First Week of School Reading Activities

by Aja McNair

The first week of school is always filled with anxiety and excitement for the upcoming school year. Say goodbye to the anxiety part and lean into the excitement with these 5 Fun Reading Activities for Back to School so that you can have the first week of school planned. These 5 First Week of School Reading Activities allow for teachers to get to know their students. It will also allow students to grow a love for reading and writing. These fun reading activities are the perfect icebreakers for your elementary students to do to build a classroom community. In fact, these first week of school team building activities are the very thing that you need for back to school.

Read the book First Day Jitters 

The first day of school is filled with so many new emotions. Emotions meant to be talked about. Instead of just having jitters or anxiety around all the newness that can occur on the first day of school, turn that energy into a positive learning experience by reading First Day Jitters. In fact, here are five fun activities that you can do with your elementary students after you read the book First Day Jitters. 

First Day of School Class Narrative 

Gather your students around the rug on the second day of school and have them join in on a fun shared writing experience. Build a class community by creating a first day of school class narrative. With your students, create a list of activities that your students did on the first day of school. Then, put all the events in sequential order and compile a story that shows what your class did on the first day of school.  

Back to School Writing Prompts 

Writing is a major part of preparing for the new standards your students are about to learn. In fact, use this Kindergarten through Fifth Grade Readiness Checklist to help you determine what students should actually know before their next grade level. Then, during the first week of school, and even the first month of school, have students use these 20 back to school writing prompts and games. 

Show N' Tell Their Favorite Book 

Who doesn’t love to show and tell? Why not bring some of that fun into your first week of school. Tell your elementary students to bring their favorite book to school. Then, allow them to share and talk about the book they brought to school. BUT… Let them know that they don’t want to be a spoiler, so they should not give away the ending to the story. Instead, students will do their show and tell like a book report talking about the characters, setting, and conflict of the book. This will encourage other students to read these exciting stories. 

Dress up like their Favorite Character 

Just like with a book report, this last activity wants to build a love for reading amongst elementary students. The goal of any successful teacher is to get students motivated to read and establish a love for learning. Tell students to dress up as their favorite book character. Then, just like show and tell, students will be able to share and talk about their favorite book.  

Overall, the first week of school for elementary students should be fun and exciting. It should be a week all about building relationships and getting to know your students. A first week of school where students can have fun with these fun reading activities and these 16 First Week of School Icebreaker Games.