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It seems like only yesterday our moms were nagging us to read, read, read! Now, here we are, moms of two and finding ourselves doing the same. Why is reading so important, and how do we get our kids to start reading and maybe even enjoy it? Join us as we talk to Kelly Hiltz, kindergarten teacher and mom of two. Kelly will give all the details on why reading is important, how to inspire reading amongst our kids, and some book recommendations that might entice our young ones to “pick up a book already”!
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Resources and Show Notes
Kelly’s Interviews with The Mom Hour:
Kindergarten Readiness & Parent Teacher Relationships (voices episode 23)
Freaking Out Less about Kindergarten, COVID Learning Loss & Elementary School Academics (voices episode 60).
You can find her on Instagram @askateachermom or on her blog
@askateachermom (Instagram)
Preschool
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Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
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Corduroy by Don Freeman
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Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin and James Dean (series)
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Press Here by Herve Tullet
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Good Morning Superman by Michael Dahl (series)
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Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems (series)
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Anything by Todd Parr or Eric Carle
Read Alouds
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Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry and Vashi Harrison
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The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak
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We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
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The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak
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Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
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Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
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Shark Lady by Jess Keating
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The Alien Next Door by AI Newton (series)
Beginning Readers/Early Chapter Books
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Let’s Go For a Drive by Mo Willems (Elephant and Piggie series)
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Hi Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold (series)
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Hi Jack by Mac Barnett (series)
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The Doghouse by Jan Thomas (series)
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Meet Yasmin by Saadia Faruqi (series)
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Ling and Ting Not Exactly the Same by Grace Lin (series)
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Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride by Kate DiCamillo (series)
Second and Third Grade
*Continue to read to them if they are still into it, choose books you both enjoy
*Allow them to fully choose their own independent books
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Lola Levine is Not Mean by Moncia Brown (series)
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Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro (series)
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Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot by Dav Pilkey (series) (great for reluctant readers but some reviewers think it’s violent so look through it first if you are sensitive to those kind of things)
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Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon (series)
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Humphrey’s Really Wheely Racing Day by Betty Birney and Priscilla Burris (series)
Fourth and Fifth Grade
*thanks Amber for the recommendations @IowaAmberReads on instagram, lots of good middle grade and adult recommendations
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Babysitters Club Graphic Novels by Gale Galligan, Raina Telgemeier, Ann M. Martin (series)
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Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd
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Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (series)
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The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (and the sequel The One and Only Bob)
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From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
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Front Desk by Kelly Yang
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The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart (recommend this author)
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Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
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Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
