7 Interactive Read Aloud Tips for Success with Upper Elementary

Thinking about getting started with interactive read alouds in your classroom? They are a must! Interactive read-alouds are a valuable way for teachers to engage students in meaningful discussions and promote comprehension skills.

So what is an interactive read-aloud?

An interactive read-aloud is a dynamic and purposeful reading activity that engages students in high-quality literature. During an interactive read-aloud, the students are actively involved in the reading process. This approach goes beyond a simple read-aloud; it encourages students to think critically, ask questions, make connections, and discuss the content. Pausing at strategic points to pose discussion questions, explore vocabulary, and model reading comprehension strategies is an important part of the interactive read-aloud experience. 

I love using interactive read-alouds because they promote a deeper understanding of the text, provide models for students to engage with their own texts as they independently read, and foster a love of reading. 

Want to get started using interactive read-alouds in YOUR upper elementary classroom? These seven must-try tips will help you get started!

1. Choose Age-Appropriate and Engaging Text

This first step is so important! Be sure to select books or texts that are appropriate for your students' age and reading level and captivating and relevant to their interests. Engaging texts are more likely to hold their attention and spark meaningful discussions.

Picture Books and chapter books both make amazing interactive read-alouds for students. You can select fiction, nonfiction, and even poetry picture books. Since picture books are much shorter than chapter books, they are my go-to. 

Not sure where to find appropriate picture books for upper elementary? I have some lists of favorites that you and your students will love!

• Mentor Texts to Use for Both Reading and Writing
• Favorite Picture Books for Upper Elementary
• 8 Biography Picture Books 
• 7 Must-Read Picture Books for Teaching Inferring

 ➡️Rather start interactive read alouds with a chapter book? These chapter books are always class favorites!

2. Use the Voices and Make the Sound Effects

The best part about the read alouds are different voices and sound effects that you can use to not only hook students, but to show them what fluent reading sounds like! I love to have a box of props next to my read aloud chair that I can use to help me as I read. Items I include are bells, clapping hands, and a rain shaker or shaker filled with rice. But, you do not need anything fancy! Just your voice, hands, and feet do the trick to bringing the read aloud to life. And yes, if there are silly voices and singing going on in the story, do them! You will make your students smile and love reading.

3. Revisit the Book Again and Again

Yes, I am going to say it again! Picture books should be read again and again and again!

We read picture books in my classroom multiple times, each time with a different purpose. It does NOT get boring. The kids know we are rereading it with a different lens each time, so their thoughts and discussions change. Plus, since they already know the story, their reflections are more meaningful and are often filled with connections.

When you reread previously read picture books, you help students:

• focus on the skill or objective of your read aloud lesson instead of trying to comprehend a new story AND master a new skill
• understand that good readers reread books and texts over and over to learn something new, better understand what was read, or just for enjoyment
• build confidence in their reading comprehension and retell/summarizing skills

➡️See how I use one read-aloud picture book in many different ways right HERE.

👉 Grab this FREE guide with my favorite picture books for interactive read- alouds! 

It includes several different topics that you can use for each book, allowing you to read and re-read each book over and over again.

4. Plan Ahead and Annotate the Text

Before the read-aloud, read the text in advance and annotate it with key points, questions, and discussion prompts. This will help you guide the conversation and highlight important themes, vocabulary, or literary devices that you want to focus on.

Prior to reading aloud, I also create an interactive anchor chart that will be used during the reading. I do not always do this for all read-alouds. However, I have the chart ready to go for more challenging concepts that I will bring up and teach during and after the read-aloud. This works perfectly for topics like making predictions, making inferences, and understanding character traits.

When annotating or prepping questions ahead of time, I make sure to have questions for each level of Bloom's taxonomy. Using sticky notes is a great way to do this! Especially because you can use those sticky notes again by leaving them on the pages, ready to go for next year!

5. Encourage Active Participation

Using interactive read-alouds helps you to foster an interactive atmosphere by encouraging students to participate actively. As you read, frequently stop and ask the predetermined open-ended questions, ask for predictions, and invite students to share their thoughts, feelings, and connections to the text. Use prompts like, What do you think will happen next? or How would you have reacted in this situation?

Giving students a specific read-aloud buddy or partner sets up the expectation of who they will be speaking to during the read-aloud. As time goes on, students build trust and relationships with their read-aloud buddies, making their conversations deeper and more meaningful.

