Frigid temperatures outside means more fun learning inside! Keep your students cozy with these 15 fun winter read alouds for upper elementary students.
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Is It Worth It To Have Winter Read Alouds for Upper Elementary Students?
It never ceases to amaze me that people still ask this question.
Children of all ages love a good story! 3rd through 6th grade students are no exception to that.
I often recommend interesting read alouds for upper elementary students because my kiddos gain so much from our reading time in the classroom–no matter the season!
So you won’t regret incorporating read aloud time in your winter lesson plans–especially if you pick one of these fun favorites below!
Picture Books About Winter
Picture books aren’t “baby books” and you can infuse many of your required teaching standards into these mentor texts about winter:
Lemonade in Winter by Emily Jenkins is such a fun picture book about doing the unexpected during winter time!
Two kids decide to sell lemonade with a catchy selling phrase despite the cold temperatures.
I will admit, the reading level is low on this book. But don’t allow that to turn you away from using this with your winter read alouds for upper elementary students.
Including math read alouds like this one can be a great lesson hook to reinforce other important learning standards.
The Mitten by Jan Brett is one of my favorite winter read alouds for upper elementary students.
Not only is it such a cute children’s book about friendship, but it is also great for teaching sequencing and inferencing skills.
A Beautiful Winter Book for Interactive Reading
I love any read aloud that can be turned into a call-and-response, interactive experience with my kiddos.
Not only does it keep them engaged with the reading, but it cuts down on any kid who may be tempted to misbehave during our reading circle time!
The Owl Moon by Jane Yolen tops the list of winter reading that’s also interactive!
Each time I read the father’s part in the book, I have my students say the daughter’s part that usually follows with the owl sound of “whooo, whooo, whooo.”
The book is written in such a way that it makes this kind of chorale reading easy no matter your class size.
Fun Snowflake and Snowman Books–Even for Big Kids!
As you plan out your winter-themed classroom activities, you’ll want to check out these fun snow books as winter read alouds:
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin tells the story of Wilson Bentley, while also showcasing the wonder of snowflakes.
There are so many ways you can combine this with science and snowflake STEM projects for your winter activities for kids.
Another fun winter read aloud I recommend is Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright
Sneezy is hilarious and reminds me of Olaf from the movie Frozen!
You can use this snowman read aloud with a “How-To Build a Snowman” writing activity.
I also use it with my Snowman Synonyms literacy center, which is also about putting snowmen back together again.
Winter Read Alouds About Snow
While we’re reading about snowmen and snowflakes, we might as well add in some fun winter read alouds about snow!
The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino makes an excellent winter read aloud for a science center.
I haven’t had the chance to try making actual snow as a STEM project in my classroom yet, but this book gets me motivated!
It helps answer “snow” questions like:
- How do snow crystals actually form?
- What shapes can snow crystals take?
- Are there any two snow crystals that are alike? Why or why not?
You can find tons of ways to blend this book in with your winter science lessons.
I love all of Ezra Jack Keats’ books, so The Snowy Day definitely makes the list of my recommended winter read alouds for upper elementary students.
As a personal note, I can be a bit of a grump during winter because I don’t like being cold!
Each time I read this book, I am reminded of the wonder and love kids have for snow. A wonder I used to have as a kid too.
That usually softens me up and lifts my perspective about cold weather. 🙂
Winter Chapter Books for Big Kids
Picture books and shorter read alouds are fun for big kids, but I always try to include at least one winter chapter book too. Here are some of my main picks this winter:
My students–and my son–love Peak by Roland Smith.
It’s a high action read aloud about a young boy named Peak who has an estranged relationship with his Dad. The relationship takes an unexpected turn when Peak is presented with the opportunity to climb Mount Everest.
I recommend this read aloud for winter because of its setting and the twists and turns of the plot make it engaging for kids.
PLUS–it’s FREE with the Kindle Free Time Unlimited Reading Program. I rave about this since I use it in the classroom and at home with my son.
You can see more details about it HERE:
Another winter chapter book I recommend for big kids is The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
This book works well with social studies units covering life on the prairie or life during the 1800’s.
It also works with math lessons on money since several sections of the book detail the struggle each character endures of affording basic necessities.
A Winter Chapter Book About Unexpected Friendship
The Dogs of Winter by Bobbie Pyron makes a wonderful winter reading about friendship and receiving help from unlikely sources!
To be honest, I haven’t had a chance to read this with my students yet, but it’s been on my list for sometime now.
There are sections in the book that are real tear-jerkers!
Winter Penguin Books for Upper Elementary Students
It’s almost impossible to get through winter without reading some penguin books! Here are two of my favorite penguin read alouds:
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester became a top penguin book for me all the way back when I taught 2nd grade.
The life lessons you can pull from this book work across so many grade levels.
It’s a beautiful penguin book about acceptance, true inclusion, and embracing differences!
My second favorite penguin book is Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater.
I love this book so much, I talk about it in more detail with my post on the 10 Best Novel Studies for 4th & 5th Graders.
Picture Books for Winter That Are Great for Character Analysis
Analyzing character is great for strengthening reading comprehension and for character education.
These winter read alouds for upper elementary work very well as mentor texts to help analyze the main character:
I always use the book companion for Martin’s Big Words with this winter read aloud to also celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January.
More Read Alouds for Your Students
Here are more book recommendations that work well for upper elementary students:
- 11 Children’s Books Written by Celebrities
- Children’s Books about The Golden Rule
- 10 Happy New Year’s Books for Kids
Engaging Winter Activities for Upper Elementary Students
If you’re looking for some fresh winter-themed activities to combine with your winter read-alouds, this post details 6 winter activities you can use in your classroom: (Click the image)
Happy Teaching and Happy Winter Reading!
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