I am delighted to share this type of content here, you guys. As many of you know, I was a Kindergarten teacher for three years prior to staying home and running this website. Kindergarten will always have a very special place in my heart.
Now that Grace is well past two, I notice that she is interested in books that my Kindergartners were interested in too. My students could, of course, formulate a more clear and articulate understanding of the content (some could even read them!), and we could definitely have more in depth discussions about them. But the truth is that even at this young age, it’s so amazing watching her fall in love with the books I loved when I was little. Sharing with my students was special, and now sharing them with my child is even more meaningful.
I also want to point out that I am not really claiming that these are the “best” but they’re merely ones that I feel like have a great lesson, teach great life skills, or may just be a fun, catchy story that I saw little ones get attached to quickly. If you are a parent or an educator, you’ve probably realized by now that if your child constantly reaches for and wants to read the same book consistently, it’s most likely a hit!
Lastly, I could go on about books for days. There are several different categories for books. Books by theme, books best for learning site words, books best for learning to read phonetically, and books that help teach behavior. With so many great stories out there, I couldn’t possibly choose the BEST. So, I’m just going to say, “here are my top five favorite children’s books.” Enjoy!
My Top Five Favorite Children’s Books: From a Former Kindergarten Teacher
Go, Dog. Go!
What? This is a whimsical story about dogs. There are several types of dogs in the book; big and small, black and white, blue and green.
Why? There isn’t a moral or super clear storyline, but it is VERY fun to read. It is also made up entirely of sight words, so children can easily read it on their on when they are learning to read. Grace actually can recite (from memory) the first 4-5 pages, and knows some in between. Go, Dog. Go! will always be a favorite of mine. I actually didn’t read it when I was younger, but reading it as an educator or parent is the best thing!
Baby Bear Sees Blue
What? A baby bear and his mama discover sights, sounds, and smells of nature.
Why? Baby Bear Sees Blue is such a great book, you guys. I probably like it so much because it’s one of Grace’s favorites, but even when I was teaching, my students loved learning their colors in the beginning of the year with this book. It gives a realistic view on colors rather than just viewing them on a piece of paper or even around the classroom. It’s also repetitive so it’s easy for children to recite from memory or even learn to read later on. There are so many corresponding activity ideas for this too. Maybe one day I need to write a blog post about those, haha. I could go on for days 🙂
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
What? A fun and colorful introduction to the letters of the alphabet as they climb up the coconut tree.
Why? I used this book in Kindergarten during the first or second week of school. It’s a wonderful introduction to letters. It presents the letters of the alphabet in an inventive manner, versus singing the well-known, ABC’s (which can be fun too) but believe me when I say — kids are fascinated by this book! I use it for letter identification, color naming, and since it’s repetitive, children are able to “read” it independently too. I also have tons of wonderful extension activity ideas for this book. My favorite is the drawing of a coconut tree, then we use the letters in the child’s name and put them on the tree! Children love that sense of personalization and significance.
(Quick note: When I say “read” in this blog post specifically, I’m referring to two, three, and four-year-olds who aren’t necessarily expected to read the words. Reading can mean so many different things though! It can mean pointing out things they see in the picture, naming letters or colors, or just making up their own story that corresponds with the picture. Just want to make sure I don’t confuse you with my terminology 🙂 If you want more info on how to read to your toddlers and young kiddos, read this post here!)
Buy Chicka Chicka Boom Boom here!
Are You My Mother?
What? An adorable tale of a misplaced baby bird who is on the hunt to find his mother.
Why? Are You My Mother? is one of my favorites because it’s honestly just super endearing. Kids feel a great deal of empathy when reading it, because the protagonist, a tiny baby bird, is lost and keeps finding animals and objects that could be his mother. It’s also repetitive by nature, so children find themselves reading it on their own.
There isn’t really a moral, although I have taught persistence and perseverance are good qualities that the baby bird possesses. We had a discussion about what those big words mean, and how the Kindergartners could demonstrate those characteristics within their lives. (Bubble thinking maps are great for this, and brainstorming as a group is best, since these are big concepts!) Mostly, Grace just loves the little voices I do for the baby bird and other animals. Haha. It’s a wonderful story, so check it out!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
What? An adorable tale of a misplaced baby bird who is on the hunt to find his mother.
Why? I know, I know, you think I’m super cliche because I included this book. Everyone loves this book. Well, there’s a reason. 🙂 This story is timeless. It’s such a good book for teaching concepts like counting, colors, and my personal favorite, the days of the week! We read this during our butterfly life cycle science unit when I was teaching. It’s a simple way to illustrate the cycle that kids get excited about, since at the end he becomes a giant caterpillar before making a cocoon and turning into a butterfly.
An activity I loved doing with my students (and would be even more fun with your own children) is growing and caring for caterpillars. Then when they transform into butterflies, you release them into the world! I used this kit with my students and we did tons of activities surrounding this unit. It’s one of my favorite parts about teaching Kindergarten!
Buy The Very Hungry Caterpillar Here!
If you enjoyed reading this post, or found it helpful, please consider pinning the below image so other families can find it too!
SEE MY TIPS FOR READING WITH TODDLERS HERE
Thank you so much for reading!