Keep the conversation going between your students and their partners by creating an accountability bulletin board that provides appropriate discussion stems that can be used for any read-aloud! These work wonders in my classroom and truly help my students discuss literature in meaningful ways. 

6. Model Comprehension Strategies

While reading, model effective comprehension strategies such as making predictions, visualizing, making inferences, and asking questions. Show students how skilled readers think critically about the text and how these strategies enhance understanding. The more you show them, the more they will carry out those strategies as they read independently. 

7. Build Classroom Community

The best part of using interactive read alouds in your classroom is that it builds classroom community! 

Kids, even our big kids, love to gather as a class and get cozy listening to the soothing sounds of their teacher reading aloud. Use your read-aloud time as a way to remind, practice, and instill the idea that your classroom is a safe and respectful space where students should feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions. Emphasize that there are no wrong answers and that listening to and respecting others' viewpoints is essential during the discussion.  Reading aloud to the whole class provides a sense of togetherness and allows true community bonding to take place!

Incorporating interactive read-alouds in upper elementary classrooms can transform reading sessions into thought provoking and enjoyable learning experiences, enhancing both literacy skills and a love for reading. While these tips will get you started, remember to tailor your approach to your students' specific needs and interests while keeping the conversation lively and engaging.

Looking for more read-aloud companions?
Look HERE!

You will love reading these related articles:

The Benefits of Using One Book Many Ways

3 Ways to Use the Book Those Darn Squirrels

Picture Books for Teaching Inferring

Mentor Text for Opinion Writing

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affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

Fall Activities for Kids - 5 Engaging Ideas for Upper Elementary

There is nothing more exciting for students, even our upper elementary students, than the change of seasons! 

That is why welcoming the season of fall into my classroom is a must!

Our big kids still love learning about the seasons, holidays, and what is happening outside of the classroom. Infusing seasonal themes and topics with content and standards you already have to teach will ignite engagement and increase student participation.

Bringing the seasons into the classroom goes beyond a quick fall craft to display. Using seasonal activities does not mean you have to give up rigor, critical thinking, or grade-level standards.

Instead, it is the opposite!

When you use seasonally themed activities to enhance tasks you already have to do in the classroom, you will notice:

• an increase in student interest and motivation
• an increase in student participation
• an increase in the quality of student discourse
• students making connections

Does this sound too good to be true? It is not!

You and your students can reap the benefits from seasonal learning this fall with these simple yet meaningful tips to welcome the season of fall into your upper elementary classroom.

1. Create a Fall Environment with Purposeful Decor

Transform your classroom into a cozy, inviting, fall-themed space using meaningful decor like student work and fall-themed kindness posters. Displaying student work is highly motivating for students. It also provides a deadline for students, helping them complete their fall writing pieces on time! 

I love to use student fall-themed writing projects to decorate the walls of my classroom. When displaying student writing, be sure to have students create colorful illustrations to accompany their writing. 

Want to display YOUR students' amazing writing? Try these writing projects:

• Apple Acrostics
• Fall Descriptive Writing
• Fall Opinion Writing
• How to Carve a Pumpkin

No matter the season, I always display inspirational kindness posters like these. I love using simple fall kindness posters with a positive message to display all season long!  And since they are NOT holiday-specific, it is inclusive for all students in your classroom!

Want to add a touch of fall to your classroom with decor? You will love these FALL GOODIES!

2. Read a Fall Themed Picture Book

If you know me, you know I LOVE read alouds! I truly can find a read-aloud for every holiday, season, special event, historical moment, or topic that needs to be addressed in the classroom. Display autumn-themed picture books, poetry, and nonfiction books about leaves and pumpkins around your room. This not only serves as a way to engage and motivate students to read, but it also adds a pop of color and fall decor to your room!

You can use picture books to engage students throughout the season, changing focus each month. It is a great way to weave in different reading and writing standards and serve as mentor texts for your ELA lessons.

Read about my favorite read-alouds for each part of the fall season:

• 6 Autumn Themed Read Alouds for Upper Elementary
• 3 Ways to Use Those Darn Squirrels
• 8 Gratitude Read Alouds for Upper Elementary
• Fall Read Alouds for October
• Fall Read Alouds for November

Upper elementary students love read-alouds. Use the above books during your interactive read-aloud time to help enrich students' day with valuable modeling of what readers do as they read!

