Literacy

Professional Development

February 26, 2022

6 Engaging Books for March Read Alouds to Boost Readers

When March rolls around in the classroom, most teachers feel one of two ways. Either very excited to be in the middle of the last semester of school or panicking that time is running out to teach all of the things. I always felt like there was never enough time to squeeze in everything to help get my students ready for the next year. To help make the most of my day, I often integrated science and social studies into reading while teaching important reading strategies. At this time of the year, your March Read Alouds have the potential to be powerful!

To help you make the most of the rest of the school year, I have six March read alouds that your students are sure to love! You will love how easily these books lend themselves to teaching specific reading strategies. I also have some helpful tips on planning your lessons for March read alouds. (But, if you want the lessons completely done for you, I have that HERE!)

How to Plan Successful Read Aloud Lessons

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that planning your read aloud lesson is as important as delivering the lesson. There are three basic steps to planning a lesson:

  1. Choose a book with intentionality. This could be any book you are wanting to read to them. You are going to read through the book one time for enjoyment. After you finish reading the book, think about what reading skills the book naturally lends itself to.
  2. Write notes for yourself on the sticky notes throughout the book. Grab a pen and a sticky note. You are going to write down the reading skill you are teaching and how you will do it.
  3. Place the sticky notes in the book! Finally, go back into the story and put the sticky notes on the pages where you will work on those specific skills.

I went into great detail on each of these steps of how to plan an effective lesson on my blog HERE.

6 Books for March Read Alouds

How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace

This book will have your students laughing as the characters plot and plan to catch a leprechaun. This rhyming book is full of fun surprises and twists, which makes a great book to teach making predictions.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb by Marion Dane Bauer

This book is relatively new to me, and I love it! In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb is a fun book that portrays the stormy transition from winter to spring as a lion and the nicer spring weather as a lamb. This fun, rhythmic book brings the seasons to life! This is why it makes a great book to teach and practice visualizing!

How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills

How Rocket Learns to Read is an adorable book that my students always loved. It’s about a dog named Rocket who learns how to read from a bird who teaches him the alphabet and how to spell words. This book provides many opportunities for students to make connections.

Armadillo Rodeo by Jan Brett

If your students love The Mitten and The Gingerbread Man, they will love this rodeo-themed book by Jan Brett. It’s about a near-sighted, adventure-loving armadillo. He accidentally mistakes a cowboy book for another armadillo and ends up on a rodeo adventure. This book is perfect to help teach and practice questioning to build stronger readers.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

Plants and gardens always make great topics for March read alouds! The Curious Garden is about a boy in an industrial city without greenery. He discovers a dying garden and brings it back to life. After the garden takes over the city, new gardeners pop up, too. This unique book lends itself to teaching and practicing asking questions to better comprehend.

Thump, Quack, Moo by Doreen Cronin

Thump, Quack, Moo is always a hit with students! Farmer Brown is preparing for the annual Corn Maze Festival with the help of the animals. Duck has his own ideas and plans and works at night to make changes to the corn maze. This is the perfect book to teach both onomatopoeias and synthesizing.

March Read Alouds and Lessons Done For You

Because spring is a busy season in the classroom, let’s take planning your interactive read aloud lessons off your plate! The March Read Alouds resource has everything you’ll need to implement engaging lessons for your students! It has:

  • 6 detailed lessons to go with these 6 books
  • pre-filled printable sticky notes with teaching points and stopping points
  • vocabulary cards
  • vocabulary activities

Grab yours today and be set for your read aloud lessons!

Want to try a free interactive read aloud lesson that will help you kick-start your read aloud time and prep students BEFORE even introducing a book? Try one FREE!

Happy Teaching,

Amanda

EASILY PLAN YOUR K-2 READING SMALL GROUPS​

Want to use the latest research to boost your readers during small groups? This FREE guide is packed with engaging ideas to help them grow!

Hi, I'm Amanda

I’m a K-1 teacher who is passionate about making lessons your students love and that are easy to implement for teachers.  Helping teachers like you navigate their way through their literacy block brings me great joy. I am a lifelong learner who loves staying on top of current literacy learning and practices. Here, you’ll find the tools you need to move your K-2 students forward!

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