Can you believe that it is almost time to go back to school? It seems like everywhere I go someone mentions that summer is almost over. I’m not sure why everyone needs to remind me of that but it happens quite often. I’ve been working on some activities to do the first few weeks of school. I like to throw in some fun books and activities to go with the books. I found four books that I really like to use at the beginning of the school year and I made a unit to go with them.
Here are a few images from the 80 page unit:
You can click on any of the images above to view the unit in my TPT store.
You can view the unit in my Teacher’s Notebook store by clicking here.
Leave me a comment telling me your favorite back to school book and I will pick 2 people to win this unit on Tuesday morning.
Good luck to you! I am going to go back to reading “Gone Girl.” Have you heard about this book? It’s been mentioned everywhere so I thought I would give it a try. I’m not that far into it but I don’t want to put it down. Have a good night friends!
Oops..I forgot to ask for your emails with the comments. Please try to leave it if you haven’t already commented.
Looks like a tremendous unit – I'd love to win! π Hands down, my favorite from the unit is Ruby the Copycat! I love using this book to discuss individuality and respect for one another, even though we are all different.
Cathy
cathy@missversteeg.com
http://www.missversteeg.com
I like to read first day jitters of course, I love splat the cat, and how I spent my summer vacation are some of my favorites.
Here's my problem. I have seen so many cute craftivities to go with books and I want to of them all! However don't think I'll have the space to display them all. lol. oh well.
cgeiser@gmail.com
Adventures in Room 5
Our team always reads the book – It Happens to Everyone. The students always love it and it settles any anxiousness students may have on the 1st day!
I like to use Mo Willems books for a Back to School book, but I like some of the ideas that you also have posted.
This looks like a great unit! My favorite back-to-school book is First Day Jitters. My students love the surprise at the end! It makes everyone laugh, which helps our jitters go away! π
Delighted in Second
This unit looks awesome! I love craftivities! I always read First Day Jitters and Skippyjon Jones Class Action.
Looks great!
It's funny that I've never seen the book, You're Finally Here, before but I've now seen it three times bloggy/Pinstalking tonight. I must check it out!
βͺCrystalβͺ
Strive to Sparkle
omgosh there are so many good ones! In addition to what you have up there… First day Jitters, Amelia Bedelia (the newer one when she's a kid), Elmer….
jenross1018@yahoo.com
I always read The Kissing Hand to my students on the first day. This looks like a great unit!
kwelnicke@hotmail.com
I love First Day Jitters and The Crayon Box That Talked.
Storie
Stories by Storie
My favorite books to read are The Kissing Hand and The Crayon Box That Talked. The Kissing Hand is going to take on a whole new meaning this year- my little girl starts Kindergarten (***tear).
I love starting out with Molly Lou Melon! It gets us off to a good start with no bullying!
Thank you, Mr. Faulkner by Patricia Polacco, though I can't get through it without crying!
Sarah
There's No Place Like Second Grade
noplacelikesecond@gmail.com
I like to use First Day Jitters and Officer Buckle and Gloria.
Ruthanne rarace81@gmail.com
WOW!!! I can see how much work you put into this!!1 It is AMAZING!!!!!!
I love First Day Jitters because we all have jitters on the first day back! I also like The Night Before First Grade just because it's cute and simple. π
Karyn
Kideducator@comcast.net
I love First Day Jitters, like many others. But one I found last year that my kids really liked and was a rather cute book was The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School!
Like many others, I like First Day Jitters.
tokyoshoes (at) hotmail (dot) com
My favorite is First Day Jitters. I have seen Glad You're Finally Here in pins. I plan to add that to my agenda this year. Your unit looks awesome!
Tcher4441@aol.com
I have used Ruby the Copycat in grades Prefirst through third grade and the kids can always relate to it. Absolutely love it! My other book I love to read is Zinnia and Dot. It is about two hens who fight over one egg because they lost all their others to a weasel. They end up having to work together to achieve the goal of protecting their precious egg. I use this to teach them to work together to achieve a goal as everyone has strengths.