3. Learn Through Themes

Infuse your curriculum with fall-themed lessons and activities! So many seasonal topics and fun holidays during fall relate to the standards you already need to teach, making it easy to get creative with fall themes. Some of my favorites include:

• Apples and Johnny Appleseed
• Pumpkins
• Autumn Equinox
• Why Leaves Change Color
• Talk Like a Pirate Day
• Phases of the Moon
• Day of the Dead
• Football

By simply using fall topics during reading, your students will be more engaged and make connections to what is happening outside the classroom...all while  increasing their reading comprehension skills.

4.  Take Learning Outside

Take advantage of the pleasant fall weather by getting outside with your students! Organize nature walks to observe and collect fall leaves, acorns, and pinecones. Use these items for art projects like leaf rubbings or science investigations.

One writing activity I love to do with students each fall is going on an autumn walk! As we walk, we notice and make observations using our five senses. Students record their observations and use them to create a descriptive writing piece about a fall setting. After writing, students create a colorful fall setting illustration to match. These make an adorable bulletin board that you can leave up all season long!

The best part about doing this activity in the fall is that the descriptive writing skills that the students learn during this project carry over into future writing pieces that they create! 

Grab a free fall activity, perfect for outdoor exploration this fall!

5. Sprinkle in the Fun

Who doesn't love to have fun, especially in the fall? Fall is a time to have fun and enjoy the changing leaves, weather, and season! I love to infuse meaningful coloring activities to practice skills and keep students critically thinking.

These coloring activities are perfect to use as morning work, indoor recess tasks, end-of-day calm down, centers, sub work, or any way YOU want! Try these...

• Fall Color by Code
• Fall Doodle Thinkers

By incorporating these tips, you can create a warm and inviting learning environment that not only welcomes the season of fall but also provides opportunities for students to explore and appreciate the unique aspects of this time of year. These ideas will increase student motivation, participation, and learning. Happy fall!

You will also love reading:

Using Those Darn Squirrels in the Classroom

8 Picture Books to Honor September 11th

3 Easy to Implement Halloween Writing Activities

4 Classroom Alternatives to Celebrating Halloween in the Classroom

Check out my favorite fall activities HERE. 

Like these fall-themed reading activities!

 

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*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

6 Benefits of Interactive Read Alouds with Upper Elementary

If you have followed me for any amount of time, you know that reading picture books with my upper elementary students is totally my thing! There is just something about gathering together and listening to a powerful story told through rich vocabulary and beautiful illustrations that truly makes the day brighter!

Interactive Read Alouds (IRAs) are a powerful instructional strategy that can bring literature to life and engage students in meaningful discussions. While commonly used in early elementary classrooms, IRAs offer numerous benefits when implemented in upper elementary classrooms. 

I know you will love using Interactive Read Alouds with your students as much as I do, so grab the FREE pack below!

Now read on to find out the top 6 benefits of using interactive read-alouds with students in your upper elementary classroom!

1. Enhanced Comprehension Skills

Interactive Read Alouds provide a unique opportunity for teachers to model and reinforce essential comprehension skills. By strategically pausing during the reading to ask open-ended questions, make predictions, or analyze characters' motivations and feelings, teachers can guide students toward a deeper understanding of the text. These discussions allow students to make connections, infer meaning, and develop critical thinking skills, leading to improved comprehension and analytical abilities.

2. Increased Vocabulary Development

One of the main benefits of interactive read-aloud is the exposure to rich and diverse vocabulary. Upper elementary students are at a crucial stage in their language development, and by reading aloud high-quality texts, YOU can expose them to sophisticated vocabulary beyond their current reading level. Through discussions and context clues provided during IRAs, students can expand their word knowledge and improve their overall language skills, which will significantly benefit their reading and writing abilities. The more they listen to books with rich language, the more those words trickle down into their writing pieces!

3. Fostering a Love for Reading

Interactive read-alouds create a positive reading experience for students and help foster a love for literature. By selecting captivating texts and utilizing engaging reading strategies, you can captivate students' interest and make reading something that your students look forward to doing each day. It can help students build relationships with the characters that they meet, helping them realize that they are not along in many of the thoughts and feelings that they experience themselves.  Sharing their enthusiasm for books during interactive read-alouds can inspire students to explore new genres, authors, and topics independently, cultivating a lifelong love for reading.

4. Development of Listening and Speaking Skills

Interactive read-alouds provide an ideal platform for students to develop their listening and speaking skills, which is so important! By actively participating in discussions, asking and answering questions, and engaging in dialogue with peers, students learn to express their thoughts and opinions effectively and appropriately. They learn how to engage in one on one discussions with a reading partner and learn how to build off of someone else's ideas. This process enhances their oral communication skills, encourages active listening, and promotes respectful and thoughtful interactions within the classroom community.

