journeys reading book kindergarten

Free Journeys Reading Resources

Last Updated on April 25, 2024 by TrayKay

This post begins with descriptions of the free Journeys reading program resources available here. Scroll down for the actual links to each ebook, for grades K – 6. Clicking into the links will automatically launch the ebooks. The ebooks that are handbooks or workbooks have printable pages. To print, open a workbook and look at the buttons on the left side. The last button is “More.” Click into it to print pages, as shown in the following image:

Descriptions of the Ebooks: (Scroll down for ebook links).

Student ebooks provide lessons with reading and comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and writing exercises. There’s also a link to the In the News current events ezine.

Leveled Readers include target skills (like main idea), vocabulary, and writing exercises.

Additional tools are available for some of the grades. Lessons appear to align with the main student ebooks:

Reading Adventures Magazine includes literature and informational texts and activities.

Writing Handbooks include step-by-step exercises for writing different types of compositions. Pages can be printed. 

Write-In Readers have short comprehension, vocabulary, and handwriting exercises, with pages that can be printed. 

Reader’s Notebooks have spelling, vocabulary, and grammar lessons. Pages can be printed.

Cold Reads are reading comprehension passages with questions. Pages are printable.

Close Readers are for analyzing short text passages.

Grammar Snap Videos are short lessons on grammar topics.

Links to the Journeys Reading Program Ebooks:

Kindergarten Ebook

Kindergarten Leveled Readers

iRead Videos : animations to help recognize uppercase and lowercase letters

Kindergarten Reader’s Notebook

Kindergarten Reader’s Notebook Teacher’s Edition

Kindergarten Writing Handbook

Kindergarten Writing Handbook Teacher’s Guide

Teacher Read Aloud Books Grade K

Grade 1 Ebook  

Grade 1 Leveled Readers

Grade 1 Writing Handbook

Grade 1 Writing Handbook Teacher’s Guide

Grade 1 Write-In Reader

Grade 1 Reader’s Notebook

Grade 1 Reader’s Notebook Teacher’s Edition

Grade 1 Cold Reads Grade 1 Close Reader

Grade 1 Close Reader Teacher’s Guide

Grade 1 Grammar Snap Videos

Grade 2 Ebook

Grade 2 Leveled Readers

Grade 2 Writing Handbook

Grade 2 Writing Handbook Teacher’s Guide

Grade 2 Write-In Reader Grade 2 Reader’s Notebook

Grade 2 Reader’s Notebook Teacher’s Edition

Grade 2 Cold Reads

Grade 2 Close Reader

Grade 2 Closer Reader Teacher’s Guide

Grade 2 Grammar Snap Videos  

Grade 3 Ebook

Grade 3 Leveled Readers

Grade 3 Writing Handbook Grade 3 Writing Handbook Teacher’s Guide

Grade 3 Write-In Reader

Grade 3 Reader’s Notebook

Grade 3 Reader’s Notebook Teacher’s Edition

Grade 3 Cold Reads

Grade 3 Close Reader

Grade 3 Close Reader Teacher’s Guide

Reading Adventures Magazine

Grade 3 Grammar Snap Videos

Grade 4 Ebook

Grade 4 Leveled Readers

Grade 4 Writing Handbook

Grade 4 Writing Handbook Teacher’s Guide

Grade 4 Write-In Reader

Grade 4 Reader’s Notebook

Grade 4 Reader’s Notebook Teacher’s Edition

Grade 4 Cold Reads

Grade 4 Close Reader

Grade 4 Close Reader Teacher’s Guide

Grade 4 Grammar Snap Videos

Grade 5 Ebook

Grade 5 Leveled Readers

Grade 5 Writing Handbook

Grade 5 Writing Handbook Teachers Guide

Grade 5 Write-In Reader

Grade 5 Reader’s Notebook

Grade 5 Reader’s Notebook Teacher’s Edition

Grade 5 Cold Reads

Grade 5 Close Reader

Grade 5 Close Reader Teacher’s Guide

Grade 5 Grammar Snap Videos

Grade 6 Ebook

Grade 6 Leveled Readers

Grade 6 Write-In Reader

Grade 6 Readers Notebook

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22 thoughts on “free journeys reading resources”.

Do you have access to the answer keys for 3rd and 5th grade cold reads? I am wanting to use these as retests for my Special Education students. Thanks in advance for any help you may can offer.

The answer keys are within the books. Click into the book and then go into the “contents” and you will see the answer key there.

Comment: I love the Free Journeys Reading Resource. I wish there are more of these out there.

Question: I can’t seem to find Journeys student ebook grade 3 book 3 for lesson 26-30. would you be able to help me with that, please.

Whatever I have on this site is all I’ve found so far. If I come across it, I will post it and send you the info. In the meantime, have you seen the Journeys activities listed in this post ?

Lessons 26-30 are located in the Reading Adventures Magazine.

Thanks a million Ladies.

Kindly assist where I can find Journeys Ebook grade 4, lesson 26-30. There’s Reader’s Notebook ( teacher’s Edition) for these lessons.

Looking for answers to 6th grade readers notebook

This is good stuff! I’m about to teach a true beginner, a young learner, English as a Foreign Language. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!

I have no experience teaching foreign students. But there are many resources available online, some free. Here’s an article you may find useful with links to resources. Hope it helps: ESL Resources

Do you know how to access the Journeys Grade 5 Program Assessment link from ThinkCentral? I was about to find Grade 4, but I haven’t been able to find Grade 5. Grade 4 looks like this btw: https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/content/hsp/reading/journeys2017/na/gr4/program_assessments_9780544702066_/index.html

I found this link to intervention assessments for grades K – 6. Hope it helps. Journeys Intervention And here is the general link to Journeys Grade 5 Teacher Resources: Journeys G5 Teacher Resources

Thank you for that link, do you have the same links for grade 1-3 and grade 5-6? How do I find these? I am looking for the weekly assesments and benchmark assesments specifically for each grade.

Is there a Grade 6 Reader’s Notebook Teacher Edition? I see one for all of the other grades but not 6.

I have not been able to find that one yet. Will be happy to add it if I come across one or I’m sent a link.

I am looking for the weekly assesments and benchmark assesments specifically for each grade do you happen to have the links for these? Someone above posted them for 4th grade only.

I can’t get the links to work anymore. The page opens but just spins and spins. Is anyone else having this problem?

Try copying the link and pasting it into a new tab. Sometimes that works.

Hi! Any chance you have found any of the grade 6 projectables? Those would be a great addition to some of these resources! I love that you have the textbook digitally!

I’ve got access to projectables up to grade 5. I’ll keep my eye out for grade 6.

Hi, TRAYKAY

I was hoping that you may be able to find the Cold Reads for Grade 1 and 2?

I very much appreciate your website.

Regards Paul

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find Cold Reads for Grades 1 and 2. I’ve checked the various sections of the Teachers Resources and have not seen them. I’ll add them if I come across them.

I have added the Cold Reads for Grades 1 and 2 to the blog post. Those with access to Journeys teacher resources can find them in the Literacy Workshop under Assessments.

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HMH Journeys

With  Journeys , readers are empowered by skill mastery; inspired by authentic, award-winning text; and confident that they are building the skills needed for college and careers. Backed by proven results, it's no surprise that  Journeys  is used by over 6.7 million students nationwide.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Grade 1 Journeys Close Reader (2017)

Learning to read is an excursion into the unknown. It's about meeting challenges head-on and gaining confidence with each victory. Preparing students for this voyage requires a program that lets teachers introduce the right discoveries at the right time...

