Earth Day is just around the corner! There are so many great books for Earth Day read alouds in your classroom that teach students the importance of taking care of our earth. Letโs look at some read alouds you can read in your classroom this April to celebrate Earth Day!
Read alouds are an essential part of literacy instruction in the elementary classroom. They provide our budding readers a chance to engage with books in meaningful ways. When you read aloud to your students, youโre not only exposing them to rich language and new vocabulary but also modeling fluent, expressive reading. Because of the Science of Reading research, we now know more than ever that these are important for reading comprehension.
These moments also help children develop listening comprehension, critical thinking skills, and a love for literatureโall while creating a shared experience that fosters classroom community.
uBeyond the joy of storytelling, read alouds provide a space for students to practice important reading strategies with your guidance. They learn to make predictions, ask questions, and make connections to their own lives. Whether through lively discussions, interactive elements, or thoughtful reflections, read alouds empower students to think deeply about texts and build a strong foundation for lifelong reading success.
I have a blog post that talks more about the importance of read alouds HERE.
This is a cute Earth Day read aloud about a boy who finds a garden in the old train tracks and brings it back to life. It’s perfect for talking about how beautiful earth is and all the joy and color a garden brings to our world. The illustrations in this story are wonderful and brighten with color with the storyline’s growth. This is a great book to use to teach synthesizing.
Abigail finds the perfect pet- a tree! She has so many reasons as to why โFidoโ is the perfect pet in this Earth Day read aloud. Fido keeps her cool from the sun and gives her oxygen. This is a sweet story that your students are sure to love! I love to use this book to teach synthesizing!
Little Turtle and the Changing Sea
This is a great book to use to teach about ocean pollution. Little Turtle loves the ocean but sees plastic invading her beloved home as she is making her yearly journey to the coral reefs. What will she do? Will she continue the journey? Add this story to your stash of Earth Day read alouds to teach authorโs purpose.
This is one of my first Earth Day read alouds I got as a new teacher several years ago! The main character, Michael, is a superhero whose power allows him to teach people about recycling. He works in his city to help make a change. You could use this to teach authorโs purpose or summarizing!
Have you ever made compost? This book teaches kids what all can go in compost following the alphabet without the actual mess and smell! How fun! If you aren’t afraid of the mess (or smell!), then this would be great to accompany an activity with your whole class. This Earth Day read aloud is great to use to teach authorโs purpose in your classroom!
Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years
My kids loved this book! They enjoyed the illustrations and that the book is told from the perspective of Earth itself. How unique! This book teaches about the formation and history of our planet. I loved using this book to teach point of view!
Ada grew up in city in Paraguay, built on a landfill. She loved music, especially the violin and dreamed of playing it. Due to money be tight for her family, she was never able to buy one or learn how to play. Then everything changed when a music teacher with a dream moved in. He dreamed of giving the kids an opportunity to make beautiful music–using instruments made with supplies from the landfill! This Earth Day read aloud is perfect as you teach students about reusing items and about questioning.
If you are striving to build vocabulary and reading comprehension in your classroom, then be sure to grab the lessons that go with each of these books! I have ready-made lessons that match these books in my shop and inside The Read Aloud Library.
Each read aloud has:
Are there any Earth Day read alouds you enjoy reading in your classroom to celebrate Earth Day? Iโd love to hear about them in the comments!
I’m a K-1 teacher who is passionate about making lessons your studentsย loveย and that areย easy to implementย for teachers.ย ย 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, youโll find the tools you need to move your K-2 students forward!
