Looking for a Summer Reading List Kindergarten Parents will LOVE?
Pretty soon, we are both planning to send our 5-year-olds off to kindergarten. And even as educators ourselves, we wanted a summer reading list kindergarten PARENTS and kiddos would love! So we researched and chatted and dreamed one up for you, Mamas! Get ready!
First, though, we have to just pause and take in the fact that our babies are heading off to kindergarten!! While they are READY and we know it’s time, it’s still KINDERGARTEN! And we can’t believe it!! Cue the tears…
Did you know that we prayed and pleaded with God for these babies as we both journeyed through infertility at the same time? And then we rejoiced at every single miracle moment throughout both of our pregnancies.
We even had them splashing next to each other in their first baby swim classes and crawling around at their very first music classes next to each other as infants too!
Seriously, Mamas. Where does 5 years go? It just vanishes. Poof!
We imagine it vanished for you too, right? And here you are. You’re either looking for a kindergarten summer reading list to get your kiddo ready to enter kindergarten like us.
Or you’re looking to keep the summer learning going for your sweet one who just finished kindergarten. Whichever category you fit into…we’ve got your back!
A Kindergarten Summer Reading List That Doesn’t Overwhelm
We remember our days teaching in kindergarten classrooms and which stories were the most loved, impactful, and remembered by both students and parents alike.
And as mamas ourselves, we knew what we were looking for as we sat down to make our must-have summer reading list kindergarten mamas and kids would LOVE.
We also know that, as mamas, we simply do NOT have all the free time in the world to read EVERY book recommended and loved by so many. And we didn’t want an overwhelming list that we knew we’d never actually get to.
We’ve got a fun-filled summer ahead – and we picked 16 books to be sure to read with our little ones! We’re going to check them off (because come on, Mama. Don’t you love that feeling when you check something off your list?!).
And then we’ll keep listening to suggestions from others, browsing the library shelves, and filling bedtime story stacks with so many more.
But with this list of 16, we avoid overwhelm. So we picked the books you and your kids will LOVE.
They will make you smile and cry. They’ll teach kindness and the abc’s. They’ll remind you to hug those babies you once prayed for and took to baby swim lessons.
We made this summer reading list for kindergarten as magical as possible. We’re highlighting some of our most loved books – and those we know so many children and mamas will LOVE too!
Without further adieu, here it is!
Our Kindergarten Suggested Summer Reading List
Books to Make Your Kindergartener Smile & Get Them LOVING Learning
To begin with, this hilarious and lovely illustrated picture book will have your kiddos rolling with laughter as the main character, a dinosaur named Penelope, goes to school for the first time. She has to learn a VERY important lesson … DON’T EAT YOUR NEW FRIENDS.
You’ll be able to have some beginning of school and new friend conversations with this one. And at the same time, your kiddos will LOVE it and laugh the whole way through!
If you’ve grabbed our At Home Learning Activities Guide, you already know about “How Rocket Learned to Read.” This adorable little doggie learns the importance of reading and develops a LOVE for reading too! The perfect story to get your little reader excited about books!
Yes – little Rocket learns to write too!!! But what we love about these stories is that Rocket doesn’t know what to write about at first. He struggles as a little writer.
Do your kiddos struggle to write as well or come up with topics to write about? Yeah – we get it. We hear LOTS of families say, “My kid loves to read – but writing? Not so much!” You are not alone. So PLEASE go pick up a copy of “Rocket Writes a Story,” and it will encourage your little writer in a whole new way!
Summer Reading List Kindergarten Families LOVE to Read OUTSIDE
You’ve probably heard of this classic and aren’t surprised to find it on our summer reading list kindergarten kids and parents love. It’s perfect for summer, and here are all the other great reasons it’s great for your kindergartener…
- The rhythm in this book is great for modeling fluency for your child.
- The pattern teaches story structure and comprehension strategies without you even realizing it!
- It’s SO FUN to act out!! Our kids even like to mimic the story in other outside settings by saying things such as “We’re going on a worm hunt!”