Grade 1 Journeys Reader's Notebook Teacher's Guide (2017)

Reader’s Notebook features practice pages for the various skill strands in a lesson and a Reader’s Guide spread for each Anchor Text in the SE (supporting students’ third read) and for each Trade Book. The practice includes phonics,...

Grade 1 Journeys Reader's Notebook Volume 1 (2017)

Grade 1 Journeys Reader's Notebook Volume 2 (2017)

Grade 2 Journeys Close Reader (2017)

Grade 2 Journeys Reader's Notebook Teacher's Guide (2017)

Grade 2 Journeys Reader's Notebook Volume 1 (2017)

Grade 2 Journeys Reader's Notebook Volume 2 (2017)

Grade 3 Journeys Close Reader (2017)

Grade 3 Journeys Reader's Notebook Teacher's Guide (2017)

Grade 3 Journeys Reader's Notebook Volume 1 (2017)

Grade 3 Journeys Reader's Notebook Volume 2 (2017)

Grade 4 Journeys Close Reader (2017)

Grade 4 Journeys Reader's Notebook (2017)

Grade 4 Journeys Reader's Notebook Teacher's Guide (2017)

Grade 5 Journeys Close Reader (2017)

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English Language Arts Program Grades K–6

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With Journeys © 2017, readers are empowered by skill mastery; inspired by authentic, award-winning text; and confident that they are building the skills needed for college and careers. Backed by proven results, it's no surprise that Journeys is used by over 6.7 million students nationwide.

Journeys works.

• Journeys K–2 earns an ESSA  Strong Evidence rating from the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University .
• Journeys instruction is based on the latest scientific research about what makes literacy instruction effective.
• Journeys students consistently show positive academic gains. Explore the evidence .

Utmost Confidence with Proven Results!

Built upon a research-based instructional design and proven efficacy results , Journeys is the most widely used reading program across the country.

Empower Students to Read Rigorous Texts.

A realistically paced close reading routine and online tools empower students to read rigorous texts. Using authentic text to anchor the core instruction, Journeys weaves the skills of close reading into a practical routine that is designed to have students read and reread for a variety of purposes, giving students more time to dig deeper into the text. The Student eBook provides tools that promote close reading such as responding to questions at point-of-use, highlighting text, and taking notes online. Journeys Close Reader consumable resources feature the high-quality paired text from each Student Book lesson and instruction in reading, re-reading, note-taking, and text annotation—empowering students to read any rigorous text.

Flexible Literacy Instruction with Powerful Tools to Reach all Learners.

Journeys “your way” with an array of powerful, easy-to-use digital tools. From the Teacher Dashboard, use the versatile and fully searchable Journeys resources to customize lessons that engage and inspire students. All resources, from lessons to practice materials, are at teachers’ fingertips.

With Assessment, We Work in Progress.

Journeys assessment offerings allow teachers to inform instruction, monitor progress, and prepare students for academic challenges. The ability to assess and score assessments online supports these efforts by making it easier to track and report as needed. 

Leveled Readers Build Confident Readers.

Journeys Leveled Readers allow teachers to meet the needs of students through multiple titles in a variety of genres at each level. With precisely leveled texts and lesson plans designed by Irene Fountas— Journeys Special Consultant and leader in guided reading—you can be assured you are systematically building reading success as well as confident readers.

Explore More

Program overview.

Journeys is a K–6 comprehensive, research-based English Language Arts program built on the foundation of the proven Journeys instructional design that provides all students with a path to achieving rigorous standards with print and state-of-the-art digital components. Students are empowered by skill mastery, inspired by authentic, award-winning text, and are confident—confident in their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, confident in their ability to analyze complex text, and confident that they are building the skills they need for college and careers.

Backed by Proven Results

Success builds confidence..

The research-based instructional design of Journeys , the most widely-used reading program in the country, is backed by the following efficacy studies that prove results were achieved.

National Research Base (3.61 MB)

HMH Journeys Research RCT Gold Standard Efficacy Study at Grades K–2

Students using the Journeys program showed significant growth on all six outcome measures and all subpopulations of students using Journeys showed significant learning gains. Comparisons between students using Journeys and students using other elementary language arts programs showed that Journeys students significantly outperformed control students.

Journeys Gold Standard Study (1.9 MB)

Field Study Efficacy Research

For this study a single unit was selected for the field study at Grades 2, 3, and 4. When comparing the pre- and post- test results, the average score increased by a statistically significant amount.

Journeys Field Study (442 KB)

Texas Journeys Multi-Year Quasi-Experimental Study

At Grades 3 and 5, Journeys students had significantly higher achievement than non- Journeys students. The percentage of students meeting/exceeding the state standards in reading was greater at Journeys schools than the comparison schools.

The Journeys advantage grew over the three-year interval, with the largest increase occurring in the third year.

Effectiveness of Journeys in Texas using existing data sources (5.7 MB)

Engaging, Complex Texts

Journeys uses multiple sources of engaging, complex text to develop a love of reading, teach strategies that result in close reading, and anchor all of the instruction throughout the lesson. 

Anchor Text

• Authentic, award-winning texts from favorite authors
• Worthy of reading and re-reading
• Serves as a model text for grammar and writing lessons

Connected Text

• Topically connected to the Anchor Text to develop content knowledge
• Used as a second source to complete a performance-type task in Compare Text feature
• Included in a consumable Close Reader for students to practice annotating and collecting text evidence

Trade Books

• Allow students to apply what they are learning in an extended reading opportunity
• Accompanied by two weeks of Project-based Learning in the Unit Teacher Editions that segments the text, teaching the same Close Reading Routine as used with the Anchor Text. 

Differentiation & Intervention

Whether through the print resources or eTeacher’s Guide with one click access, differentiation starts at point of use. Journeys provides a wealth of whole-class and small-group resources for flexibly meeting the needs of all learners every day right within the lesson. Daily Lesson Plans and a variety of resources provide tools to manage Small Group instruction.

Closely tying intervention back to the core program, the Write-in Reader, available in print or online, provides targeted Tier II intervention to help students develop the strategy of monitoring and clarifying. This re-reading for a purpose after each short passage supports analytic thinking and enables them to successfully access on-grade-level instruction. 

For Tier III intervention, HMH Decoding Power: Intensive Reading Instruction provides support in foundational skills, bringing struggling students up to grade level through a system of sequenced skills from entrance to exit.

Leveled Readers for Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated instruction in small groups helps focus instruction and provide immediate feedback. Journeys Leveled Readers, leveled by Irene Fountas, offer a wide range of readability levels at each grade allowing teachers to accelerate student progress towards reading more complex text. Journeys Leveled Readers are tied to the topic of the Anchor Text, include lesson vocabulary, and connect and extend comprehension skills and strategies from whole-class lessons. In addition to the small-group instructional support in the Teacher’s Edition, every Journeys Leveled Reader comes with an 8-page Teacher’s Guide designed by Irene Fountas that supports students at their instructional level. Each Teacher’s Guide includes Running Records along with opportunities to promote thinking within the text, thinking beyond the text, thinking about the text, and writing about reading.

