Thanksgiving can be a hard concept for young learners to understand. What does it mean to feel gratitude? How do you express thanks? What should we be thankful for? Why do we celebrate a day of Thanksgiving?
Books have a wonderful way of helping children understand some of these questions while, of course, helping with early literacy. Here are some of our favorite books for teaching the meaning of gratitude, happiness and thanks around the holiday:
- An Awesome Book of Thanks – It’s true, this book is awesome! We love the colors and illustrations in this book, as well as the message of expressing thanks to the world around us. (You can also read the entire book free on the author’s website!)
- Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks – This book explains the concept of being thankful, and is perfect for students who are English Language Learners.
- Have You Filled a Bucket Today?– This book encourages positive behavior and why we express daily kindness and appreciation towards others– something we do especially around Thanksgiving! Read it together and then make plans for each student to “fill someone’s bucket”on the day of Thanksgiving.
- What is Thanksgiving?– Through the whimsical art and rhyming verse that’s fun to read, even the youngest child will come to understand that Thanksgiving is really about showing gratitude for all the blessings in our lives.
Which Thanksgiving-themed books do you read with your early learners at school or in the home?
