Is your little one nervous about going to school for the first time? OR Are you a teacher looking for a book to help introduce a positive classroom dynamic? Starting fresh in a new environment, meeting a teacher and new classmates can seem overwhelming to children. This list of books will help students feel more comfortable about the new school year. Scroll down and choose a book to help start the school year off right.
List of books to read on the first day of school (Elementary / Primary School)
The Night Before First Grade! Written by Natasha Wing – Available on Amazon
It is the night before the first grade! Penny is excited to start the year with her best friend right beside her in the same classroom. This humorous take on Clement C. Moore’s classic tale will help children through their back-to-school jitters.
This heartwarming picture book helps teachers welcome their students on the first day of school. Through a letter written from the teacher’s point of view, students are given the message that their new teacher is someone they will get to form a special bond with.
Our Classroom is a Family by Shannon Olsen – Available on Amazon
“Family isn’t always your relatives. It’s the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.”
Teachers build a sense of community within their classrooms, creating a home away from home where they make their students feel safe. Reading “Our class is a family” on the first day of school, sets the ton for the inclusiveness that will be carried out throughout the school year.
A Unique Start from 6 Feet Apart by Emily Oquendo – Available on Amazon
Students returning to school in fall 2021, will experience a school year different than any precious years. These students will wear mask, social distance, and be taught plenty of hygiene methods to prevent virus spreading in schools.
If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff – Available on Amazon
“If you take a mouse to school, he’ll ask you for your lunch box. When you give him your lunch box, he’ll want a sandwich to go in it. Then he’ll need a notebook and some pencils. He’ll probably want to share your backpack, too.”
The Day You Begin by Jaqueline Woodson – Available on Amazon
This book is perfect for upper primary school students, grades 3 to 5. There will always be a new kid in school, no matter what grade level. This story will help students understand that we are all different, but it is ok to embrace our differences.
“There will be a times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you.”
“There will be many reasons to feel different. Maybe it’s how you look or talk, or where you’re from; maybe it’s what you eat, or something just as random. It’s not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it.”
Ellie the Elephant Makes New Friends at School by Agnes Green – Available on Amazon
“I woke up this morning, as happy as could be, excited for the day ahead, dressing hurriedly, I raced downstairs and kissed my mom, on my first day of school.”
I Got the School Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison – Available on Amazon
A celebration of the first day of school. This beautifully illustrated book will get students ready to learn all school year.
Are there any “back to school” books left off this list? Use the comment section to share some of your favorite back to school books for elementary kids.