Suite of Integrated Assessments

From daily touch points to more structured quarterly pull ups, HMH Assessments are strategically positioned within the academic year to help you accurately gauge your students’ progress. To help you understand how they work together, we’ve organized our individual assessment items around three key objectives:

• Inform your instruction for each student
• Monitor progress to optimize outcomes
• Prepare students and teachers for the next academic challenge or diagnostic milestone

Developed by Literacy Experts

Teach with confidence. Journeys is a research-based comprehensive English Language Arts program developed by literacy experts including Special Consultant, Irene Fountas.

Shervaughnna Anderson - Program Consultant

Shervaughnna Anderson is the Director of the California Reading and Literature Project at UCLA. Ms. Anderson brings an extensive knowledge of coaching and has experience in establishing and nurturing professional learning communities. She is a former teacher, coach, and site and district-level administrator.

Before joining the UCLA Reading Program, Ms. Anderson was a K–12 English Language Arts Consultant at the Los Angeles County Office of Education. She has experience working with diverse student populations throughout the United States and abroad. In addition, she has served on state committees addressing English Language Arts instruction, English Learners, and instructional practices for African American students.

Martha Hougen - Program Consultant

Martha Hougen is a national consultant, presenter, researcher, and author. Areas of expertise include differentiating instruction for students with learning difficulties, including those with learning disabilities and dyslexia, and teacher and leader preparation improvement. Dr. Hougen received a BS in Education from University of Wisconsin at Madison, an MEd from American University, and a PhD in Educational Administration from University of Texas at Austin. She has taught at the middle school through graduate levels. Recently her focus has been on working with teacher educators to enhance teacher and leader preparation to better meet the needs of all students.

In addition to peer-reviewed articles, curricular documents, and presentations, Dr. Hougen has published two college textbooks: The Fundamentals of Literacy Assessment and Instruction Pre-K–6 (2012) and The Fundamentals of Literacy Assessment and Instruction 6–12 (2014).

Carol Jago - Program Consultant

Carol Jago is a teacher of English in middle and high school for 32 years, and director of the California Reading and Literature Project at UCLA. Past president of the National Council of Teachers of English, Ms. Jago served as AP* Literature content advisor for the College Board and now serves on its English Academic Advisory committee. She edits the journal of the California Association of Teachers of English, California English , and served on the planning committee for the 2009 NAEP Reading Framework and the 2011 NAEP Writing Framework.

She is the recipient of the IRA Thought Leader in Adolescent Literacy Award. Ms. Jago has published six books with Heinemann, including With Rigor for All and Papers, Papers, Papers . She has also published four books on contemporary multicultural authors for NCTE’s High School Literature Series.

Ms. Jago received her BA in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and MA Secondary Credential from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

Erik Palmer - Program Consultant

Erik Palmer is a veteran teacher and education consultant based in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Palmer’s areas of focus include improving oral communication, promoting technology in classroom presentations, and updating instruction through the use of digital tools. He has worked with school districts in the United States and Mexico in the area of teaching speaking skills to 21st-century learners. He has also worked with private and public schools as a consultant on two topics: teaching oral communication, and showing non-tech-savvy teachers practical ways to use technology in the classroom. He is a frequent presenter and keynote speaker at state, regional, and national conferences of education professionals.

Dr. Palmer holds a BA from Oberlin College and an MA in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado. He is the author of Well Spoken: Teaching Speaking to All Students and Digitally Speaking: How to Improve Student Presentations .

Shane Templeton - Program Consultant

Shane Templeton is the Foundation Professor Emeritus of Literacy Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. A former classroom teacher at the primary and secondary levels, Dr. Templeton’s research has focused on developmental word knowledge in elementary, middle, and high school students. He is co-author of Words Their Way ; Vocabulary Their Way: Word Study for Middle and Secondary Students ; Words Their Way with Struggling Readers , Grades 4–12; and Words Their Way with English Learners . His other books include Teaching the Integrated Language Arts and Children’s Literacy: Contexts for Meaningful Learning.

Since 1987, Dr. Templeton has been a member of the Usage Panel of The American Heritage ® Dictionary. He is an educational consultant on The American Heritage Children’s Dictionary and wrote the foreword to the recently published Curious George’s Dictionary . He is also a senior author of Houghton Mifflin Reading ; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Spelling and Vocabulary ; coauthor of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt English ; and co-author of Earobics ® REACH .

Sheila W. Valencia - Program Consultant

Sheila Valencia is a professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture at the University of Washington, where she teaches and conducts research in the areas of literacy assessment, instruction, policy, and teacher development. Dr. Valencia began her career as a 6th-grade teacher in an urban district in New York City, followed by several years as a teacher in a rural district, and then as director of a reading clinic for students with reading difficulties. She went back into public education for six years before returning to academia as a teacher educator and researcher.

Dr. Valencia’s work has appeared in numerous journals, including Reading Research Quarterly , The Reading Teacher , Elementary School Journal , Journal of Literacy Research , and Journal of Teacher Education . She is also a co-author of Houghton Mifflin Reading . Dr. Valencia has served on national, state, and local assessment committees to improve reading assessment systems and policies, and was the 2009–2010 chair of the IRA Assessment Committee. In 2008, she was inducted into the International Reading Association Reading Hall of Fame. Dr. Valencia received her MEd from SUNY Buffalo and a PhD from the University of Colorado.

MaryEllen Vogt - Program Consultant

MaryEllen Vogt is a Distinguished Professor Emerita of Education at California State University, Long Beach. Dr. Vogt has been a classroom teacher, reading specialist, special education specialist, curriculum coordinator, and university teacher educator, and served as president of the International Reading Association. Her research interests include improving comprehension in the content areas, teacher change and development, and content literacy and language acquisition for English learners.

Dr. Vogt has provided professional development in all fifty US states, and in nine other countries. She was inducted into the California Reading Hall of Fame, and received her university’s Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award. With a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Vogt is a co-author of 15 publications, including Houghton Mifflin Reading ; 99 MORE Ideas and Activities for Teaching English Learners with the SIOP Model ; and Reading Specialist and Literacy Coaches in the Real World, Third Edition .

Irene Fountas - Special Consultant

Irene Fountas is a former classroom teacher, language arts specialist, and consultant in school districts across the nation and abroad. Ms. Fountas works extensively in the literacy education field and directs the Literacy Collaborative in the School of Education at Lesley University. She spends her time providing training to literacy coaches and key administrators who play roles in teacher development and school improvement. Along with her co-author, Gay Su Pinnell, she has developed the country’s most widely used standard for leveling text for small group instruction. They have authored many books, including Guided Reading , Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency , and When Readers Struggle . Their latest publication is The Continuum of Literacy Learning, Grades Pre-K–8: A Guide to Teaching .

Dr. Fountas is the recipient of the Greater Boston Council of the International Reading Association’s Celebrate Literacy Award. She is a consulting author for Lessons in Literacy from Great Source, Houghton Mifflin Leveled Readers , Houghton Mifflin Vocabulary Readers , and Houghton Mifflin Science Leveled Readers .

