It's time to snuggle up beside a cozy fire (or a faux fire on your smartboard) and get ready to read some winter themed tales in your classroom! This list of 20 January read alouds is sure to bring some warmth to your lesson plans this month. Take a look below at my list of favorite January read alouds for kids to help you with your lesson plans this month!
1.The Snow Globe Family
This is a magical book about a little family who lives in a snow globe and wishes someone would give the globe a shake so they can go sledding. Their snow globe lives on the mantel of the big family and baby comes to the rescue when she shakes the snow globe! Head over here to see how we use this book with the narrative writing prompt “If I lived in a snow globe” and grab a FREE writing template and craft.
2.The Snowy Day
Everyone knows the feeling of waking up to the first snowfall of the season! This book captures the magic and is a great January read aloud for any kindergarten or first grade classroom!
3. All You Need For A Snowman
In this cute rhyming book, children add more and more to create the perfect snowman. We use this book with the procedural writing prompt “how to build a snowman”. Head over here to check out out the writing and craft activities.
4. The Mitten
In this classic tale by Jan Brett, a little boy's lost mitten leads him on an adventure in the snow! Wonderful January read aloud with beautiful illustrations and is perfect for classroom retelling activities. One of the best picture books ever written.
5. Snowmen At Work
Just what do snowmen do at night? They go to work of course! While we're all sleeping they're busy working as dentists, construction workers, teachers and more! Head over here to see our unit on a day in the life of a snowman. Students love visiting the snowman village and trying out different snowman jobs!
6. Decibella And Her Six Inch Voice
January is the perfect month to revisit your classroom rules as you come back from winter break. This is a story about Isabella, whose voice is so loud her nickname is Decibella! We use this children's book to review appropriate voice level in different areas of our school. Head over here to see the full lesson and how I used this book in my classroom.
7. The Snow Bear
This is a wonderful January picture book about a boy who saves a polar bear from starvation and she saves him from a blizzard. The tale of a life long friendship between man and beast.
8. Lacey Walker Non Stop Talker
It may be January but do you still have students that just won't stop talking? It might be time to read Lacey Walker Non Stop Talker! This is a cute book about a little owl who just doesn't seem to know when to stop talking….until the day she loses her voice. Head over here to see how I use this book to help my students learn about the appropriate times to talk in our classroom.
9. NIght Tree
This is a wonderful book that is perfect for Christmas or the winter months. In the story a family goes out into the woods to decorate a tree with popcorn, oranges and other treats for the animals. Beautiful story of giving to others.
10. The Gruffalos Child
Julia Donaldson is the author of many wonderful books including Room On The Broom and this sequel to the classic story of The Gruffalo. In The Gruffalo's Child students will delight in the not too scary story when the child wanders into the woods one winter night in search of a big bad mouse. When he finds a tiny mouse instead he decides to eat him….until he sees the shadow. Maybe this is the big bad mouse after all? You'll have to read to find out!
11. The Biggest Best Snowman
If you've ever been told you're “not big enough” to do something, you'll love the story of The Biggest Best Snowman! Poor little Nell is told by her family that she's not big enough to build a snowman. But she heads out to prove them wrong and with the help of the forest animals builds her snowman. Add this to your collection of winter books for kids!
12. Brave Irene
Wonderful January read aloud about a little girl who braves a huge snowstorm to deliver a special package to the duchess. Its a great book to use when teaching students about perseverance and where there's a will there's a way!
13. The Blizzard
In this book a teacher and her class end up having to spend the night at one of the student's homes due to a blizzard. It's a great conversation starter for your kindergarten or 1st grade classroom and story starter for your narrative writing lessons!
14. Katy And The Big Snow
When the town of Geopolis is buried in a snowstorm, little Katie the plow comes to the resuce. Katy can do a lot of things and helps the town as a bulldozer and reparing the roads. But one winter Katy is put to the test when she has to dig out everyone! The doctor can't see patients. The firemen can't put out fires. But Katy comes to the rescue!
15. Snowmen At Night
If you've ever wondered what snowmen do when we're all asleep, Snowmen At Night will give you all the answers. From throwing snowballs, to sled riding to drinking hot cocoa. These snowmen do it all!
16. The Wish Tree
Super cute book about a little boy who goes on a journey – with his trusy friend “boggen” – to find a wish tree!
17. Snowed In At Pokeweek Public School
This is one of my all time favorite books for January. Have you ever dreamed about what would happen if you got snowed in at school? Well, that's what happens to the kids at Pokeweek Public School. This book is the perfect mentor text for the narrative writing prompt “What would you do if you were snowed in at school?
18. Five Little Penguins Slipping On The Ice
This is an adorable little counting book that will remind you of Five Little Monkeys! Perfect to use in your subtraction lessons this month.
19. White Snow Bright Snow
This is a classic tale that earned the Caldecott Medal in 1948. Although it's an older book, it will still delight your students in the magic of that first snowfall.
20. Owl Moon
This award winning book uses beautiful describtive language to tell the tale of a father and dauther who go out in the woods at night to go “owling”. The lovely watercolor illustrations and your reading of this book will capture your students attention as they listen in awe to this wonderful story.
Love all these book suggestions? Save time and money with this ultimate list of free online books and videos that you can use in your classroom. Click here to grab it today.
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