First off: Accreditation went really well! Our school got an outstanding report! Second: Field trip went wonderfully as well!! Every one had a great time. The parents were amazing. The students were well behaved. We all learned a lot. And I now have experience on an all day field trip!
Next week starts our testing. We will be taking the Terra Nova tests. I must say, I will be happy when this year is over because then I won't have quite as many "firsts". I'm getting a little tired of being new at things and am so ready to feel like I know what is coming and how to do it. I feel like I"m getting a handle of everything and then something else comes up - like testing! Experience will come in time though...I just have to be patient.
My main reason for posting is to ask all of you teachers out there for book recommendations for my class. I want to read more children's literature and have a good feel of it for book recommendations for students, stocking my classroom library, etc. But, there are so many children's books out there!
What are you recommendations for third grade books?
Firsts are hard. This is my first year as well, I have a 2nd/3rd split class and will be glad for next year when not everything will be new.
ReplyDeleteRight now I am reading outloud The 39 Clues, Maze of Bones. It is a wonderful book, with many characters and opportunities for story element discussions. But we have a wall with graphic organizers so we can keep it all straight. Yesterday we "discovered" the secret message written in the page numbers. They are so engaged when I read and would sit for 30 or more minutes listening. Two students brought copies their brothers have to follow along. Great times!
Good luck with finding more god books. I can't wait to see what others recommend.
I am also a first year teacher, teaching 3rd grade. Read aloud is my favorite part of the day. The kids are quiet, mellow, engaged,I love reading to them, and it gives me a few minutes of sanity each day. I tend to pick books I loved as a kid: Freckle Juice, The Chocolate Touch, Chocolate Fever, How to Eat Fried Worms, just about any Beverly Cleary book, etc. I am also known to steal a book off of the desk of one of my student's, if it seems to be one that I've seen circulating around.
ReplyDeleteI have been teaching 3rd grade for over 3rd grade and have read so many different read-alouds over the years. I recommend any Roald Dahl book, but I especially love the BFG, the Twits ( a quick read), Matilda, and of course there is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Indian in the Cupboard is so much fun ( the movie is a good compare/contrast follow-up). Bunnicula is a fun one to do at Halloween. This year I read Frindle, even though it is a 5th grade character, and my kids loved it. I also currently reading The Phantom Tollbooth. This book is rich with language and mathematical play-on-words, but I felt I had a "higher" group of kids and that they would grasp it. The favorite this year by far was Sideways Stories from Wayside school. Great book to start your year off. It lends itself to a great writing activity about the kids in your own class. Holes is fantastic, too.
ReplyDeleteOops! I have been teaching for over 10 years. Can't tell by my "editing" skills!!!
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