*AP is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, these products. American Heritage® is a registered trademark of American Heritage, Inc. Earobics Reach © 2011 Altis Avante Corp. All rights reserved. Distributed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt under license. Earobics® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. CURIOUS GEORGE, created by Margret and H.A. Rey, is copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

K–12 Solution

The goal of English Language Arts educators is to build a continuum of standards instruction, student achievement, assessment readiness, and preparedness for college and careers. As the leading provider of ELA content, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt offers a continuity of learning experiences that span K–12. With Journeys © 2017 at Grades K–6 and Collections © 2017 at Grades 6–12, the progression from grade to grade and from elementary to secondary is connected by Shared Program Consultants, literacy experts, and familiar instructional design, features, and resources to ensure a continuum of achievement for students. 

Common Resources and Components

• Close Reader: Develops analysis skills by guiding students to read/reread, annotate the text, and cite evidence to support inferences and conclusions.
• my WriteSmart: A collaborative interactive writing and performance assessment tool
• Stream to Start™ Videos: Engaging format to introduce the unit topic
• Channel One News ® : Award-winning daily news program to spark conversations
• FYI site: Provides contemporary informational texts and media to engage students with real-world connections
• Interactive Lessons for Writing, Speaking, and Listening: Provide engaging digital lessons to extend and enrich instruction
• my Notebook: Digital tool allows students to collect and organize their notes in preparation for writing
• Language Workshop: Additional daily instruction for English language development that accelerates student acquisition of academic language skills
• Continuum Assessments™: Measures student growth over time with technology-enhanced item formats that adapt to each student
• Performance Assessment: Guided instruction and practice for successfully completing performance tasks

Common Instructional Features

• Text X-Ray: Breaks down the key ideas in the text and provides a way to make challenging concepts comprehensible to all students
• Text Complexity Rubrics: Quantitative and qualitative text complexity at a glance
• Annotate It! : Guides the use of technology into the instruction for seamless integration. 

Stream to Start™, Continuum Assessments™, and Channel One News® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Spanish and Biliteracy Resources

Because HMH is committed to providing teachers and students with access to quality resources in both English and Spanish, a wide range of Senderos resources are available through the Journeys Teacher and Student Dashboards on ThinkCentral, including:

Leveled Readers

• Family Connections: Letters Home
• Decodable Readers

Scope and Sequence

Journeys is a comprehensive English Language Arts program that provides systematic instruction for Reading Literature and Informational Text, Foundational Skills, Speaking and Listening, Language, Writing, and English Language Development. To see the complete scope and sequence of instruction, click on the link.

Grade K  (409k)

Grade 1  (298k)

Grade 2  (829k)

Grade 3  (770k)

Grade 4  (776k)

Grade 5  (261k)

Grade 6  (228k)

Virtual Sampling

Journeys © 2017 is a comprehensive, research-based English Language Arts program built on the foundation of the proven Journeys instructional design, providing all students with a path to achieving rigorous standards with print and state-of-the-art digital components. Students are empowered by skills mastery and inspired by authentic, award-winning text that builds confidence with:

• Developing problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
• Strengthening the ability to analyze complex text.
• Building the necessary skills for college and careers.

Sample Journeys Now

• National © 2017
• National © 2014
• National © 2012

Sample Senderos Now

Journeys is a research-based English Language Arts program with proven results. Focused, comprehensive instruction helps to engage and meet the needs of all learners, ensuring that every reader is empowered, inspired and confident.

Close Reading Routine

A practical three-step routine paces students, allowing them more time to dig deeper analyzing the text which, in turn, empowers them to read more complex text.

All instruction is tied together by an anchor text—authentic, complex text that anchors all instruction. These are the texts that teachers love to teach and inspire students to love to read.

Journeys Leveled Readers offer multiple titles in a variety of genres at each level. Precisely leveled texts and lesson plans build reading success while also building confident readers.

Student Resources

The Journeys Student Book is a comprehensive resource that provides instruction and practice for all strands of ELA instruction: close reading of authentic, complex text; writing to sources; process writing; speaking and listening activities; academic vocabulary development; and grammar lessons. Journeys offers rich and engaging reading experiences through a wealth of authentic award-winning texts for all learners. The Table of Contents identifies the literary and informational selections, many of them exemplar and award-winning texts—the texts students love to read.

Beginning in Kindergarten with read alouds, all instruction is tied together by an anchor text—a core piece of authentic, complex text that does exactly what the name implies . . . it anchors all instruction. These are the texts that teachers love to teach and inspire students to love to read. Why does HMH ® anchor instruction to authentic, complex text? Because only authentic, complex text is worthy of reading and rereading and only authentic, complex text mirrors what students will encounter on next generation assessments. This means seamless, daily practice and preparation for high stakes assessments.

To develop the habit of close reading, students need practice analyzing complex texts. The Close Readers at grades 1-6 feature the high-quality paired text from each Student Book lesson in an interactive, read/reread format. To facilitate active analysis, students are guided to annotate and mark up complete texts. To strengthen student's understanding of the lesson topic, each close reading culminates in a written response tied to the lesson's Essential Question.

The Reader’s Notebook provides prompts and questions for text analysis as well as practice with reading comprehension, writing, and language skills.

Digital Resources

The Student eBook provides tools that promote close reading of complex texts. Students can respond to questions at point-of-use, record spoken responses, highlight text, and take notes online.

Create a learning environment that inspires all learners with digital resources that launch from the Student eBook unit openers. Much like movie trailers, Stream to Start™ Videos pique student interest, introduce the topic, and create a framework for thinking about the unit texts as a whole. For encouraging students to talk and write about today's issues and events, the FYI site provides fresh, curated informational texts related to the unit, while Channel One News ® provides award-winning daily news to spark conversation.

Providing instruction and guidance for purposefully rereading specific parts of the complex Anchor Text, Be a Reading Detective inspires students to read closely and to analyze the use of language.

The Student Dashboard gives learners access to a wealth of resources, including the Student eBook, my WriteSmart, interactive digital lessons, and up-to-date informational articles related to unit topics.

my Notebook allows students to collect and organize their notes in preparation for writing and discussions.

Extend and enrich learning through engaging, student-directed Interactive Lessons in writing and listening and speaking.

Stream to Start™ and Channel One News® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Help students build their vocabulary knowledge through weekly lessons on academic and domain-specific vocabulary tied to the Anchor Texts.

Vocabulary in Context Cards help students deepen their vocabulary knowledge by engaging with the photograph, context sentence, and definition for each Target Vocabulary word. In the Student eBook, students can click on a highlighted vocabulary word to see and hear the definition in English and Spanish, providing student-directed point-of-use scaffolds for vocabulary development.

Vocabulary Strategy lessons give students the morphological and contextual tools they need to determine and confirm the meaning of unfamiliar words and to generate new vocabulary.

An informational Vocabulary Reader for each lesson provides additional practice with the vocabulary introduced in the Anchor Text.

Foundational Skills

Building confidence in young readers begins with strong foundational skills. Journeys provides all the resources needed for Foundational Skills instruction, appropriate pacing, and a sequence of skills to help empower even the youngest learners. Fluency skills are taught explicitly once each week and are practiced and applied daily. In every lesson, students practice recognizing decoding elements and applying them to reading fluency. Decoding skills tie directly to spelling patterns and principles to ensure word knowledge growth across students’ reading and writing tasks.

Alphafriend Cards and activities provide letter-sound practice through research-based characters and songs.

Sound/Spelling Cards are used for modeling and explicit instruction in sound-spelling correspondences.

Decodable Readers and Blend-It Books provide opportunities to apply every sound-spelling correspondence in multiple contexts, building mastery.

