Reading aloud is one of the most important things we can do while raising our kids. There is so much good that comes from sitting down on the couch with our kids and a good book. Relationship and connection and academic benefit are among the top reasons to grab your kids and a stack of good books.
One way to choose books to read aloud is by doing an author study. An author study can be done with all ages and is a unit that dives deep into an author’s life and works.
For younger kids, an author study immerses children into an author’s world and allows them to get to know their books, writing style and possibly their illustration style. For older kids, an author study can teach kids about theme, character development, and writing style.
Today I’m going to share my favorite author studies for elementary age kids as well as what an author study looks like in our home. These are all authors we have loved and read as a family and a few we are hoping to read more of in the future.
Author Studies
Laura Numeroff
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was a favorite book I read to my first graders each year. Laura Numeroff has a plethora of books that are perfectly paced, funny, and will keep your kids engaged with the short text and colorful pictures.
Eric Carle
He doesn’t need an introduction. The man who created The Very Hungry Caterpillar is easy to love and his books are, too.
Doreen Cronin
Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type always makes my kids giggle. Doreen Cronin created a bit of magic in her books with the silly animals and the repetitive language.
Cynthia Rylant
If you’re looking for well loved characters and a story that will hold your interest, check out Cynthia Rylant’s books. The Relatives Came and Henry and Mudge are favorites around here.
Tomie DePaola
Tomie DePaola’s work is classic and heart warming. If you haven’t read Strega Nona, you need to.
Dr. Seuss
Speaking of classic, everyone loves a good Dr. Seuss book (unless you’re a tired parent whose child chose it for their bed time story). My kids love these books and your’s will, too.
Kevin Henkes
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse and Chrysanthemum are some of our favorites by Kevin Henkes. Henkes’ books lend themself well to teaching vocabulary and word choice.
Ezra Jack Keats
He wrote more than The Snowy Day, although it is a classic. Goggles and Whistle for Willie are other favorites.
Leo Lionni
Leo Lionni’s books and illustrations are special. I doubt you will find one you don’t like.
Mem Fox
Mem Fox is a master of learning and the English language. You will love reading her books to your kids. The Magic Hat is my favorite children’s book (of all time) and Time for Bed is pretty sweet, too.
Author Study Process
1)Collect books by the author.
Go to the chosen author’s website and find books you want to read. Scour the library and your bookshelves. Chances are you have a few titles under your roof. The library is a great resource for an author study. Many of them offer curbside pick up right now, so simply put the books on hold and a few days later, pick them up.
2)Display the books.
Choose a spot to house the books and make it look pretty and enticing. Set them up so your kids will get excited about the author study. Maybe even put up a poster with the name and picture of the author.
3)Learn about the author.
Begin with learning about the author’s background and books he or she has written. Knowing the background can give context as you read. Check out the author’s website (all linked above) and Youtube videos to learn about the author together.
4)Read the books with your kids.
Enjoy the books with your kids. Decide if you will let them choose the books to read or if you will intentionally choose a specific book each day.
5)Author Study Activities
Sometimes you may let the kids simply enjoy the books and see where they take you as a family and sometimes you will have a purpose or skill you want to teach as you’re reading. There is value in both.
There is value in simply reading books by an author, discussing them, and displaying them. Your kids will notice similarities between books: characters, themes, word play, illustrations, style. Sometimes it isn’t even necessary to point them out, let your kids take the lead and ask the question: What do you notice about books/illustrations by _______?
There is also value in teaching a skill through an author study. If you want to teach something specific, decide what and how you will do it. For example, an Eric Carle author study lends itself to learning how Carle creates his illustrations through collage. There are great Youtube videos as well as art projects to help your kids create like Eric Carle.
6)Celebrate
If you’ve been around here long, you know I believe wholeheartedly in celebration. Find a way to celebrate the completion of an author study.
It could be a community project about the author presented to family members. Or maybe a ‘dress like the author day’. It could be a writing a piece inspired by the author. Or a tea party while reading the author’s books.
Find a way to celebrate all you have learned and discovered about a specific author. It will cement the learning in your kids’ brains and give them nostalgia every time they read a book by the author.
Are you planning an author study this year? Tell me: who will you be studying?
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