Picture books are one of my favorite tools when it comes to teaching reading comprehension. I especially loved using picture books when I was teaching fourth grade.
Picture books are a great resource for teaching some of the more complex reading skills, like identifying a topic, making inferences, or even summarizing.
You are reading: Picture books for teaching theme
One of the biggest benefits of using picture books is that they are shorter than a novel, so you can read an entire story in one setting. When students have heard the entire story, they may find it easier to practice and apply certain reading skills…. as theme
It is easier for students to identify the theme of a story after they have finished reading or listening to it. And since you can read most of these picture books in one setting, you’ll have five opportunities for you and your students to discuss the topic of a story.
topic vs. topic
Before I jump in and share some of my favorite picture books for the topic of teaching, I want to take a minute and talk about the difference between book topic and book topic.
Now, in full disclosure, when I first introduced the topic of teaching, I taught my students to identify the topic as a single word. we would read a text and say that the topic was “kindness” or “teamwork”. and I know there are some curricular programs that will use these words to describe the topic.
While I think this is a great starting point, I actually think we do a better job of serving our students if we teach them to identify the theme of the book as the universal life lesson they can learn from that text. and we teach topic as a longer sentence that shares a belief or lesson about a particular topic.
for example, if the theme of the book was about kindness, then a possible theme might be “small acts of kindness can have a big impact on someone.”
Or if you were reading a book and the topic was teamwork, then a possible topic might be “everyone brings a unique set of strengths to the team.”
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When we’re teaching the topic in this way, I think it helps students think more critically about the text, as well as learn lessons they can apply to their own lives.
If this is a new way of thinking about teaching, I have a strategy I’m going to share with you quickly:
I love teaching students to ask questions about the topic to find the topic. not only does it help them identify the topic, but it also helps them ask meaningful and relevant questions.
In case you need a refresher on this strategy, here’s what it looks like:
- Step 1: have students identify the topic.
- example: friendship
- example: what makes a good friend? How do friends help us? why are friendships important? how do friendships change? What can we learn about friendships from this story?
- example: we can learn from the mistake lily and salma made and understand that friends should love and accept you no matter what. We can also learn from history that you can be friends with someone who is different from you.
- example: a possible theme for this story is that true friends love you and accept you for who you are.
When I introduce this strategy, I also like to give students a reference sheet that will help provide scaffolding and support as they put this strategy into practice.
I like to give students a chart (like the one below) that has a list of common topics they might see in fictional picture books or chapter books, a list of questions they might ask about the topic, and then a list of related life lessons (topics) they might find related to that topic.
so when you see my list of picture books below, you’ll also see possible themes you might find in those picture books.
If you’d like to learn about other strategies you could use to teach the topic, check out this blog post.
so here they are. five of my favorite picture books for the topic of teaching:
the invisible child by judy ludwig
themes: kindness, friendship, school relationships loneliness
possible topics:
- small acts of kindness can have a big impact
- loneliness is isolation
- treat others how you want to be treated
- friends he’ll really like you for who you are
every kindness by jacqueline woodson
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themes: kindness, regret, school relationships
possible topics:
- do the right thing, even if no one else does it
- you may not get a second chance to do the right thing
- everyone wants to belong and be connected
- small acts of kindness can have a big impact
enemy cake by derek munson
topics: friendship, acceptance, conflict resolution, perspectives
possible topics:
- you can find friendship in unexpected places
- don’t judge a book by its cover
- there are many ways to resolve our differences
- have a mind open to new friends
kelly dipucchio and queen rania al abdullah’s exchange of sandwiches
topics: friendship, acceptance, cultural diversity, school relationships
possible topics:
- you can be friends with people who are different from you
- have an open mind to try new things
- everyone deserves respect and acceptance
- personal preferences should be valued and respected
the last stop on market street by matt de la pena
themes: intergenerational relationships, community building, friendships, beauty
possible topic:
- beauty comes in unexpected places
- appreciate what you have
- you can find joy in giving to others
I hope that each of these titles finds its way into your classroom library and that you have found this list of picture books for the topic of teaching helpful. I would love to know if you have other titles that you love to use to teach the topic. Share your favorites in the comments below!
Happy teaching!