Leveled Readers and Vocabulary Readers

Build confident readers. Differentiated instruction in small groups helps teachers focus instruction and provide immediate feedback. Journeys Leveled Readers allow teachers to confidently meet the needs of students through multiple titles in a variety of genres at each level. With precisely leveled texts and lesson plans designed by Irene Fountas, Journeys Special Consultant and leader in Guided Reading, teachers can be assured they are systematically building reading success.

In every lesson, Journeys includes a Vocabulary Reader, an additional leveled text that provides more contextualized practice with the vocabulary introduced in the Anchor Text. To build students' domain knowledge, each Vocabulary Reader is an informational text. And like the other Leveled Readers in Journeys , the Vocabulary Readers are supported by an eight-page lesson plan designed by Irene Fountas.

Extend Reading

Engage and extend reading to inspire students to want to read more. Students in Grades 1–6 have opportunities three times per year to immerse themselves in a full-length trade book, drawing on their close reading experiences with selections in the Student Book. Each trade book has a title-specific lesson plan that contains the 3-part close reading routine that students are familiar using to analyze the Student Book Anchor Texts. To support 21st century learning, each trade book is available digitally with audio and each lesson features two weeks of project-based learning tied to the topic of the trade book.

Reading Adventures Magazines for students in Grades 3–6 include texts and activities on a variety of engaging topics that motivate students to finish the school year strong.

Lesson Plans

The Journeys weekly lesson plan for both whole-class and small-group instruction provides a clean overview and realistic pacing of instruction.

my SmartPlanner, a powerful planning tool, and a few clicks allow you to spend less time planning and more time teaching the art of reading.

Journeys fully searchable Dashboard resources are right at teachers’ fingertips to customize lessons to meet the instructional needs of all students.

With HMH Player™, teachers can pull favorite lessons from their own collections along with open-source content and videos to customize Journeys ’ lessons. HMH Player provides anytime/anywhere access to Journeys – work offline then sync work when online. It’s that easy.

HMH Player™ is a trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Support Close Reading

Journeys empowers teachers with the support needed for preparing for close reading of complex text including “Why This Text?” — an explanation of what makes a specific text complex. A Text Complexity Rubric provides more than a level range; it also assists teachers in understanding the Qualitative measures as well as Reader and Task considerations. The Text X-Ray feature illuminates the key ideas and academic language features in the text and provides scaffolding recommendations so that teachers are prepared to support students where they are most likely to struggle.

To provide flexible close reading instruction, the Close Readers are built into the instructional plan of the core Teacher's Edition and supported by Close Reader Teacher's Editions.

3-Step Close Reading Routine

Journeys weaves the skills of close reading into a practical 3-step routine that is realistically paced to give students more time to dig deeper analyzing the text.

Through this 3-step close reading routine, students are taken back into the same text for different purposes and further engage with that text using online tools to organize their thinking. Time and support to read closely empowers students to read rigorous text.

The Journeys 3-step routine to build close reading habits includes the following sequence:

During the first read on day 1 of the lesson plan, students read the complete text and teachers provide the modeling and instruction to gain an understanding of the author’s big ideas.

During the second read, students apply the close reading “Dig Deeper” skills they were taught as they analyze short sections of the same text, citing evidence and responding at high depth of knowledge levels.

The close reading routine culminates with an independent close reading of the anchor text, providing a gradual release that builds independence and empowers readers.

Interactive Whiteboard Lessons

Engage students in the learning process through hands-on lessons in phonics, vocabulary strategies, grammar, text analysis, and writing and research skills.

Support for Intervention

To enable students to successfully access on-grade level instruction, intervention is closely tied back to the core program. The print Write-in Reader or online Interactive Worktext provide targeted Tier II intervention to help students develop close reading habits that support analytic thinking. The text in the Write-in Reader is related in topic to the grade level Anchor Text and provides scaffolded support. Following the related text, the Reading Detective feature always connects back to the complex Anchor Text with step-by-step scaffolding to ensure all students have a path to access on-grade level text.

For Tier III intervention, HMH Decoding Power: Intensive Reading Instruction provides support in foundational skills to bring struggling students up to grade level through explicit, sequential, and systematic instruction of skills from entry to exit.

Writing and Grammar

Writing instruction in Journeys empowers students and teachers. my WriteSmart—a dynamic, award-winning writing tool—offers an intuitive online writing environment linked to reading that guides students through the process of collecting compelling text evidence to write skilled analyses of two or more texts according to specific prompts, just like they’ll encounter on next generation assessments. The Journeys online writing program seamlessly connects all learning tasks, including process writing in all genres, writing to sources, analytic writing, and performance tasks. my WriteSmart enables teachers to effectively evaluate students’ writing with eRater, as well as provides a way to communicate with students on their writing from start to finish. Thus creating a truly collaborative environment that empowers students and teachers to be successful.

Writing Traits Scoring Rubric for each mode of writing guides teachers in accurately scoring students’ work each week.

Performance Tasks in each unit of the Student Book provide step-by-step guidance in analyzing and synthesizing complex texts before writing a critical response.

Research and Media Performance Tasks at the start of each unit in the Teacher’s Edition provide students with multiple opportunities to develop and publish collaborative research projects of varying lengths.

The Common Core Writing Handbook complements the writing instruction in Journeys . It provides students with a model for each writing form, scaffolded practice, and a handbook resource. The Teacher’s Guide provides mini-lessons for every handbook topic.

Core Grammar instruction connected to writing develops students’ abilities to convey meaning effectively using conventional grammatical structures. GrammarSnap Videos demonstrate grammar concepts through short, high-energy videos.

Speaking And Listening

Journeys instruction helps students develop speaking and listening skills—key 21 st Century competencies. Classroom Conversation features prompt rich, collaborative peer exchanges. Speaking and Listening lessons in the Teacher’s Edition provide detailed guidelines for effective classroom discussions designed for all learners. Think/Pair/Share activities are ideal for engaging all students in academic conversations. Think/Pair/Share activities provide a variation in which students write their ideas before collaborating with a partner.

English Learner Support

Journeys provides research-based support to meet the needs of today's diverse classrooms. Support for learners at all stages of English proficiency ensures that every student receives a world-class 21st-century education. Support for English learners' linguistic and academic progress is integrated into the core instruction. Throughout each lesson, the Student Book and Teacher's Edition provide instructional support that English learners need to read complex texts and meet high standards.

Language Support Cards preteach concepts in each lesson, build background, promote oral language, and develop high-utility vocabulary and academic language that enable students to contribute more fully to core activities.

Language Workshop is designed to provide additional instructional time for English learners to develop the English language knowledge and abilities needed to successfully engage with core content. Language Workshop lessons and materials support students in developing collaborative, interpretive, and productive skills, as well as in understanding how English works. Vocabulary Network lessons aid students in quickly expanding their bank of vocabulary by mapping the relationships among related words.

The ELL Teacher’s Handbook is a comprehensive guide to EL instruction including Professional Development, Best Practices guidelines, and classroom resources.

The ELL Newcomer Teacher’s Guide offers twelve focused, efficient lessons plus corresponding posters and videos that emphasize survival vocabulary and high-utility language functions for students needing the basics of English.

Assessment System

The comprehensive assessment system in Journeys provides the data needed to make informed instructional decisions.

Entry-level assessments include: Universal Screening and the Language Workshop Assessment Handbook, which measures the progress of English learners across proficiency levels.

