How to Teach With Big Books in Kindergarten

Give your students an edge with their reading abilities that will benefit them throughout their school careers.

Today, expectations of kids have accelerated, and kids are expected to enter first grade with beginner reading skills. Teach them how to read using guided reading sessions in class in which you read to students from a big book and help students follow along with little books. Engage students not only by picking interesting picture books, but also by having them make their own artistic pointers to follow along with your reading. Through repeated guided readings, kids will start picking up words and will increasingly be able to participate in reading books out loud.

Things You'll Need

• Oversized books
• Normal-sized, kid versions of books
• Popsicle sticks
• Stickers
• Felt pointer

Instructions

1. Obtain student versions of regular-sized, age-appropriate picture books, as well as an oversized version for you.

2. Help students make pointers to follow along in their little books; glue a sticker or beaded eye to the end of a popsicle stick. Make your own, visually engaging, larger pointer out of a colorful felt tip.

3. Read the books to students and point out the words with your pointer. Reinforce words that the students probably haven't heard before by writing them on the blackboard. Point out pictures to students, and ask them what they see. Pause on words of which students should be able to guess the meaning, based on pictures.

4. Have students read out loud from their little books, following your guided reading. Monitor their reading and provide prompts and clues, either based on the word structure or the pictures, to help students figure out how to say words and what the words mean. Send them home with their books and pointers to practice.

References

• Linda's Learning Links: Guided Reading in Kindergarten