Free Class Book to Learn Names at the Beginning of Kindergarten
Make a class book of student names inspired by Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Here is a free printable book cover and book template to make a class book in kindergarten.
Use this class book at the beginning of kindergarten to help your students learn each other’s names and connect to literacy.
Let me share why I made this class book, explain how to make it yourself and give you the free download.
Why I made it
I like to start off the kindergarten year by reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom as one of my first focused read-alouds.
It’s not the first story I ever read aloud, but it is the first focused one, which means I’ll re-read it, again and again, each day for a week.
Here is a preview of the book:
(affiliate) retell literacy center activity, use it to introduce our pokey pinning center and we also make this class book.
(In fact, I enjoy this story so much that the bright colors and polka dots from the borders of this book became details of my classroom decor and I made a coconut tree for a reading nook.)
Now, since it is for the beginning of the year it covers these main things:
- student names
- the alphabet
By using both the alphabet and student names, put to text that they are familiar with (because you’ve read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom aloud a few times) then this becomes a book they can “read” independently.
So be sure to put this book into your library center and start a “books by us” basket. Your kinders will want to read and re-read books they’ve helped make over and over again.
How to make it
Here’s how you can make it and do this activity with your new class of kindergarteners.
Begin by taking a set of photos that you have of your students (like the ones you took on the first day of school). Print those off small – in either wallet or 4×6 size.
Now, download this free class book template. [terms of use] [downloading help]
Then you’ll want to print your front cover. You can print in color or black and white.
Next, print off the number of pages you need to fit the number of students you have. You’ll want one page per student.
If you don’t have 26 students (and I hope you don’t, but I have) then use one of the pre-made pages for the beginning or the end of the alphabet (or both) to help you adjust the number of pages in your book to fit your class size.
Give each student one lowercase letter stamp (it does not have to match any of the letters in their name) and they stamp it in the empty box on their paper.
Then they write their name on the line, glue their picture into the open space and color the page.
Next – have the class help you order the pages so that you can bind it into a class book.
Use an alphabet chart or sing the ABC song to help identify which letter comes next in order and the matching student brings up their page to add to the book.
Take the pages and bind them together. Read the class book as a read aloud the following day and make it available for students to read on their own.
Alternative options
Here are a few alternative ideas just in case you don’t have all of the items above to complete this activity.
If you don’t have letter stamps, you could print small square letter cards (like flashcards) on colorful paper and students could glue those in. I’ve added some to the download because I’ve got your back.
If you don’t have photos of your students, they could draw a self-portrait. However, this does make it harder for the students to read the book indepently at the beginning of the year since they won’t be able to recall everyone’s name or illustration as successfully as they would with a photograph.
Let’s wrap it up
There you have it – a class book inspired Chicka Chicka Boom Boom that focuses on student names and the alphabet. Just right for the beginning of kindergarten.
Are you ready for more teaching ideas for the beginning of the year? You should read what I use the first 26 days of school.
If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.
