12 Best Back-to-School Read Alouds for Kindergarten and First Grade

Oh, how I love back-to-school books! One of my favorite parts of preparing for a new school year is pulling out my collection of favorite read-alouds and deciding which books to share with my students during the first week of school.

If you're a new teacher, choosing the perfect first day of school book can feel overwhelming. The first read-aloud you share helps set the tone for your classroom, introduces important routines, and helps students feel comfortable in their new learning environment. That's why I've put together my list of the best back-to-school read-alouds for kindergarten and first grade.

Every year, I pull out my box of back-to-school picture books and revisit my favorites. The collection includes classic kindergarten read-alouds like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten, and Chrysanthemum. Over the years, I've also added newer favorites such as You're Finally Here! and Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes.

When choosing books for the first few days of school, I try to select stories that will immediately capture my students' attention. While some books have wonderful messages, they may be a little too long for the very first day. During those first few days, students are still learning classroom expectations, routines, and procedures. I usually start with shorter, highly engaging stories before moving on to longer read-alouds.

My go-to first day of school books are usually Chicka Chicka Boom Boom or Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten. Both books are engaging, interactive, and hold students' attention from beginning to end. Once I see how my class responds, I can begin introducing some of my other favorite kindergarten classroom books.

Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes is another favorite. I love reading it before we take our school tour. The repetitive text encourages students to join in, and before long, they're reading right along with me. It's a fun way to build excitement while helping students become familiar with their new school.

As the first week of school progresses, I continue reading from my back-to-school book collection. These books provide opportunities to teach classroom procedures, social skills, kindness, friendship, listening skills, and school expectations. Many of them also lead to meaningful classroom discussions and teachable moments.

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My Favorite Back-to-School Read Alouds

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom — A fun introduction to letters and the alphabet

Pete the Cat — Great for reviewing colors and building confidence

Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes — Perfect before a school tour

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten — Introduces classroom routines and school life

The Kissing Hand — Helps students cope with separation anxiety and missing their families

You're Finally Here! — A wonderful story about patience and waiting

The Recess Queen — Teaches kindness, friendship, and playground behavior

Too Much Glue — A funny way to introduce proper school supply use and classroom expectations

My Best Friend Is as Sharp as a Pencil — Introduces the many people who help us at school

Me First — Encourages sharing and taking turns

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen — Helps students understand what good listening looks like

Chrysanthemum — A beautiful story about self-esteem, kindness, and celebrating unique names

These are just a few of my favorite back-to-school books for kindergarten and first grade. Many of these stories become classroom favorites that students ask to hear again and again throughout the year.

What are your favorite first week of school read-alouds? Share them in the comments below! I'm always looking for new kindergarten picture books to add to my collection. After all, a teacher can never have too many great back-to-school read-alouds.