It’s January! Winter break is over, but the season has just begun. What a great time to teach about winter and snow. From New Year’s to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, there’s so much you can teach about. To help, we’ve put together a list of our favorite January read alouds.

Let it Snow!
This snowy month is perfect for reading books about snowmen. There are so many wonderful snowman books to choose from. These are our favorites.

Stranger in the Woods by Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick is a beautiful and unforgettable book. The story, told through a series of stunning photographs and endearing text, is about a stranger who has come into the woods and all the curious animals who must go and see it. The stranger is a snowman, and he has brought treats for all the woodland animals… or has he?
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Since it is the winter season, here are two wonderful books about winter. For more winter book recommendations along with activities to help you teach a fantastic winter unit, read our blog Winter Activities for Kids.
January Holiday Read Alouds
Every holiday deserves a good book. Beginning with New Year’s Day, followed by Martin Luther King Jr. Day and finally Chinese New Year, here are some great read alouds.
New Year's
Since it is a New Year, how about some books we love about New Year’s.
Twas the Night Before New Year’s by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Amy Wummer: This is another one of Natasha Wing’s Twas the Night Before books. We love these books! Written in the style of the original poem, this book is a FUN read aloud. It’s all about how a family gets ready for New Year’s Eve and tries very hard to stay up until midnight. Spoiler alert: they don’t.
Shanté Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport, pictures by Marion Eldridge is a joyful book. In this story, Grandma forgets the black-eyed peas for New Year’s dinner. Oh no! Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day brings good luck. While on a mission to borrow some, Shanté learns the many different ways her neighbors celebrate the New Year.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
On the third Monday in January, we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Here are three books that help children understand and appreciate this great man.
Chinese New Year
Colorful and festive, Chinese New Year is a wonderful way to celebrate the Chinese culture. It is the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar (between January 21st and February 20). Here are two books we recommend.
More January Read Alouds
We love Jan Brett books anytime of the year, but the The Mitten and The Hat are great read alouds for January. After reading the mitten, we had our students practice retelling the story with big paper mittens and animal characters they’d made. The Hat is a wonderful silly tale in Jan Brett’s distinctive style with lavish illustrations and whimsical characters.
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen: This magical story is about a little girl who finds a box of colorful yarn and begins knitting sweaters for everyone and everything.
We love The Three Little Pigs, in fact, in January we would teach a whole unit on comparing different versions of The Three Little Pigs. It is a great way to teach story elements. You know the story; here are some of our favorites.
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More Winter Blogs from 4 Kinder Teachers
Despite the chilly weather, winter can be a fun time for kids. If you’re looking for some great activities to do with your kindergartners in the winter, read our blog, Winter Activities for Kids. And don’t miss our Gingerbread Man Activities blog. Boy can those cookies run!
– LeighAnn
One Response
Great Place to visit for songs and ideas:)