November brings about a lot of warmth and excitement to the classroom, especially in reading! From turkeys to family to thankfulness these November topics are always engaging for budding readers. When it comes to November read alouds, there are many to choose from that help you build strong readers with reading comprehension skills.
Because there are so many wonderful November read alouds to sort through, I have picked out 6 and will share the reading strategies you can easily teach with them.
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When we do read alouds in the classroom, they are obviously fun! But more than fun, they are meaningful. Students often don’t realize that as you are reading to them and modeling your thinking you are teaching them how to
You can teach your readers how to make connections, make predictions, ask questions, determine importance, make inferences, synthesize, and visualize.
For November, I wanted to choose books that were filled with celebrating family, turkeys, tradition, and thankfulness. I choose:
Thanksgiving in the Woods is a heartwarming story about friends and family gathering outdoors to celebrate gratitude and togetherness. As you read, invite students to make text-to-self connections by thinking about their own family traditions or times they’ve shared special meals. This helps deepen comprehension and build empathy as they relate their own experiences to the story.
In One is a Feast for Mouse, readers follow a tiny mouse who can’t resist sneaking just one more bite from the Thanksgiving table. The rich, descriptive language makes this the perfect book for practicing visualizing. Encourage students to close their eyes and picture the growing pile of food as Mouse collects each tasty treat.
Balloons Over Broadway tells the true story of Tony Sarg, the creative mind behind the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons. This is favorite November read aloud for sure! As students listen, prompt them to ask questions about how Tony’s ideas came to life and how the parade became a tradition. Questioning helps students stay curious and engaged as they learn about this piece of history with this added to your list of November read alouds.
In Peyton Picks the Perfect Pie, Peyton insists she doesn’t like pie—but readers quickly realize there’s more to discover at this Thanksgiving feast. Pause throughout the story to ask students to predict which pie Peyton might choose and why. Making predictions keeps readers thinking ahead and actively involved in the story’s events.
Turk and Runt is a hilarious tale of two turkey brothers—one confident, one clever—trying to survive Thanksgiving. Use this story to practice inferring by asking students to read between the lines about what’s really happening and how Runt saves the day. The humor and expressive illustrations make it easy for young readers to use clues to understand character motives and plot twists. This is a classic you must add to your November read alouds in your classroom!
In November by Cynthia Rylant beautifully captures the cozy, reflective feeling of the season through poetic language and soft imagery. This text is ideal for helping students visualize. Encourage them to paint mental pictures of the changing weather, animals preparing for winter, and the warmth of family gatherings described in the story.
If you’re ready to bring these books to life in your classroom without spending hours planning, I’ve got you covered! My November Read Alouds Lesson Plans resource includes everything you need—detailed lesson plans, discussion questions, and comprehension activities for each of the stories above. You can grab the ready-to-use plans right here and start teaching these rich comprehension strategies tomorrow!
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!
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