My email is cakckwilkes@comcast.net
What a great looking unit! I usually start with If You Give a Mouse A Cookie. It's a familiar book and fun to read and do activities with!
I've always loved The Kissing Hand with my kindergarteners and will read it again this year. I'm also adding Pete the Cat and his School Shoes. Thanks for the chance to win!
Michelle
mcoop1125@gmail.com
I usually start with a chapter book (even though we don't finish). I love reading Sideways Stories from Wayside School-it cracks the kids (and me) up! π
Psyched to be in 2nd!
Love Ruby the Copycat, but I stay away from it, because my kiddos read that story in their basal reader next year in 3rd grade.
I like to read Mean Jean the Recess Queen, When the Relatives Came, and Dear Teacher.
I also made a unit to go with my favorite Back to School books! We should swap π
Halle
Across the Hall in 2nd
I have never used any of your 4, but would probably like the one "you're finally here"- she is a great author – as I love her Scardey Squirrel books. If you haven't read those – try them — they are great.
basketsmg@aol.com Marilyn
There are so many great books. I like Chrysanthemum. We talk about our own names. The students love to then read more Kevin Henkes books. trinapriddy@aol.com
Love Molly Lou Melon and A Bad Case of Stripes.
β£ Miss Nelsonβ£
Miss Nelsonβs Blog
missnelsonattpt@yahoo.com
I love First Day Jitters. So many fun activities to do with this book. π
imgoingfirst@gmail.com
I love to read Lunch Bunnies before going to lunch on the first full day! Lcyarnell@gmail.com
There are so many great books to pick from. Some of my favorites include ruby the copycat (a favorite from when I was in second grade!), first day jitters and Chrysanthemum. I have the kids go home and find out why their parents chose their name. It's a fun get to know you activity. I love the ones you came up with π
Frederickjennam@gmail.com
I love all these great book suggestions! I like to read The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes. I can't wait to read some of the other suggestions!
merood@hotmail.com
I like reading First Day Jitters and A Bad Case of the Stripes.
khzwolinski at gmail
I love to read The Kissing Hand!! π
β€ Sandra
Sweet Times in First
sweettimesinfirst@gmail.com
I love Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna. I love the story and it helps set a positive honest trusting atmosphere in the class fostered by the ideas in the book! I also love The Important Book. Then the students can make their own page and you can make a Class Important Book!
Katie
smileykate52@hotmail.com
I love Ruby the Copycat! It's such a great message to start off the school year π I'd love to win your pack!!
anhudacek@gmail.com
My favorite books for back to school are First Day Jitters and The Kissing Hand.
Kelly
kellydeannab@hotmail.com
I love reading chrysanthemum!!!
ashley.e.thurston@gmail.com
Oh I'm sure mine is a repeat of everyone's but I love Miss Nelson is Missing and First Day Jitters. Both are too cute! π
Amanda
redseventeen@gmail.com
Reaching for the TOP!
I try to read Molly Lou Mellon and The Kissing Hand sometime during the first week back.
Kandia
kcross@509j.net
My favorite back to school book is The Night Before First Grade. My kids always seem to love that story! π
Lisa
Learning Is Something to Treasure
Email: fsuteach81@yahoo.com
I try to read Molly Lou Mellon and The Kissing Hand sometime during the first week back.
Kandia
kcross@509j.net
I love reading Chrysanthemum!
Jessica
jlamb@sd273.com
I love reading Chrysanthemum!
Jessica
jlamb@sd273.com
I read The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown. There's a couple of them. We talk about why they are each important and incorporate a writing assignment as well.
I love reading The Kissing Hand and The Crayon Box that Talked!
Alexis
alexisgayletumang@gmail.com
I love Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon! π
Love your activities!!!
kristilynne4@gmail.com
I love the First Day Jitters and The Worst Day of My Life Ever. These look like awesome activities.
Barbara
happyteachingfirst.blogspot.com
meadowt@msn.com
We always read Chrysanthemum and First Day Jitters! Love the UNIT!!!
I think we all read First Day Jitters. But Splat has become my new favorite character! So Back to School Splat! I also love Molly Lou Mellon!