Maybe you heard Krista talk about this one in this Facebook Live video. It is simply lovely. Parents – hold back your tears while you read this one, and hold those babies tight.
Your children will LOVE the language of this story, and it’s the perfect summer read aloud to talk about all the places you love to visit as a family during the summer. Maybe it’s the neighborhood park or Grandma’s house – but you are sure to grab some GREAT conversations from your 5-year-old about all the places they love after reading this one!
This is one of our favorite stories to read to students at The Literacy Camp each year! It’s a wonderful one for your kindergarten summer reading list because it will encourage your little learner to head out on a listening walk of their own.
Noticing the world around them is what real writers do, and this one is sure to inspire outdoor learning for your family this summer!
Kindergarten Summer Reading List Books to Get READY for Kindergarten
As kindergarten teachers, this was our ABSOLUTE favorite kindergarten read aloud for the first day of school. And as kindergarten mamas, we’ll definitely be reading it before sending littles off on their first day as well!
This story talks all about the “first day jitters” in the most FUN way. And it brings some reassurance and giggles when the readers find out that even the teacher has “first day jitters too!”
If you’ve got a little one with big feelings, this book is for you! This tells the story of Wemberly the mouse who worries about EVERYTHING. Which of course includes heading to school for the first time and meeting new friends.
With the help of her family, teacher, and new friends, Wemberly learns not to worry quite so much. It’s a wonderful lesson through lovable characters!
Okay, you can gather why we included that one. It’s a must have for the night before kindergarten. So, throw it in your Amazon cart now, or pencil in your calendar a reminder to get it from the library. You will NOT be disappointed.
More of Our Summer Reading List for Kindergarten Students That You Won’t Want to Miss
Books That Foster Great Conversations About Our Feelings & Making Positive Choices
In this cute story the lovable character, Jim Panzee, is having a grumpy day for no particular reason. And after everyone he knows tries to cheer him up, one friend finally puts his arm around him and just says it’s okay to have a bad day sometimes. And that’s all it took to make him feel just a little bit better. It is oh so sweet.
Because isn’t it?! It just is! So many feelings and new things! This is a great one that will make you and your child smile and giggle and have some great conversations too!
The little 5-year-old in this story reminds us it’s hard to “sit STILL…STILL…STILL…” and that getting dirty is more fun than staying neat and clean. It’s relatable for the kiddos and can remind us all how to both be our best selves and understand we’re all learning new things. 🙂
If you haven’t checked out this ADORABLE choose-your-own-adventure-type picture book, please do! The character in the story learns that he has “the power to choose” and goes throughout his day making choices.
With each choice the character is presented with, the reader gets to decide how he will react. Then, based on their choices, they are directed to a certain page to hear the next part of the story.
Young readers can experience this story with you again and again and see what happens when Danny makes positive choices (such as sharing with his brother) and not so positive choices (such as complaining about his breakfast). It’s 9 stories in 1!
Don’t Forget to Learn Those Letters!
We had to throw this classic in because it is just SO LOVED by kindergarten teachers, kids, and families alike!
Of course, we love reading ALL the alphabet books before kindergarten begins. However, we love this one in particular because of the rhyming words and rhythm – which helps kids develop those phonemic awareness skills essential to pre-reading.
Additionally, we LOVE the illustrator’s use of lowercase letters. Many children entering kindergarten have mastered capital letters, yet struggle with lowercase. The more we can expose our children to practicing with lowercase letters before kindergarten – the better!
Cue the TEARS, Parents. You Will LOVE Reading These to Your Kindergartener…
Years ago, we were asked to speak to a large group of moms at a local church with our best tips for helping their children learn. So we talked through slides with our favorite learning tips, toys, apps, and books! The moms were so grateful, and it was the beginning of our LOVE for serving the parent community.
Then, at the end of that presentation, we read “Mousie, I Will Read to You” aloud to the mamas. And most of us cried. Yup – we worked through tears while reading it. It is our promise to our kiddos – that we will love them and read to them. And we PROMISE YOU that you will love this book.
