If I had to pick any month as my favorite, especially for teaching, it would be October! The weather starts to get cooler, pumpkin everything is officially ok, and the leaves begin to change colors! Each unit that I teach in October makes me so happy! I almost wish I had time to do two weeks for each but time waits for no one! Here are my fave October read alouds and activities!
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1. Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie
You may have guessed it already, but I love pumpkins. I need them in my life from the end of August until Christmas. Since it is my favorite, I save this unit for last. We continue our discussion on the characteristics of non-fiction books, and what makes it great is that it’s such a hands-on unit. I also incorporate pumpkins into every area of our day for this week. It’s perfect for not only literacy, but math and science as well.
2. I Need My Monster
I have had this book in my class library for years, never realizing it was a series of books! The main character in this story needs his monster, but not for the reasons you think! When my students realize that he LIKES to be scared before he goes to sleep, they sit there in disbelief! I use this book to model making predictions!
3. Nightsong
Nightsong tells the story of Chiro, a little bat who is going out at night alone for the very first time. Once he finds his song (echolocation), he discovers that he enjoys navigating the world around him. As this story is a little bit longer, we really talk about the beginning, middle and end of the story, while still focusing on the characters and setting of the story. Perfect addition to my unit on bats!
4. Aaaarrggh, Spider!
I used to be a little iffy on teaching about spiders, but I gradually let my guard down. I am so glad that I did! Spiders happen to be another unit that my students love. I’ve learned that if it’s anything creepy-crawly, they want to learn all about it! This book is about a lonely spider who decides that he wants to be the pet of a local family! It’s a nice fictionalized story of a spider, which I like to weave into our non-fiction unit on spiders.
I absolutely love teaching in the month of October, and these stories are part of the reason why! I love diving into non-fiction; these book companions make every topic come to life! You can find all of the books right here on Amazon, and all of the activities by clicking here!
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