Formative and Progress Monitoring assessments include: Benchmark Assessments, Unit Tests, and the Common Core Reading Practice and Assessment App. The Standards-Based Assessment Resource includes rigorous tasks and questions, complex text passages, and tech-enhanced item formats (online only) for valuable student practice. Intervention Assessments measure progress of students receiving intervention instruction. Performance Assessment provides performance tasks with guided instruction and practice.

Weekly Tests

The Weekly Tests, available at Grades 1-6, help teachers monitor and report student progress on key skills and vocabulary. To provide students with ongoing practice with rigorous assessment items, the online Standards-Based Weekly Tests in Journeys assess lesson-level mastery of standards with new passages and technology-enhanced items that mirror SBAC* and PARCC ™* .

Running Records

Also available for each Leveled Reader, record students’ key reading behaviors and understanding.

The passages in Cold Reads increase gradually in Lexile ® measures throughout the year, from below grade level to above grade level. Each passage is accompanied by selected-response questions and constructed-response prompts, requiring students to read closely, answer questions at substantial depth of knowledge levels, and cite text evidence. Perfect for practice in reading increasingly complex texts, Cold Reads support fluent reading and assessing students' progress.

* This product is not endorsed by nor affiliated with PARCC or Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.

PARCC ™ is a trademark of PARCC, Inc.

Previous Editions

The Scope and Sequence provides an overview of the concepts to be covered in a given period of time, as well as how those concepts are addressed over the series as whole. Download a PDF to see the progression and order of topic introduction.

Journeys Common Core © 2014 Scope and Sequence

Journeys © 2011/2012 scope and sequence, correlations.

Correlation guides indicate how the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts are addressed in the Journeys program. Download a PDF to see specifics at a particular level.

Journeys Common Core © 2014

Journeys © 2011/2012, hmh professional services, our mission is to advance yours.

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HMH Professional Services includes teachers, leaders, and technologists. Our Professional Learning Consultants become part of your team, working right beside you to build and implement professional learning plans that respect the unique needs and culture of your school or district community. Through program, practice, and technical services, we work collaboratively to unlock the full potential of every student, teacher, and leader.

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We offer teachers and instructional leaders a full suite of learning and support to deepen their mastery and hone their teaching skills throughout the school year.

Visit us at hmhco.com/professionalservices  to learn more.

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This is an actual PDF of the Readers Notebook that we use in our classroom.

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English Language Arts

Journey’s is a Common Core Standards aligned reading and writing curriculum. Resources include: big books, songs, picture cards and games. This program also uses assessments, which allow the teacher to provide intervention or enrichment.

Concepts taught:  

• PLEASE SEE YOUR HANDBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE NEW JERSEY STUDENT LEARNING STANDARDS FOR ELA.
• Students participate in independent, guided, shared reading and writing activities that encourage early literacy skills.  
• Parents are also encouraged to read to their children EVERYDAY!  

*All Journeys books and guided reading books read in class can be found on the ThinkCentral website.  

Literacy Centers

• During reading groups these various centers reinforce skills taught in class.
• Each day your child will be responsible for completing the centers for that day.
• All students will be held accountable and should finish their center work in the time frame given.  
• Some examples of centers:  Computer Center (iRead), Listening Center, Comprehension & Fluency, Word Study, Think & Write, just to name a few!
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Firstieland - First Grade Teacher Blog

Where learning feels like play.

Journeys Reading Series – First Grade Activities

Journeys reading series for first grade can seem overwhelming when you first begin. There’s so much content you may be wondering “How can I fit it all in?”

Well if that’s how you’re feeling, keep reading because I’m here to tell you there’s not only a way to fit everything in, but you’ll see huge growth in your students reading abilities too! 

How Do You Fit It All In?

One of the biggest questions people seem to have when they start out with the Journeys reading series is, “How am I ever going to fit all this in every day?” 

Oh man, do I understand that feeling!  When I opened my manual for the first time I felt completely overwhelmed.  I had no idea how I would possibly teach all of these skills to my students every day. 

But I soon came to realize what a really great program it was.  I love the way Journeys introduces the letters in kindergarten. It really does a great job of letter introduction so that you can move quickly into simple CVC words.  

Journeys Reading Series – Daily Word Study

In first grade, it’s very similar.  Each skill builds on the one introduced before and it cycles back all year, so you never have to feel like your kids have to master something right away.  They keep reviewing skills over and over all year.  

But there’s a lot of new skills every day. There are spelling strategies, phonics, new sight words, grammar and writing – every day.  Plus you have to make time for the Journeys assessments . 

How do you do it all? I knew I wanted to touch on all the Journeys skills every day, but it took up so much time. 

I decided to make a program that I could use on my interactive board – one slide each day that had all the daily skills we needed to work on – the First Grade Word Study . 

How Does The Word Study Work?

Each day there’s a new slide with the skills we’re learning that week.  We work on spelling and phonics strategies, our new sight words , grammar and we play a different sight word game each day.  

We spend about 15-20 minutes a day on this whole group lesson.  The kids enjoy it and we pack a lot into this powerful daily activity.

Each lesson is interactive, which gives the students a chance to come up and participate in the word study. Students use an expo marker to add letters to words, fill in missing words in sentences and play different word study games. 

If you’re like me, and you feel overwhelmed by all the components of the Journeys series and are looking for a way to fit it all in, the First Grade Word Study   just may be your answer. 

My first grade team and I all use this every morning and it has truly changed our life!  We’re finally able to teach all the necessary Journeys skills, while still having time for everything else – Math, Guided Reading, Science , Social Studies , etc.  

If you’d like to see everything included in the first grade word study,   hop on over here  where you can see the entire set. 

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June 6, 2017 at 9:33 pm

Please make a kindergarten one!!

August 18, 2017 at 4:50 pm

Yes Please!!!

June 11, 2017 at 3:27 pm

I would love to do that someday ❤️

August 21, 2017 at 5:21 pm

Thank you so much for this! This is a wonderful tool. This is my first year using Journeys and I am overwhelmed! Your word study bundle is exactly the help I need! Thank you for such a wonderful resource! I will be buying it tomorrow when it goes on sale. 😉

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Downloadable Resources

• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publisher Background Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publisher Background
• Journeys Publisher Response 3‑6 Journeys Publisher Response 3‑6
• Journeys Publisher Response K‑2 Journeys Publisher Response K‑2

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Report release, {{ report.published }}, review tool version, {{ report.version }}, alignment (gateway 1 & 2), usability (gateway 3), key areas of interest.

Foundational skills are the beginning processes of reading for students in grades K–5. This score represents an average across grade levels reviewed for: print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency.

This score represents an average across grade levels reviewed for: integrated reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, and promotion of mastery of grade-level standards by the end of the year.

Learn more about EdReports’ educator-led review process

Additional Publication Details

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• Overview Overview
• Kindergarten Kindergarten
• 1st Grade 1st Grade
• 2nd Grade 2nd Grade
• 3rd Grade 3rd Grade
• 4th Grade 4th Grade
• 5th Grade 5th Grade
• 6th Grade 6th Grade

Report Overview

Summary of alignment & usability: journeys | ela, ela k-2, ela 3-5, ela 6-8.