5. Save Valuable Classroom Instructional Time

We are always looking for more time in our teaching day, am I right? If you are like me, you can't wait to pull out a new picture book and share it with your students! But...instead of always reading a new picture book, reread a previously read picture book again and again, each time revisiting the book with a new lens: read as readers, read as writers, and read as word-smiths.

When you reread previously read picture books, you help students:

• focus on the skill or objective of your lesson instead of trying to comprehend a new story AND master a new skill
• understand that good readers reread books and texts over and over to learn something new, better understand what was read, or just for enjoyment
• build confidence in their reading comprehension and retell/summarizing skills

Revisiting books is not just fun and beneficial for students; it saves YOU classroom time!

6. Social-Emotional Growth

Literature often provides a gateway to explore social and emotional themes, and interactive read-alouds can serve as a valuable tool for addressing these topics. By selecting books that depict diverse characters and tackle relevant issues, you can initiate meaningful conversations about empathy, kindness, resilience, friendship, and so much more. These discussions not only promote social-emotional growth but also create a safe and inclusive classroom environment where students feel understood, valued, and connected. We all want more time in our teaching day to get in social emotional topics, and picture books truly help us bring more than just reading into our day.

Not sure what books to use with your upper elementary students? Grab this FREE list of my favorites with the skills that we focus on for each book! 

Interactive read-alouds have the power to transform upper elementary classrooms by fostering comprehension skills, expanding vocabulary, nurturing a love for reading, developing communication abilities, and promoting social-emotional growth. By implementing this instructional strategy effectively, teachers can engage students in meaningful conversations, create memorable reading experiences, and equip them with the necessary skills to become lifelong learners. As educators, let us embrace the power of interactive read-alouds to inspire, motivate, and empower our upper elementary students on their educational journey.

Looking for more read-aloud companions?
Look HERE!

You will love reading these related articles:

The Benefits of Using One Book Many Ways

3 Ways to Use the Book Those Darn Squirrels

Picture Books for Teaching Inferring

Mentor Text for Opinion Writing

                      Love these ideas? Pin to save them!

affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

5 Easter Spring Activities for the Upper Elementary Classroom

Celebrating special days and holidays in the classroom is definitely my thing! Using holidays, seasons, and what is happening outside of the classroom during lessons is a sure-fire way to engage students and increase their participation.

But when it comes to religious holidays, I use themes that align with the holiday rather than focusing on the religious beliefs. By taking this approach, all students can participate in the lessons, and no one is left out.

Easter is one of those holidays. It is an exciting time of the year, mostly because it is spring. The warm weather, rebirth of trees and flowers, and all things chocolate and eggs are surely on the forefront of students' minds. Harnessing that energy and excitement into content-rich activities and meaningful tasks with spring and Easter vibes is a great way to keep the students learning in your classroom all season long!

Here are five activities that I LOVE to do with students during the spring and Easter season.

1. Nonfiction Reading and Research

When it comes to bringing the holidays into the classroom, try focusing on non-holiday themes that align with the upcoming holiday but are not holiday/religious specific...like this one!

My students LOVE reading and writing about cottontail rabbits. We read this nonfiction article about these special bunnies. As we read, we focus on the facts and opinions in the article and of course, practice close reading strategies.

Following the reading, students must reflect on whether or not cottontail rabbits would make good house pets. It is a great way to tie together reading, writing, holidays, and real-world activities in one happy project!

Other non-holiday, nonfiction themes perfect for this time of year include:

• How Chocolate is Made
• Learning the History of Peeps
• How Carrots Grow
• Signs of Spring
• Life Cycles
• Plant Life and Adaptations

Try out the cottontail rabbit activity for FREE below.

2. Community Building

I love using any excuse to build and strengthen our classroom community. After all, building community is an ongoing process that does not stop after the first two weeks of school!

This activity is simple yet powerful!

Here is how we write our community building letters:

1. Have students write their names with a pencil on a small piece of paper and fold it into fourths. Place all the names in a bucket or bowl.
2. Have students one at a time randomly draw a name from the bucket or bowl, making sure that they did not pick themselves. If they pick themselves, have them show you before selecting a new name.
3. Students then write a letter to the student whose name they picket. Their letters should be positive, upbeat and include specific examples of why they are happy to be that person's friend and classmate.
4. For Easter, we use the theme...You are one of my favorite peeps! The kids love it! They write a letter for their classmate AND fill a peep with positive words about their classmate.
5. When all students are all done creating the cards for their classmates, they deliver them. They really love both giving letters and receiving them!

