Meet the Presidents: Kindergarten Kids Love Non Fiction!

I love teaching about the presidents in celebration of their birthdays in February. My partner was born on Lincoln's birthday and I was born on Washington's. Yup, I swear this is the truth! The kids get such a kick out of this and we love teaching about these two important leaders. This books have been some of my best sellers because their is so little informational text out there that young children can actually read! Much of what is available is too complex for young learners. However, I do have a few favorites you might want to check out. I am a big fan of the scholastic series My First Biography. They have a limited number of books but my guess is more will come. Common Core requires that we read more non fiction to our students 

and I think they need readers that reflect this shift. If these readers appeal to you they can be purchased here and here. I provided a colored version for the teacher to present and a black and white version for your students. The dots are under the text to help children with tracking. What are some of your favorite activities to do to celebrate these holidays? We make a tall hat for Lincoln with a shiny penny glued to the front that  the kids get to clean themselves. This is a big hit with the boys! For Washington we make a red, white and blue three cornered hat with a feather (Michaels purchase) with a fake quarter in the center. This is a great time to talk about money with your students and do some probability work, flipping a coin to determine heads or tails. Students have a blast with this. So take some time out of your busy day to expose your students to biographies that they will enjoy.