Best Early Childhood Read Alouds

Reading aloud to your child during his or her early years is one of the most important things you can do as a parent to ensure that your child experiences success in elementary school and beyond.

In my job as a first grade teacher, I enjoy reading children's books to my class. I had to laugh at myself when I realized I had prefaced the reading of a story with the words "this is my favorite book" for about the 20th time that school year.

It's true that I have many "favorite" books, and I'd like to share some of them with you:

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak - I love the rich language in this book. It was one of my children's favorite books as a preschooler, and he would "read" it along with me - over and over!

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff - The mouse in this book couldn't be cuter, and both boys and girls love him. The story is conducive to exploring sequencing and cause/effect. It was my oldest son's favorite book when he was in first grade. He didn't enjoy reading very much at that time so I was glad to discover a book about which he was excited.

The Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Parks - These are short chapter books about a funny kindergarten-aged girl (who is promoted to first grade in the later books in the series) and her misadventures. There are currently 27 books in the series.

Kids in lower elementary grades like having these stories read to them and children in second or third grade can read the stories by themselves. Adults enjoy the stories, as well.

I read June B. books to my students after they come in from recess, and it is truly the best part of my day.

Eric Carle's books - I enjoy just about any book by Eric Carle. Many of his books feature animals and insects and often offer a little bit of science within the beautifully illustrated pages. Kids love the repetitive text he uses.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson - A fictional tale where a boy named Harold can bring to life anything he imagines simply by drawing it. There are also several other Harold stories to enjoy.

I Can't Said the Ant by Polly Cameron - This book isn't colorful but contains many clever rhymes. Cameron is able to rhyme almost any item you can find in a kitchen. This book delights me as much now as it did when I first read it as a child.

Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman - Most of us remember this story from our own childhoods. How silly! Dogs having a party at the top of a tree!? And he doesn't like her hat.

Corduroy by Don Freeman - This is such a sweet story about a cute little bear and a girl who loves him - even if he isn't perfect.

Mop Top by Don Freeman - The tale of a boy who doesn't want his haircut. (I realize it doesn't sound like a great premise, but Freeman is a wonderful storyteller.)

There are so many things a child learns when a parent reads aloud to them, including left to right progression, new vocabulary and that reading is important...and fun!