16 Read Alouds for Older Students

When you think about middle school students, I bet your mind doesn’t pair that with picture book read alouds, am I right? Do middle school students seem too cool for picture books? What if I told you there was an entire community of teachers reading a picture book every day of school? And that I could provide you with 16 read alouds for olders students to get you started?

Enough with the questions, if you’re not familiar with Classroom Book a Day, you’ve got to check it out! Teachers devote time each day to read a picture book to the class aloud. In fact, this inspired me to review a picture book every single day in 2018 – 365 picture book reviews, #BlogBookaDay! But I bet you’re wondering how teachers fit one more thing into their already insane schedule, or why reading picture books to older kids is even important.

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Why reading aloud is so important

I think the first and foremost reason is that reading fiction can help students develop empathy. And isn’t that a little something we all need more of in this world? Beyond that, students can come together as a community with a shared experience. Plus reading shorter texts allows for a focus on theme, engage critical thinking skills and incorporate a lot more diversity into the classroom. Reading one picture book a day can help students process strong emotions, enhance their listening skills, and improve comprehension. But in the end, reading aloud makes reading fun. If kids are struggling or reluctant to read longer texts, reading picture books shows kids that books can be enjoyable.

I loved being read aloud to in school. In fact, my memories of being read aloud to are some of my strongest school memories. I specifically remember my 4th, 6th, and 10th grade teachers all reading aloud to us in class. And with so many amazing kid lit creators, there are books for everyone! Can you imagine if you have something between 4-8 classes a day. What if every teacher spent 5-10 minutes reading aloud? Kids would have the experience of listening to close to 1,500 titles in one school year. That’s absolutely astounding!

Benefits vs. Costs

Yes, it does take time, but do the benefits not outweigh the costs? Reading aloud can also help kids transition more smoothly between classes as they are given a few minutes to settle in before getting thrown into another class period. Plus, teachers of all subjects are sure to find amazing books to read – whether it introduces a theme or topic of study or it’s just a fun book, reading aloud should be a mandatory (and fun!) part of every student’s school day.

Looking for Books

This list spans a lot of different topics, themes, genres, styles, and so much more! With very little effort, I was able to create a list that included fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Books about diverse characters from around the world. And stories that beg to be talked about with classmates. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are thousands of amazing picture books out there.

If you’re not sure where to start? Check with your school librarian, if you’re lucky enough to have one. Or find your local library – children’s librarians LOVE to help find great books! Or find other blogs like my own, we create content to be used, find a list that makes you feel happy, and start reading.

A few pointers before you sneak off? Always, always, always read a book before reading it out loud to your class. This is a must. You do not want to put yourself into an awkward situation. Find books that you enjoy. Reading aloud is as much about your joy as it is about your students’. If you’re not having fun, neither will they. And finally, share your project with other teachers at your school – create a bulletin board outside your room, talk about it at your next staff meeting, and share it at parent-teacher conferences. And one more thing, check out the online community – #classroombookaday – it’s a wonderful group of people sharing what they love – reading aloud at all grade levels!