Rachel
rachel.lamb81@gmail.com
Favorite back to school book – First Day Jitters. I sure get them!!!!!
suanlulu@yahoo.com
I love all thr books everybody mentioned too! The Name Jar, and My Name is Yoon are two favorites which tie into Chrysanthemeum…chech them out…Both take a multi-cultural viewpoint
I always read Purple Green. And Yellloww by Robert Munsch. I love to read it out loud. π hdahl@croslex.org thanks!
First Day Jitters! What a fun book!
shelbyr99@embarqmail.com
Where the wild things are or First Day Jitters.
Bryn bryneven@hotmail.com
I am starting off the year with Pete the Cat Rockin' in my School Shoes.
This unit looks perfect! Ian a new teacher so I don't have books that I always use but Pirates go to School looks really fun!
Lar1589@bellsouth.net
You've been busy! I love all the book recommendations and I'd love to win the unit.
Another fav book of mine is Little Cliff's First Day of School.
igs2276@gmail.com
Ooh I love Ruby the CopyCat. Last year I had two students that came to our school brand new from other states. Our class had some great conversations with them after reading this book. They ended up sharing all about their states and their previous classes. My class LOVED it. I am going to read it again this year.
I hope I win!! I love your stuff!
inirayluper(at)gmail(dot)com
I love all of these books! I just ordered You're Finally Here from Amazon.. It has been in my cart for a while, but I finally decided to make the purchase. This will be my first year teaching 2nd grade, so I am on the hunt for the perfect way to start my first year.
I am pretty sure I will be using the book "Mrs. Spitzer's Garden" on my first day because I love the message behind it and it works perfectly with our garden themed classroom! It's worth checking out!
Ashley
That's So Second Grade
My email is ashleyepennell@Gmail.com
This unit looks super fun! One of my favorite books to read on the first day of school is First Day Jitters.
Suzanne
snmartin05@yahoo.com
I just got "First Day Jitters" which I love, love love! I also have a poem poster that must have come from Scholastic or somewhere that has Arthur talking about his first day fears.
callas444@gmail.com
I just got "First Day Jitters" which I love, love love! I also have a poem poster that must have come from Scholastic or somewhere that has Arthur talking about his first day fears.
callas444@gmail.com
I always read first day jitters and i love odd Velvet.
This will be my first year teaching second grade. I liked A Bad Case of Stripes whole in third grade and I love The Kissing Hand for when I taught kindergarten.
What a great unit. I think I must be on vacation mode because I can't remember the name of the book, lol. In kinder it was The Kissing Hand
Terri
thefirstgradeprincess.blogspot.com
Sorry, forgot my email
Terri
princessleigh1st@yahoo.com
I love the books you have as well as the ones mentioned in previous comments! I would have to add to the list The Teacher from the Black Lagoon. You could also read any of the Black Lagoon books if you have any new people in the building such as a new music teacher before you kiddos go to music.
heatherlou@cox.net
I like to read How I Spent My Summer Vacation. I have your unit on my wishlist in case I don't win it! Fingers crossed, though, because it looks awesome!
minderkid68@yahoo.com
I like The Kissing Hand for my kindergarten class.
dopey0222@gmail.com
This is my first year in second grade in 12 years. My all-time favorite for first grade was The Kissing Hand. I really had a hard time not reading that one this year (yes, we are already back in school…year-round). jnr1062@gmail.com
I love to read "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" and then have the students turn what they really did into a creative story.
daisygirl150@comcast.net
I love to read First Day Jitters and The Night Before First Grade!!
Jennifer
jenniferlalsip(at)yahoo(dot)com
The First Grade Dream
Win an iPad for your classroom
My favorite is the First Day Jitters! Love the twist!
smontano9@cox.net
It may seem backward, but I like to read Oh, the Places You`ll Go! by the one and only Dr. Seuss. I think it gets all of us excited about what`s to come in the new grade. Your unit looks jam-packed with greatness!
– Amanda {avphilli@gmail.com}
Inspired in Second
Always do Pete the Cat books and The Dot
Klcant0531@Gmail.com