First Grade, Here I Come Book Companion Activities | Back to School Read Aloud
First Grade, Here I Come Book Companion Activities | Back to School Read Aloud
Make your back-to-school read aloud meaningful, engaging, and easy to plan with this First Grade, Here I Come book companion resource. These no-prep activities are designed to help students respond to the story, practice early literacy skills, make personal connections, and build confidence as they get ready for first grade.
This resource pairs perfectly with First Grade, Here I Come by D.J. Steinberg and is ideal for the first week of school, kindergarten-to-first-grade transition lessons, morning work, literacy centers, whole group reading, or substitute plans.
What’s Included
First read plan: A teacher-friendly guide with suggested discussion prompts to introduce the story, activate background knowledge, and support comprehension during the read aloud.
Story map worksheet: Students identify key story elements such as characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end to strengthen retelling skills.
Prediction activity: Students make and explain predictions before or during reading, helping them practice using clues from the text and illustrations.
Text-to-self response page: Students connect the story to their own feelings, experiences, and excitement about starting first grade.
Compare and contrast activity: Students compare kindergarten and first grade, supporting transition conversations and helping them notice similarities and differences.
CVC word practice: Early phonics pages that give students practice reading, writing, and working with short-vowel CVC words.
Rhyming practice: Simple rhyming activities that help students hear word patterns, build phonological awareness, and connect literacy skills to the read aloud.
Graphing activity: A class-friendly graphing page that encourages students to share opinions, collect responses, and discuss results using beginning math language.
Anchor charts: Ready-to-use visual supports for comprehension, classroom discussion, first grade expectations, or literacy skill review.
Poem with companion activities: A beginning-of-the-year poem plus follow-up activities that can be used for fluency practice, shared reading, or morning work.
Why Teachers Love It
No-prep and easy to use: Print the pages you need and you are ready to teach.
Perfect for back to school: Supports routines, feelings, expectations, and first grade excitement.
Builds comprehension: Students practice predicting, retelling, story elements, and making connections.
Includes phonics and literacy practice: CVC words and rhyming activities extend the read aloud into skill-based learning.
Flexible for many settings: Use during whole group lessons, small groups, centers, morning work, early finishers, or homework.
Best For
First grade back-to-school read aloud lessons
Kindergarten to first grade transition activities
Beginning of the year literacy centers
Read aloud response activities
First week of school lesson plans
Sub plans or quick-prep literacy activities