Category Spotlight: Read Aloud Plus
We all know that as the school year winds down and the weather gets warmer, the wiggles get worse. Kids struggle to focus and sit still, but school isn’t done yet! We must press on! (We know the sunshine calls to teachers and librarians too, but don’t worry, we won’t tell.) So we are here to point you in the direction of books that capture attention, engage kids during storytime, and may even make you, the adult, chuckle too.
Read Aloud Plus is one of JLG’s most popular categories, and for good reason. These incredible titles are selected for their ability to entertain, but how do we determine that? Well, there are certain things we look for. Are the illustrations bright and understandable, even from the back of the storytime circle? Does the text invite funny voices or expressive reading? Are there opportunities for call-and-response or other participation from students? Is it fun and funny? The best Read Aloud books will check all of these boxes and feel new in some way. And our real secret sauce? These books are selected by former teachers, librarians, booksellers, and publishing professionals who know how kids respond to stories and which ones they (and you) have already seen a thousand different ways. Our Selections Team considers what activities and lessons could pair with a Read Aloud title and whether a kid would want to read it again on their own, so that you know when your monthly JLG box arrives, that there are ready opportunities to encourage listening comprehension, discussion, early literacy, and a love of reading.
Now is the perfect time to start beefing up your storytime collection with the Read Aloud Plus category, for the end of the school year and all of those other times that students struggle to focus…like the beginning of the school year, before a holiday, after a holiday, before or after a field trip, after recess, after lunch, when it’s sunny, in the afternoon…
Read Aloud Plus – Grades K-2
Pairs Well With: Kindergarten Plus (more fun and quick reads) and Humor Elementary Plus (to keep the kids laughing and wanting to read).