Want to try this community-building activity? See it here.

3. EGG-Stra Special Self-love

In addition to spreading love and positivity with their classmates, I love encouraging students to share some love with themselves!

During this time of year, I have students reflect on why THEY are egg-stra special. I want my students to understand that taking time to feel good about themselves is important and a great habit. Students brainstorm a dozen things that they LOVE about themselves with this activity. The kids love decorating the eggs and love celebrating themselves.

I have found the key to doing self-love activities like these is to have students share their work. Having other students celebrate and listen to these self-love writing projects validates the students' thoughts. Before beginning an activity like this, I do tell students that their projects will be shared.

4. Time for Science

Grab a pack of marshmallow bunnies and have students experiment!

Before doing anything with peeps, I love having students use their observation skills and senses to describe these candies. Students observe with magnifying glasses and record their observations. They take their ideas and write descriptive paragraphs using their senses when they are done.

After that, I have students hypothesize what will happen when the candy is placed in water. We hypothesize what will happen when it is placed in vinegar. Then as a class, we decide on another liquid to place it in. Some ideas include soapy water, orange juice, and soda. I have these on hand so that we can use what the class decides.

This hands-on activity is a lot of fun and leads kids to conclude that there is a lot of sugar in these favorite treats!

5. Try a Read Aloud

My favorite chapter book read-aloud to read with students is The Chocolate Touch written by Patrick Skene Catling. This book is a play on the classic story King Midas. Instead of everything turning to gold, everything the main character touches turns to chocolate. It is a quick read, but always well-loved by the kids. The story leads to great discussions on greed, healthy eating, friendships, and family. And of course, it is perfect timing for candy overload during Easter time!

No holiday activity list is complete without my favorite picture books! These read alouds are among my favorites to share with students during the Easter season.

Picture book read alouds perfect for spring and Easter:

• Nesting Henry Cole
• The Great Eggscape written by Jory John
• The Good Egg written by Jory John
• How to Catch the Easter Bunny written by Adam Wallace
• Too Many Carrots written by Katy Hudson

See the entire list of my favorite spring read alouds HERE.

When it comes to the holidays in the classroom, stick to timely themes! You may not be teaching the holiday, but the thematic fun associated with is always a crowd-pleaser. 

You might be interested in reading:

Spring Projects Kids Love

 5 Tips to Cure Spring Fever in the Classroom

April Fools' Day Fun for the Classroom

Spring Read Alouds Perfect for Upper Elementary

Looking for meaningful spring and Easter activities that kids LOVE? See more HERE.

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*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

8 Best Biography Picture Books for Upper Elementary

One of the most exciting times of the school year is when we dive into biographies!

Not only do the kids love biography project time, but so do I! Why? Here are some of the reasons why I just LOVE biography project time:

• students are engaged and actively reading nonfiction
• students are applying a wide range of reading strategies as they read this form of nonfiction
• students learn from one another as they are reading about different people
• biography reports and projects ties together reading and writing in an authentic way

Sounds great, right? It is true! SO much goodness comes from completing biography projects. On top of all of that, students work independently on the project and feel a huge sense of accomplishment and pride when they are done.

But before all of this goodness can happen, we start small. We kick off our biography unit and project by reading high-quality picture books that truly illustrate the elements that are found in biographies, like these. 

This list of 8 picture books includes titles that are must adds to your upper elementary classroom. And bonus, grab the FREE organizer and activity to use with any of these books to help you kick off biographies in your classroom!

Shark Lady written by Jess Keating

The only thing more engaging than reading about sharks is reading about the woman who just swam with the sharks. This biography tells the story of Eugenie Clark. I love this picture book biography because it begins the story of Eugenie's life with her as a young girl. The reader goes on a journey learning about her life and her actions to make her dream of becoming a marine biologist a reality. I especially love the book's last pages that include informational paragraphs about sharks, the timeline of Eugenie Clark's life, and the author's note. 

