There are so many options for Read Alouds for 4th grade, it can be hard to decide where to begin.
From picking the best back to school books (that address those first day jitters) to selecting read alouds for the end of the school year, there lots of factors to consider.
But I’ve saved you the time, dearest. Here are some teacher favorites, plus links to more read alouds that will fit specific times of the year like a fancy glove.
Gotta-Read-Em Read Alouds for 4th Grade
1. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
This is one of the best read alouds for 4th grade out there. It tells the story of Auggie Pullman, born with a rare disorder that causes people to do a double-take when they see him. Homeschooled for years, he’s joining middle school — with kids his age. Kids who stare. Kids who are mean. And kids who are kind but don’t know how to act around Auggie.
Ultimately, our protagonist comes through. With battle scars, sure. But with the courage to face the world with pride. This will serve your students on so many levels.
What makes this an exciting read aloud is that it’s told from multiple perspectives, which will spur deeper conversations with your kids and foster empathy. It shows how all of us do the wrong thing at times. And how we can correct our missteps.
Want your kids to understand the vocab in the book? This vocab bundle teaches your kids (and makes YOU look amazing) with zero effort.
2. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Ivan is a Silverback Gorilla that was taken from the wild to become entertainment at a truck stop off the highway.
Ivan narrates the story. His observations of human behavior are funny, beautiful, and even heartbreaking.
When a baby elephant joins his lonely, dusty home, he find new purpose. How can he get her out of this dead end life?
Like all of us, Ivan feels powerless at times. But he finds strength in his gifts and stumbles accidentally into his own happiness.
While the book is relatively thick, the chapters are short, so reading it’s more speedy that you’d expect.
And these digital vocab slides prep your kids for the words they’ll hear in the story! They work amazing for distance learning.
3. Restart by Gordon Korman
This 4th grade read aloud will appeal to all your kids, as it comes with a sense of mystery and kid-drama that they’ll relate to. The story opens with Chase, who’s in the hospital after a bad fall.
He has no memory of his life before the accident. When he returns to school, though, he’s dismayed to learn that other kids fear him. He wonders what he did to create this troubling response.
When he discovers what he’s done, he has a tough choice to make. Your kids will love piecing together Chase’s mysterious past. And imagining what they’d do in his shoes.
Like Wonder, Restart is a 4th grade read aloud told from multiple perspectives. It doesn’t shy away from challenging (but grade-appropriate) conversations about right and wrong.
Restart Vocab foldables let your kids predict word meanings using context clues so they’re ready for your read aloud time. I have my kids keep theirs in their writing notebooks so they have a whole slew of beautiful words to pick from in their writing. It’s fun to see them try out the words on their own!
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
Already a classic, Harry Potter is a fabulous read aloud. (And check out this stunning version.) Not only is it well-told, it’s the first of seven books, leading your students’ to six more fabulous novels. Gotta keep them reading.
It’s one of the great read-alouds for 4th grade because it allows for loads of great classroom conversations: theme, character arcs, story arcs, Greek mythology. It’s got it all.
Plus? J.K. Rowling doesn’t write down to kids. Her use of vocabulary is stunning and significantly increases their spoken vocabulary!
Other Read Alouds for 4th Grade
9 Read Alouds to Start the Year
The start to the year is a priceless time to get them hooked. I start with the second listed book and BAM — I’ve got readers who fly through the series. It’s not Shakespeare, but they love it. (And it’s pretty danged funny and fun to read aloud.)
Beginning of the year is prime real estate time for read aloud. Don’t squander the opportunity!
Read Alouds for 4th Grade that Star Cozy Families
These read alouds are perfect when kids are craving stability and coziness. These are my favorite go-tos with my students when we’re ready to settle into happy vibes.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t conflict. There is. But there’s something comforting about that gets kids reading and rereading. They’ll never forget you introduced them to these books.
I can’t choose a favorite among these. But the first listed series is my newest favorite. 🙂
Read Alouds like Harry Potter
When kids finish Harry Potter they’re often adrift. ‘Cause where do you go after that?
Click here get a can’t-stop-reading list to hand to Harry Potter fans (and their families.) These books will get your kids over their Harry Potter hangover and onto new wonderful series. (But keep the Harry Potter books handy. Because it’s nostalgic fun going back to Hogwarts.)
The last listed series in this post is one I’ve never seen mentioned anywhere else. But it’s incredible. So so good. Read it for yourself. You’ll love it!
12 Read Alouds for 4th Grade that are SCARY!
These range from horribly written (but so ever-popular) to spine-tingling tales you will love to read on your own.
The first mentioned series were the most thumbed through books in my classroom library for years. (Telling the kids they’re “too scary for 4th graders” will do the trick. They’ll be lining up.)
Read Aloud Classroom Management
Always getting interrupted during read aloud? It can ruin the fun, right?
Use these simple hacks to make your read-alouds un-interruptible. Comes with free downloads so you don’t waste another minute.
Now It’s Your Turn!
Tell us in the comments below:
- Which strategy will you try this week?
- OR … Do you have a time-saving tip for effective feedback?
Want more good stuff?
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