Pre-K Reading 8/20/25 - What’s in My Bag?
Today was my first day of volunteer reading for the Fall 2025 school year. I thought you might like to see what was in my bag this first day of reading and hear how things went.
I was very happy to see several returning students. These students were not quite ready to read one-on-one with me last year, but I could see the progress made since then. Because these students already knew me, they came right up and wanted to start reading. I think the new students accepted me more easily when they saw the returning students being so comfortable around me.
Although most of the year I read with students individually, I do like to interact with the whole class at the beginning of the year. I like to introduce myself to the students and tell them why I am there and what to expect. Then I like to read a book with all of them and do a quick activity.
Large format version of Mouse Paint
Example page from Mouse Paint
The book I chose to read to the whole class at the start of this year was “Mouse Paint” by Ellen Stoll Walsh. I got a large format version of the book from our local volunteer office. The large format book is great for reading to larger groups of kids because they can see the book even seated several feet away. The book also came with little mouse toys, flashcards and suggestions for activities that can accompany the book. If reading to a large group of children I highly recommend checking with your local school system or library to see if any large format books are available. At our local volunteer office they have about 50 of these large format books with activities which can be borrowed.
Flash cards that came with the large format edition. The words of the colors are written on the back of the card (like Blue above).
After reading the book to the class, I used the flashcards to play a little game with the kids (see pics). For example, I would show the red puddle and ask the kids what color it is. Most kids will get this right. Then on the back of the card is the word ‘Red’ which I show them as a way to introduce them to the word. “This is how you spell the word ‘Red’”, I would say. Then I would ask the kids what things are red (they must put their hand up and be picked to answer). This book and activity was very easy and the kids enjoyed it.
I often choose Mouse Paint and it’s sister book Mouse Shapes to read at the beginning of the school year. The books lend themselves well to simple activities that students can do with the books. We know that hands-on activities help students learn, and they are also fun to do. Read more about these books and the activities you can do by clicking on the links above.
I also had time to read individually with students. We read the following books:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? – I like this book for the beginning of the school year for several reasons. One reason is that the subject matter is just perfect for this age. The book is about colors and animals which kids love at this age. I love both the artwork and the prose in this book, it’s such a joy to read and see. The kids just love this book. And because it’s a book that many of the students are already familiar with, it can give the new student a sense of familiarity.
Dear Zoo – I love this book at the beginning of the year in part because its about animals. And the lift-the-flap feature further engages the student with the book. When the student lifts the flap to see what animal is inside, I ask the student if they can name the animal. Many students can identify the animals at this age. For the students that can’t yet, it’s a helpful step towards learning the names of the animals.
Five Green and Speckled Frogs – I like this choice of book to read with new Pre-K students because you can sing the words instead of reading them. The singing (even my singing, lol!) draws the child in. And I like to have the children sing the “Yum Yum” and “Glub Glub” parts. This helps to get the student involved in the book and keep them from getting bored. The attention span of children just starting school can be rather short so I’ve got to choose books that will keep their interest for a few minutes at a time. The topic of this book is counting - so the more advanced students can pick up on this theme and practice their counting skills.
Other important items in my book bag.
Other than books, there are some other important items that go in my book bag. First off is hand sanitizer and baby wipes. At the beginning of the year (and all year, really) its likely that kids will have runny noses and colds. Baby wipes can be given to kids to wipe their noses and clean their hands. Baby wipes can also be used to wipe down the books and anything else if necessary between students. Hand sanitizer is mostly for me to use between students.
I also like to do name tags with the kids, especially at the beginning of the year. I let the kids choose which color with which they want to write their name. Then the kids write their letters if they can, or I will write their letters. The kids tend to enjoy this activity and its good practice for them to learn how to spell their name. And it also helps me to learn their name - which is critically important to building trust with them.
For myself, I always have a notepad and a pen handy so I can make notes about anything that happened in the reading session, and information that I need to remember for next time.
