Picture Books To Spark Discussion: Bright Ideas Blog Hop!

Do you have kids that struggle to communicate their thoughts and ideas during a class discussion? If you are like me, you can think of a few (or a lot) of students! My goal during a class discussion is not for the same students to continue to contribute their ideas. I want ALL of my students engaged in our conversation!

Today I’m going to share two wonderful picture books with you that easily spark conversation between students! These books have quickly become two of my favorites!

Chalk, by Bill Thomson, is a beautiful, wordless picture book that will spark lots of emotion in your students! Within the book, a group of children arrive at a playground and begin drawing on the sidewalk. Your students will ooo and ahh when the pictures on the sidewalk start to come to life! After a mean looking dinosaur comes alive on the page, there are plenty of conversation topics to get your students talking with one another and with you!

After your students share ideas on how they would get rid of the mean dinosaur, they will start to wonder if the dinosaur really came to life…or..was it the children’s imaginations?

A wonderful conversation about imagination took place in my classroom. Before I knew it, a conversation about using our imaginations while we play took place, and we even had a debate about how playing outside was better for your brain than video games!

This beautifully illustrated book will integrate lots of history discussion into your class conversation. The Matchbox Diary is written by Paul Fleischman. The book tells the story of a little girl who visits her great-grandfather. Throughout the book, the great-grandfather opens up his matchbox collection. Inside each box is a trinket that tells the story of his childhood and a memory from his past.

Each matchbox trinket sparked discussion in my classroom. The story behind the trinket naturally caused my students to ask questions and make connections. We shared family stories, traditions, and memories from our past.

When my students are able to discuss thoughts and ideas with one another, I know they are naturally building their oral vocabulary and their ability to communicate with others.

Wordless picture books and books with deep meaning will set the stage for participation from ALL students within your classroom. 🙂 Taking the time for discussion and conversation throughout the day has developed my students’ retelling ability and their ability to write narratives within the classroom. 🙂

For a great tip on classroom management, head over to Rebecca’s adorable blog, Darlin’ Little Learners. She has another bright idea waiting for you!

To head over to Rebecca’s blog, click HERE or click on her button below:

You can also visit the linky below to hop around from idea to idea! 🙂 Just click on a blogger’s picture to hop to their blog for another BRIGHT idea! 🙂