Pretty much every children’s book by Christian author Max Lucado is our favorite. This one has a beautiful reminder for our kiddos about just how special they are to us and their Creator. It’s simply lovely. You might want to buy this one – you’ll read it for years and years.
Oh, the years and years we read this aloud to our kiddos that first day of school…and any parents still lingering in the back were most certainly crying. In a good way.
“The Kissing Hand” is the perfect story about an adorable little racoon family – sending their little raccoon to school and away from his mama for the first time. Your kids will be kissing hands as a goodbye for years to come after this loved story.
Looking for More Actionable Tips to Keep Those Kiddos Busy Along with Your Summer Reading List for Kindergarten?
We hope you add those books to your Amazon carts, throw them in your next library pickup order, and read your hearts out this summer. We also hope you send us all kinds of new book ideas that we should check out too – that your family LOVES (DM us on Insta here)…
In the meantime, we’d love to continue to serve you and your families, encourage you as your children learn and play this summer, and give you resources to help keep your kids busy and learning in a meaningful way – so you can have a few things off your plate, Mama!
If you haven’t grabbed this yet – this Free Guide, 9 Steps to Keep Your Kids Busy & Learning While You Work, is sure to help you get your summer learning activities all planned out.
Filled with practical and tangible steps, EASY TO IMPLEMENT FOR ANY BUSY MOM.
Grab these FREE tips and get your kids learning this summer in FUN, EASY ways.
Trying to make the books on this summer reading list for kindergarten families really make an impact?! We’ve got your back. This guide will make you and your kids smile about learning this summer, and it even includes a BONUS – all about how to make the MOST out of bedtime stories each day as you help your child read!
You can pick up that FREE PARENT GUIDE HERE:
https://learningathome.theliteracyladies.net
Looking for Additional Summer Learning Activities for Your Kindergarten Student? Sign Your Child Up for Virtual Literacy Camp!
Have you heard of The Literacy Camp? We founded it many years ago, and it’s our baby (well, you know – besides all the other babies we’ve got running around our kitchens right now)…
Virtual Literacy Camp is a summer reading camp designed for parents like you who want an EASY to implement program for your child during school breaks.
Virtual Literacy Camp…
- encourages & inspires a LOVE for learning (even if they haven’t had that before).
- will keep your kiddos busy & learning – bringing some peace & calm to your home so you can get some work done. Or rock babies. Or wash dishes. You know…all. the. things.
- will help you feel confident your child is ready to begin kindergarten or will extend their kindergarten learning into the summer!
If you’re thinking your kiddos might not like a virtual camp, check out this video. It’s one of our introduction videos and gives you a sneak peek into how FUN and ENGAGING camp is for young readers and writers! 💗
Kindergarten Summer Learning That Is EASY to Implement
Additionally, Virtual Literacy Camp has children’s engagement and ease of implementation front of mind.
- The program largely requires only items you already have in your home & a Wi-Fi connection.
- There isn’t an overabundance of links to go to or places to login.
- You’ll get an easy to follow, optional daily schedule to keep your kids busy & learning during their summer break.
- We’ll do all the planning & bring all the fun – so you don’t have to!
Check out more information about Virtual Literacy Camp HERE, read what other parents are saying about it, and grab a spot for your family to participate today.
Job Well Done, Mama. Job Well Done.
We hope you LOVE that summer reading list kindergarten parents have asked us for over the years! And we can’t wait to hear which ones are your favorite!
We know sending those kids off to kindergarten is going to be a moment for each of us. Some of us will cheer and high-five the nearest mama! Some of us wil cry in our car on the way home. Some of us will stand at the bus stop while it drives away or drop off at before school daycare with tears in our eyes.
But when we do our best to prepare our children for the educational future before them, we can rest easy, Mamas. We did it. We didn’t do it perfectly. None of us do. But we read to them and loved them well. And that we’ll continue to do.
Now go enjoy those summer reading lists and the read aloud time you squeeze in under a tree in the breeze!
And don’t forget to sign your child up for Virtual Literacy Camp, Mama! We’ll plan out all the fun for you and get those kids excited about learning in a whole new way!
We’re praying for you and cheering you on!
Happy Reading.
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