Create a welcoming environment for all of your new students at the beginning of the year by focusing on building a classroom community! Lisa over at Growing Firsties used several favorite Read Alouds to convey to her kiddos the core values she wanted to see throughout her classroom over the course of the year. We loved the idea and had to share!

Recommended Titles:

The OK Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

The OK Book is perfect for helping students to realize and understand that they are 'okay' at a lot of things now, but will eventually excel in some things. It also focuses on having fun with being 'okay' until you get to the point of excelling.

Ish by Peter Reynolds

Reading Ish will definitely speak to the little perfectionists in your class! Help them to understand that even if they aren't perfect at something, it doesn't mean they shouldn't at least try.

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

What younster doesn't LOVE Pete the Cat?? He's one groovy character and has captured the hearts of classrooms across the country! Read Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes as a class to understand it's important not to let setbacks and obstacles discourage you. And to always remember "It's alllllllllll good!"

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

And last, but not least, convey to your kiddos the harmfulness of teasing each other with Chrysanthemum! Reading this together as a class and discussing how hurtful it can be to tease each other at the beginning of the year is a great idea for starting your year off on the right foot.

Bonus Printable

Lisa was also kind enough to provide a FREE printable you can use as a classroom sign to convey the core values you want to see displayed in your class!