Dinosaur Lady written by Linda Skeers

One of the reasons why this book makes my list of top biography picture books is because there are so many examples that help students discover the character traits of Mary Anning, like being determined, brave, and curious. This biography book is a great choice to read during a biography unit and a character trait unit. This exciting story will shock some of your students as they learn that Mary Anning discovered dinosaur fossils and bones before the word dinosaur was even invented! With all the goodies at the end of this book, too, your students will love to read and reread this book. The last pages include informational paragraphs about fossils, Mary Anning's life timeline, and the author's note. This highly engaging story is a must-read in your class.

WHOOSH! written by Chris Barton

This story of Lonnie Johnson and his super soaking invention was recently recommended to me, and I instantly fell in love with it! This book begins with Lonnie Johnson as a young child who enjoys making things work and being challenged. Students will easily relate to Lonnie and his failures with some of his inventions. The reader follows Lonnie through his young adult life, his adult life, and all of his ups and downs. This book is filled with amazing illustrations and diagrams that kids love to check out. The author’s note at the end will certainly encourage students to dream big and come up with the next best invention.

Breaking the Ice written by Angie Bullaro

You don't have to be a hockey lover or even a sports fanatic to love the story of Manon Rheaume, the first woman to play in the National Hockey League. This picture book is the perfect match for upper elementary students. It is filled with important dates, figurative language, dialogue, and excellent word choice. Manon's story Remind students that working hard and failure go hand in hand with trying to achieve your goal. As with the other picture books included in this list, the afterword, real photographs, and timeline at the end of the book truly bring to life for the students that this story is a true story.

King of Ragtime written by Stephen Costanza

The King of Ragtime tells the story of the talented Scott Joplin. This biography is another perfect read-aloud for upper elementary students. The author gives great detail about all elements of Scott's life beginning in his childhood, while the illustrator supports the vivid story with beautiful pictures on each page. With rich vocabulary, onomatopoeia, and an easy-to-follow sequential telling of Scott's life, Students will be engaged and learn how important it is to follow their dreams. I especially love that this book allows you to bring music into your classroom, which is sure to catch the attention of your musically talented students.

Helen's Big World written by Doreen Rapport

Helen's Big World not only makes my list of top biographies to read with your class, but it also holds a spot on my Women's History Month Picture Book List, too. That is because I always look forward to reading this book year after year. I may be a little biased because I have driven by her beautiful home in Connecticut on my way to teach each morning for many years. See her Connecticut home here. Her story is one of pure inspiration for both students and adults alike. The author of this book does a fantastic job of bringing the story of Helen Keller to life through rich text and beautiful illustrations. I especially love the powerful quotes throughout the book, the focus on both the struggles and accomplishments of Helen Keller's life and the sign language chart included in the book. Definitely a must-read!

Looking for a kid-friendly article about Helen Keller's life? Try this one.

Martin's Big Words written by Doreen Rapport

This biography is part of Doreen Rappaport's biography series. All of the books in this series are just right for upper elementary students, include powerful quotes and illustrations, and get students critically thinking about the focus person of the book. This one, about Martin Luther King, Jr, is no exception. While many students may have heard a story or two about Dr. King, the powerful quotes woven throughout the book will leave students with a lasting impression about the accomplishments, struggles, and determination of Martin Luther King, Jr. No matter what other book you have read about Dr. King, read this one during your biography unit. 

KIDSTORY: Anthology of 50 Children and Young People Who Shook Up the World written by Tom Adams

I love having anthologies in the classroom, like this biography anthology. They are perfect for when you do not have a lot of time to read aloud to your students. This one tells the story of 50 exceptional children and young people who left their mark on the world. I especially love this book because the contents page categorizes the biographies by topic, with ten amazing children for each subject. For example, one topic is “Create and Dream.” This category has ten mini-biographies about children like Louis Braille and Shirley Temple. Each biography in the book is only two pages long, making it the perfect quick read for each day of your biography unit. From Emma Watson to Pocahontas, this anthology has a wide range of children and young adults to read and learn about each time you pick it up. With a beautiful mix of photographs, illustrations, and quotes, your students will enjoy reading as they put their nonfiction reading skills to the test. This book is one that you will love to visit each day and that your students will love to borrow again and again.

While there are so many biography picture books that you can share with students, these make my list because of their unique stories. These are books that your students probably have not heard...yet! Add them to your own stack of read-aloud books and watch student engagement soar as you read each of these powerful biography stories.

Grab the FREE resource mentioned in this post:

You might be interested in reading:

3 Tips for Creating the BEST Biography Projects

How to Use Interactive Anchor Charts to Assess Students

6 MUST READ Picture Books About Women's HIstory

Getting ready to start a biography project? Click HERE.

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*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)