Hey teacher friends! Do you love opening surprises in the mail as much as I do? I was thrilled to open a Read Around the World kit from Random House Children’s Books. Inside, I found a brochure, passports for my students, a beautiful poster, and stickers. You can grab your kit, too, while supplies last.
The Read Around the World poster got kids so excited
I hung up the poster as soon as it arrived. Students were discussing the map and asking me what we would be doing with it right away. I enjoyed hearing my 4th grade students make connections to places we’ve studied in Social Studies.
Who is the Read Around the World kit for?
This kit is ideal for teachers in grades 2 through 5 and integrates easily with ELA and Social Studies. I was able to tie it into our Social Studies objectives which ask us to gather information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, like printed materials, graphic representations, artifacts, and media.
How to use the Read Around the World kit in your classroom
We began by filling out the passports that are included in the kit. I encouraged students to spend some time truly thinking about where they hoped to travel in the future. We also drew pictures for our passports, but you could take a quick photo to add in this spot. I explained to students that as they completed Reading Around the World, they would receive stickers on their passports. As another idea, you could cut a blue or black sheet of card stock in half and use it as a passport cover for the passports included in the kit.
My kids absolutely loved following the map to discover new books. In a way, it was as if we were going on a treasure hunt together. The books led to some beautiful discussions about cultural differences. I brought a globe out so students could locate the places on the map on the globe.
It was also fun to try some of the bonus activities that are referenced on the website pertaining to The Spice Box and My First Day.
Check Out How We Used a Few of Our Favorite Read Around the World books and activities
My First Day was one of our favorite books to read. The illustrations are breathtaking and the kids were really intrigued to find out how the little boy travels to school. We discussed all of the different ways kids get to school and how it really is quite an adventure for some! After reading My First Day, we spent time discussing the questions asked in the bonus activities and practicing the exercises to activate their imaginations. As a teacher, I loved how quiet the students were while they focused on breathing and visualizations. It brought a calmness to the room and helped them concentrate on our upcoming tasks.
To introduce The Spice Box, I brought in various spices from my cupboard at home. The kids loved smelling them and talking about recipes that they might be used in. I asked students to close their eyes so they could really concentrate on the aroma. The story is beautifully illustrated and helped the kids understand what’s inside a spice box. In this book we learned that Rishi’s box was filled not only with spices but memories too. The kids literally gasped when Rishi dropped the box, and they were visibly relieved when he was able to fix it. After reading the book, we discussed the questions provided in the bonus activities.
Why I’d do Read Around the World again in the classroom
Each time we “explored” a country by reading one of the books, we added stickers to our passports. I also pulled up pictures online of each location using my interactive board. This helped students understand and appreciate the culture, what the land looked like, and so much more. It’s obvious that the books that have been included on the map were carefully selected, and I was so happy to introduce books from all over the world. I enjoyed them myself too!
It was incredibly easy to incorporate these materials into our Social Studies and ELA instructional blocks. The material is well organized, engaging, and thought-provoking for students. I encourage teachers everywhere to sign up to receive your special kit!
* Editor’s note
We’d be remiss not to call out Read Around the World book choice, Noodles on a Bicycle which has been awarded honors and received accolades. It is a Caldecott Honor Book, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book, and was named a “Best Book of the Year” by BookPage, Kirkus Reviews, and The Horn Book. This historical picture book is about Tokyo’s bicycle food deliverers, or demae, who balance towering trays of steaming hot noodles on their shoulders while navigating crowded city streets.
Enter here for a chance to win a Read Around the World Kit for your classroom!