.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
They share many simple- but meaningful- experiences that younger children will enjoy.
I especially love the emotions displayed in the illustrations.
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
Hear me out: if you’re working on cause and effect, why not read Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin?
You can discuss the effect of what happens when dragons eat tacos. And I specifically mean tacos with spicy salsa.
It’ll make you think twice about hosting that taco party for all of your dragon friends.
This is a hilarious book filled with, well, dragons and tacos.
You really can’t go wrong.
After reading the story, check out this paper plate Taco Craft idea by Glued to My Crafts.
Duck & Goose by Tad Hills
This adorable story Duck & Goose by Tad Hills will teach patience, teamwork, and the importance of friendship.
It’s a fun book that my little girl is obsessed with!
Duck and Goose mistake a polka-dot ball for an egg, and they (try) to work together to care for it.
This is a fun story about new friends who learn to work together even when it’s difficult.
To follow-up the read-aloud, make puppets (duck puppets or goose puppets).
Pair these with a ball and do a fun story retell activity.
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
The book Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney is about a little llama who is scared to be away from his mother at bedtime.
It’s full of adorable illustrations and the text is written in catchy rhyme.
At the end of the story, Llama’s mother tells him a very comforting message- she is always nearby, even if she’s not right there in the room.
This is one of those classic bedtime stories, but would also make a great read-aloud or speech therapy book.
Make this book extra fun by reading it aloud on pajama day!
Be sure to address emotions throughout the story.
Students could also discuss their bedtime routines.
How To Catch a Monster by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton
The book How To Catch a Monster by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton is such a hit!
This funny story is all about a child who tries to catch a monster.
He tries all sorts of creative traps to catch his monster.
After reading the story, you could do a “build a monster scavenger hunt” in your room.
Students could find parts and pieces to create their own monsters.
Alternatively, your students could build their own monster traps out of recyclable materials!
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
The catch book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numberoff is a fun read-aloud.
So let’s say this tiny mouse shows up at your house.
If you give him a cookie… well, he’s going to want a glass of milk.
Naturally, he’ll want a straw to go with it, right?
It never really stops until it goes full circle!
Follow up this read-aloud by decorating cookies together!
This would be a fun way to work on following directions and describing.
Of course, if you give your student a cookie… he’ll need frosting and sprinkles to go with it.
Bear Can’t Wait by Karma Wilson
I love the entire series, but today I’ll highlight Bear Can’t Wait by Karma Wilson.
Bear is having a hard time being patient waiting for his friend’s birthday party.
While he and his animal friends prepare, he accidentally trips and smashes the cake!
Not to worry though- the friends work together to bake a new cake that is even better than the first one.
This adorable book contains beautiful illustrations and exposes children to tier II vocabulary.
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Do you want to teach sharing and kindness to your students?
Check The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister out of your local library!
This classic tale tells the story of a fish who learns that he’s much happier sharing his prized possessions and making new friends than keeping his shiny scales to himself.
Follow this story up with fun activities, including a fish-themed sensory bin or a shimmering fish craft (by Arty Crafty Kids).
The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes
Get ready for that special first day of kindergarten with the book The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes!
This story has beautiful illustrations and is cleverly written.
Your students will feel confident about being in kindergarten!
And of course, you can also check out The Queen of Kindergarten.
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
In the book Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten, children get to see how a teacher prepares the classroom for her students.
While Miss Bindergarten sets up supplies and organizes materials, her students get ready for their day at school.
The students are portrayed by animals, and each one is represented alphabetically.
This book has fun rhyming text!
It’s definitely worth a read, especially at the beginning of the school year.
It’s the perfect story to read to erase all those first-day-of-school jitters.
After reading, students could share their feelings about the first day of school.
They also could decorate animal-themed letters.
Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! by Nancy Carlson
In the book Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!, Henry’s mom wakes him up for his special first day of kindergarten.
He’s super excited- but his mom reminds him that he still needs to brush his teeth, get dressed, and eat his pancakes.
Henry packs up his school supplies and a photo of his parents (just in case he gets lonely).
As his mother walks him to school, she and Henry talk about all of the fun things he’ll get to do at school that day.
These fun activities include painting, learning his ABCs, singing songs, playing games, and counting.
When they arrive, he’s a little bit nervous.
He doesn’t know how to read yet and the school building seems so big!
Henry is also a little nervous when he step into his classroom. There are so many new faces that he gets a little anxious!
Luckily, his kind teacher is there to make him feel welcome.
He looks around the room and sees art supplies, letters, numbers, and books.
Henry tells his mom that he’s ready to stay at kindergarten- after all, it looks pretty fun!
After listening to the story, students can talk about their feelings for the first day of school.
They can point out things in the classroom that look exciting.
Preschool Book Ideas
Still searching for more book ideas?
Great! I’ve got you covered.
Check out this article, which provides a list of recommended books for preschool students.