Journeys materials for Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 do not meet expectations for alignment. Materials partially meet the expectations for Gateway 1. Materials provide support for foundational skills development, directly teaching skills to build reading, although systematic and explicit instruction in practice is inconsistent. Text quality and rigor is mostly appropriate, and texts are accompanied by text-dependent questions and tasks. The materials do not meet expectations for Gateway 2. Materials partially grow knowledge as some texts are organized around topics; however, sets of cohesive questions and tasks are not consistently text-focused. Year-long supports for building students’ academic vocabulary, for supporting writing development, and for independent reading are inconsistent and may require additional support.

Kindergarten

Text Quality

Building Knowledge

The Journeys instructional materials for grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 do not meet expectations for alignment. Each grade-level partially meets expectations for Gateway 1 and does not meet expectations for Gateway 2. Materials partially support students' increasing writing skills over the course of the school year and do include some progression of focused research projects.  Although texts are organized around a theme with some topic organization, the materials do not consistently support building students' knowledge of topics or themes over the course of a school year, and Informational texts are often short and lack engaging, content-area vocabulary. The materials do contain some sets of text-dependent questions and tasks; however, the questions and tasks do not consistently require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts, and culminating tasks do not consistently promote the building of students’ knowledge of the theme/topic. The year-long vocabulary planning does not ensure that students will interact with and build key academic vocabulary words across texts throughout the year, and grammar and conventions lessons and practice are often not aligned to grade-level standards.

Text Complexity and Quality

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journeys kindergarten reading

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Journeys kindergarten reading

Take a Reading Journey Kindergarten Whole Year NO PREP BUNDLE

Take a Reading Journey Kindergarten Unit 1 NO PREP BUNDLE

Take a Reading Journey Kindergarten Unit 2 NO PREP BUNDLE

Take a Reading Journey Kindergarten Unit 3 NO PREP BUNDLE

Take a Reading Journey Kindergarten Unit 4 NO PREP BUNDLE

Take a Reading Journey Kindergarten Unit 5 NO PREP BUNDLE

Take a Reading Journey Kindergarten Unit 6 NO PREP Printable

Journeys Kindergarten Reading Log with Sight Word Flashcards

Decodable Fluency Strips for Journeys Kindergarten Reading

Kindergarten Journeys Units 1-6 Reading Comprehension Story Strips {THE BUNDLE}

{Sight Words} Roll, Read , & Trace ~ Texas Journeys Kindergarten

Kindergarten Journeys Unit 2 Reading Comprehension Story Strips

Kindergarten Journeys Unit 5 Reading Comprehension Story Strips

Kindergarten Journeys Unit 4 Reading Comprehension Story Strips

Wild about Words: Word work activities for Journeys Reading Series Kindergarten

Kindergarten Journeys Unit 3 Reading Comprehension Story Strips

Kindergarten Journeys Unit 1 Reading Comprehension Story Strips

Kindergarten Journeys Sight Words Roll and Read

Kindergarten Journeys Unit 6 Reading Comprehension Story Strips

Read , Spell, Write Kindergarten Journeys High Frequency Words Units 1-6 Bundle

Kindergarten Journeys Reading Focus Wall Big Book Story Cards

Orthographic mapping of Journeys Kindergarten Words-Science of Reading inspired

Journeys Reading Series Focus Walls 1-30 [ Kindergarten ]

Houghton Mifflin Journeys Reading Series Kindergarten Sight Word Activities

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Journeys Big Book Set Grade K

• Grade: Kindergarten
• Material Type: Student Materials, Teacher Materials, Resource Materials
• Format: Kit
• ISBN-13/EAN: 9780547866796
• ISBN-10: 0547866798
• Product Code: 1503747
• National/State: National
• Copyright Year: 2014
• Language: English

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25 Best Kindergarten Books to Read in Class: Teacher’s Guide

1. Waiting Is Not Easy by Mo Willems

2. if you take a mouse to school by laura joffe numeroff, 3. firebird by misty copeland, 4. i am enough by grace byers, 5. the maggie b by irene haas, 6. may i bring a friend by beatrice schenk de regniers, 7. where the wild things are by maurice sendak, 8. yo yes by chris raschka, 9. cleversticks by bernard ashley, 10. david goes to school by david shannon.

The best kindergarten books to read aloud and by oneself can range widely from fictional tales to books with interesting facts. While students may have preferences in terms of what genre they love, you can encourage them to expand their reading horizons by introducing them to a diverse range of books.

To start with, you can reference a reading framework to measure your student’s reading level , such as the Lexile score, and add books from those levels to your class library or reading list. Books that meet your students’ reading level can help foster a love for reading as they gain confidence in their reading ability. 

We’ve compiled a list of our favorite books that are perfect for kindergarten readers. You can open a chapter from any of these books and let your kindergarteners immerse themselves in these new worlds. While many of these have unique stories, they are all designed to teach students valuable lessons such as courage, determination, hard work, and leadership.

Here are kindergarten reading games to educate and engage your kids!

The 25 Best Kindergarten Books To Rea d

Reading can bring immense joy to young readers as they explore new worlds and discover new ways of thinking. You can introduce a wide range of books that can be relevant to their experiences and give them a sense of direction in their reading journeys. The books to read to kindergarten students are the ones that they can remember for years.

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This storybook for kindergarten children revolves around the dynamics of Gerald and Piggie, and their approach to asking for things. While one is patient, the other is demanding, making their friendship unique and full of twists and turns.

Category – Humor, Fiction

Takeaways – The simplicity of waiting rather than throwing a tantrum

Special Note – You can role play as the characters and speak aloud sentences for maximum engagement.

This engaging tale of the mouse talks about what happens if you take a mouse to school. It teaches cause and effect while exploring everything that waits for the boy and the mouse at school. It is one of the best books to read in kindergarten to instill equal parts confidence and empathy.

Category – Fiction

Takeaways – Courage and kindness go a long way

Special Note – This book is perfect for kids that may feel anxious on their first day of school

Misty Copeland, the distinguished ballet performer for the American Ballet Theater, takes young readers on a journey to reaching the stars. She describes a blueprint for young girls to strengthen their faith in themselves while becoming as fearless as the Firebird.

Takeaways – The rewards of hard work shine through

Special Note – The book can be used as a guide on achieving long-term goals for kids

It is a great book to read in kindergarten and practice reading aloud in class , as it empowers young women around the world to strengthen their self-esteem. “Like the trees, I’m here to grow. Like the mountains, here to stand”. 

Takeaways – Kindness and self-esteem will take you everywhere

Special Note – The book is excellent for young girls to explore their inner gifts

One of the best books for kindergarten readers, The Maggie B is a tale of a young girl who goes on a magical adventure. It focuses on the power of courage and adventure-seeking when you face the unknown.

Category – Classic

Takeaways – Leadership in times of adventure is essential.

Special Note – You can use the illustrations in the book as a guide to the text.

This classic kindergartener book revolves around a child who is invited by royalty to tea. It is a visual masterpiece in its design and has lessons that children can use for years. You can start by exploring the underlying themes within the book.

Category –  Classics

Takeaways – Humility, compassion, and kindness are traits all kids should imbibe

Special Note – You can sing aloud the rhyming sentences in the class

Another classic tale for kindergarten children, the book focuses on how anger can impact our own sense of wellness and affects those around us. Max wears a wolf suit and causes chaos within his home and his surroundings, eventually going outwards to seek the wild.

