Spring symbolizes renewal, new life and a time of transformation. Springtime is a great time for new things, especially when it comes to books! Refresh your classroom library with books about spring and all that it symbolizes!
Hungry, Hungry Bear
What’s one of the first things you would want to do after sleeping for months? I think that one of your answers should definitely be finding something to eat! Well, that is what Bear does after waking up from hibernation in Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson. All of the animals in the woodland show him where to find food. Your students will enjoy predicting where the animals will take Bear and what foods he might find. After reading, your students can practice sequencing skills to retell the story.
Springtime with Friends
What activities do you like to do with friends during Spring? Use Spring is Here! by Will Hillenbrand to jumpstart the conversation! After reading, help your students brainstorm activities to do with friends when the weather gets a little warmer. Capture the ideas in a graphic organizer, then have the students write and draw about the ideas they came up with.
Winter vs. Spring
Everyone is ready for spring after a cold winter! Well, almost everyone. Surprisingly, Rabbit in The Thing about Spring by Daniel Kirk has a list of reasons why he likes winter better than spring. This story would be perfect to read to integrate math and writing. After or before reading, students can create graphs to show the favorite seasons in the class. Students can justify their choices by writing a persuasive paragraph. They can also compare and contrast their reasons with Rabbit’s reasons.
Patience Is Key
And Then Its Spring Julie Fogliano shows the patience that one must have when waiting for seeds to grow. Use this book after a unit on seeds and plants. The students could compare themselves to the characters by discussing how they felt while they waited for their seeds to grow.
Whose Egg is it?
Duck & Goose by Tad Hills will have your students in stitches by the time you get to the end of the book! This book is filled with suspense as the two birds take care of and quarrel over the polka dotted “egg” they find. Duck & Goose fits right along with lessons about springtime and baby animals. Use the book to teach students how to make and justify predictions when reading.
Spring cleaning is not just for homes or your closet! Updating your classroom library with new spring books will add new energy to it. Students will enjoy reading about baby ducklings, growing flowers, rainy days, and warmer weather!