Using read alouds with your students is a positive and effective way to begin the school year! They help reinforce class rules about listening skills and can spark meaningful class discussions about community, diversity, friendship, and expectations. Research has shown that using read alouds in the upper grades, as well as lower, is a powerful way to increase engagement as well as improve vocabulary and comprehension skills. The following books are highly recommended by teachers and include a StoryboardThat activity, though teachers can modify the activity to fit their chosen read-aloud story.