Category – Picture book, Classics

Takeaways – The role of anger in the lives of young kids

Special Note – You can focus on teaching the importance of empathy and compassion 

The book focuses on how easy it is to make friendships that can last a lifetime. Cultural differences can be overcome through friendship, showcasing the power of understanding, compassion, and kindness.

Category – Picture book

Takeaways – Similarities and differences between cultures are explored in a simple way

Special Note – You can role-play the characters in the book for maximum impact 

This book for kindergarten readers explores how each child can do something special in their field of interest and become better at it. It talks about how school can be a place of magical adventures, where each child can find something unique to focus on.

Takeaways – It focuses on how struggles can be overcome to achieve success

Special Note – Groups can be given different tasks to help them grow

Young David causes havoc in this tale, disobeying instructions, being noisy, and writing on desks. David then realizes the importance of being a part of a community and starts to change his behavior to fit in with everyone else. 

Takeaways – David’s transformation can be an example for all kids

Special Note – You can introduce this book when kids are being unruly and rude in class

11. How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? by Jane Yolen

The storybook for kindergarten children describes the journeys of dinosaurs as they enter their first year of school. It reflects many of the emotions that kids feel when they start school and leaves children with a sense of courage, hope, and perseverance.

Takeaways – The book’s humorous take on everyday school activities can help kids adjust to school

Special Note – You can read aloud certain sections with dinosaur sounds

12. Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry

Captain Swashby’s journey to opening up and being friends with his new neighbors is a relatable theme that all kids can enjoy reading. The roles of friendship, family, and compassion are explored in this classic tale.

Takeaways – By focusing on compassion, the tale connects generations with a common theme

Special Note – The book is great for exploring phonics, sight words, etc.

13. Out the Door by Christy Hale

Out the Door focuses on a child’s journey from their home to school. It helps kids become more independent, courageous, and resilient as they traverse busy streets, crowded places, and confusing intersections.

Category – Classic, Picture book

Takeaways – The book’s empowerment theme resonates with young readers

Special Note – You can be descriptive about the visuals in the book when exploring themes  

14. T. Rexes Can’t Tie Their Shoes by Anna Lazowski

The book revolves around the challenges that different animals face when doing everyday things. It shows strength, perseverance, and grit when animals continue trying things they are not good at. It’s a light and casual read that will have children hooked, and kindergarten books to read can be for fun and pastime, too. 

Category – Funny

Takeaways – Kids should always try their best and focus on improving their skills

Special Note – You can emphasize how different characters in the book refuse to give up

15. Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

One of the best books for kindergarten students – Thank you, Omu! focuses on how generosity is reciprocated multiple times. The gifts given by the lady were impactful to her community, leading the community to give her gifts in return.

Takeaways – The gift of giving is a key theme underlying the narrative

Special Note – You can talk about similar themes in kids’ everyday lives and how giving feels good

16. All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold

This New York Times bestseller talks about how everyone is welcome in school and how everyone can explore their interests equally. It goes into more detail on how large-scale communities are built through diverse ideas, cultures, and backgrounds.

Category – Fiction, Picture book

Takeaways – Diversity is a key theme in the book, which is a great lesson for kids

Special Note – You can give real-life examples of how diversity benefits different jobs, industries, countries, etc.

17. Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

Wemberly always worries about getting hurt, falling ill, and other hypothetical situations. You can unpack the demerits of constantly worrying and how the world can be a joyful place to meet new people and do new things.

Takeaways – The role of fear and courage are expressed in this book

Special Note – You can alleviate the fear of school by reading snippets from this book

18. Kindergarten Rocks! by Katie Davis

The book Kindergarten Rocks! is a timeless classic that covers the ground on how kids may feel when starting kindergarten. The feelings of anxiousness, fear of the unknown, and social nervousness are described through illustrations and rich narratives.

Takeaways – The book focuses on early anxiousness when starting kindergarten.

Special Note – You can make your students feel at ease with this one.

19. The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist

This feel-good adventure of fish and sharks takes students through the deeply engaging journey of young adults and how they face multiple challenges as they grow older. The shark follows the little fish everywhere and eventually gives up, with the fish living happily ever after.

Takeaways – This book focuses on the value of trying to find a way

Special Note – Kids can learn about how helping each other out is important for all animals

20. What Does It Mean to be Kind? by Rana DiOrio

The book captures what it takes to be kind and how to transform an entire community through kindness. The impact of kindness and how it can spread to other people is also a key theme explored in the book.

Takeaways – The value of kindness and how it can evolve thought is a critical theme

Special Note – You can leverage the book to introduce empathy as a concept in class

21. I Don’t Want to Be a Frog by Dev Petty

The immersive and illustrative book features a young frog who wants to change who he is because he doesn’t like himself any longer. The book focuses on the dynamics of nature, self-acceptance, and appreciation for differences in people.

Takeaways – A fun adventure narrative that empowers kids to be themselves

Special Note – You can use toys and props when reading along

22. What Color Is Night? by Grant Snider

If you’re looking for metaphor-rich and adventurous kindergarten books to read, this book takes readers on a journey into the night. The vivid descriptions of how the world changes at night captivate even the youngest readers, making this a must-read for students.

Takeaways – The night evolves into darkness, with a bright cloud always around the corner

Special Note – You can use this book as a reference guide to art class as well

23. Locomotive by Brian Floca

The book takes children on an adventure across the country through the fascinating means of transportation at the time – trains! Many of the intricacies of locomotives are explored through a fictional tale that captures the attention immediately.

Category – Historical Fiction, Picture book

Takeaways – The advancement of technology and culture is a key area of exploration in the book.

Special Note – This is a great book for kindergarten students when introducing American history.

24. Bach to the Rescue by Tom Angleberger

An interesting tale of how Bach could have invented some of the most brilliant pieces of music, the book extracts from the composer’s journey and simplifies it for younger audiences. You can read this book aloud and introduce concepts such as confidence, perseverance, hard work, etc.

Takeaways – The challenges that a young Bach faces can be inspirational for younger generations.

Special Note – You can introduce this book as a precursor to the evolution of music worldwide.

25. A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman by David A. Adler

Harriet Tubman’s inspiring journey is captured visually through the book, sharing accounts of her heroic deeds in a manner that is readable by younger children. Her courage, determination, and grit are expressed throughout the passages, serving as a great example for kids. 

Category – History

Takeaways – The book focuses on her journey and highlights her courage when facing challenges.

Special Note – The book can serve as a guide on building inner strength among younger children.

Explore more online educational resources and printable worksheets for kids that will help with their learning experience and make them smarter.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do i know if a book is right for my kindergarten students.

A key factor in knowing if a book is suitable for your students, apart from reading levels , is to gauge engagement. If your class is drifting away or showing a lack of concentration, it is ideal to try another book.

What is the reading level of a 5-year-old kindergartner?

Level-A reading and basic Lexile-Band reading are generally considered the appropriate categories of leveled reading books for kindergarten students. At this level, illustrations are present regularly to help the reader figure out where the story is heading. Sentences in level books are usually repetitive. Using only one or two-syllable words, making them the best books to read for kindergarten.

What genre of books is ideal for kindergarten kids?

There is no single genre that is right for kids. However, it is essential to diversify when it comes to reading. Historical novels, comedic books, classic tales, and picture books should be used yearly. You can also get them kindergarten books to read online so they can access multiple genres.

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