Comprehension Read Alouds

I’m always getting new ideas of books to use for teaching various comprehension strategies, but again and again I fall back on a few favorites.  I don’t know if they really are the best, but I know that every time I use these books in the classroom we end up having the most amazing discussions and I end up feeling like a rock star teacher!  Something about these books draws kids in and gets them thinking.

You can click on the book covers below to magically be transported to Amazon if you want to read more about any of the books.  If you don’t already own them – purchase them immediately!  (Or check them out from the library…)  But get them, read them, and I hope you love them as much as I do!

Character Traits & Relationships

         

The Pain & the Great One is also amazing for point of view and thinking about different perspectives.  I love having the kids describe the brother from the sister’s point of view and vice versa.  They always have tons of connections to this story.  And Willy & Hugh is such a sweet, funny story that has this amazing message about friendship and how differences can lead to a stronger bond.  The kids are great at coming up with the traits that each character admires in the other.

Asking Questions 

       

Whoa!  When I first read The Wolves in the Walls I immediately read it again.  It’s such an odd tale!  I still don’t know if I understand the message in this book, but every time I read it to kids, they come up with these amazing questions and make a whole new meaning from the story.  It’s just spooky enough to get kids hooked, but not scary enough to give them nightmares.  And The Stranger – Chris Van Allsburg.  What more do I need to say?  Any book by Allsburg will have kids thinking and asking questions into the next day!

Visualizing & Sensory Details