I have always loved making class books! They are always a favorite in the classroom library and it is so important for kids to share their writing and illustrating with their peers. This post is all about how to make meaningful class books with your preschool, kindergarten and even first grade students! 

If you’re here I bet you teach reading and writing! Class books are one of my favorite tools for writing workshop time. They really help preschool and Kindergarten students get excited about learning to read and write. I’ve put together a set of my favorite printable class books totally free for you! These class books can be used throughout the school year and focus on skills like letter and number recognition, sight words, environmental print, and more! I know you’ll love writing and creating these books with your students!

I had a lot of really special teachers in my elementary days who did so many incredible things to make learning so fun and meaningful. In second grade, Mrs. Hailes taught us how to write different types of poems. I loved writing poems and quickly had written and illustrated enough poems to turn them into a little book. She took all of the poems I had written and bound them together in the teacher’s workroom. That silly, little spiral-bound book was so powerful to me as a kid because it made me feel like a real author and that my writing was important. I think class books give our students that same feeling which is why I am so passionate about creating them!

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What is a class book?

First, let’s start with the basics. What is a class book? A class book is a book created by the class where each student contributes a page. They can be created about pretty much anything and are frequently used in preschool, Kindergarten and even first grade classrooms. Class books should be a safe choice for any reader in the class regardless of their reading level. Any student should be able to choose the book and feel confident reading it.

How to make a class book?

Over the years I have put class books together tons of different ways! Back in the day I would use the spiral binding machine in the teacher’s workroom and that is a process.  I love using binders with clear covers and sliding the class book pages into sheet protectors, but that gets expensive quick! Here is my secret and the best way I have found to put together class books:

Use paper folders with prongs! In August when school supply sales start happening you will be able to find them for only a few cents. Yes, cents! Buy tons and use them throughout the school year to create class books! Just simply use package tape to tape on the class book cover and then hold punch student pages inside. EASY!

Tips for Making Class Books Meaningful 

Add picture supports. 

Little ones just learning how to read need picture supports, especially in class books! Adding student pictures to each page will really create ownership and help little ones learn to read and recognize names of their classmates. At the beginning of the year, I take each child’s picture in a square shape. Then I upload them all into a document and add each student’s name below their picture. Each time we make a class book, I just print the page and give each child their picture to glue on the page. I have an Editable Class Book Author’s Picture Template that will make this process a piece of cake for you!

Use the same sentence structure for every page of the class book. 

Class books should be a safe choice for any reader in the class regardless of their reading level. Any student should be able to choose the book and feel confident reading it. I think it is really important to keep the same sentence structure for every page in the book. For example, each page in the book may start with the sentence: I like. We created this look to go with our show and tell of the letter l. You can read more about how I used show and tell in my classroom in this post. Notice each child’s name is at the top of the page and it has a real picture of the child and the object in the sentence.

Other Sentence Structure Ideas for Preschool or Kindergarten Class Books:

Here are a few other sentence structure ideas that work well: 

• I can…
• I like…
• I love…
• (Child’s name) is…

Create class books to go with skills across various subject areas. 

Class books can be created to go with any subject or skill that you will be teaching your students. Here are a few of my favorite books I have created with my students over the years and what concepts they taught. 

This class book focused on colors. Create a book with your students to go with each color! Students will create a page for the book by drawing an object that is that color. You can learn more about creating class color books here.

This class book is focused on circles. Each student created a page for the book and drew an object that was the shape of a circle. You can learn more about this class shapes book here. You’ll also notice I included a picture of the author of the book page at the top!

If you are a preschool or Kindergarten teacher that makes class books often, check out this entire set of class books that cover skills like the alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors!

Include yourself in the class book. 

Don’t forget to make your own page for the class book too! When you are modeling, save the page you create and put it in the book too. Here is my page in our environmental print class book. It’s a little blurry because it is protected with a sheet protector. Sheet protectors are an easy way to help class books hold up! 

Make it last. 

Put in the extra effort to ensure your book will survive your classroom library. I like to use paper prong folders or binders and sheet protectors to put together class books. It’s always a good idea to laminate the front cover too! I absolutely love my personal laminator! At the end of the school year, it’s always my goal to have enough books that every student can take one home as a keepsake of our learning! 

Create Seasonal Class Books

Class books are a great writing activity for any season or holiday. Check out all of these ideas and more in this post, Class Books to Make in Kindergarten.

Looking for More Early Literacy Ideas?

What is a Text to Self Connection and 10 Books You’ll Love Teaching With

Using Show and Tell to Teach Phonics 

Word Work Stamping Activities for Literacy Stations  

Don’t forget to download your set of free printable class books and start writing and reading with your students! They are focused on the skills preschoolers and Kindergarten students need to know like numbers and letter recognition!

Hopefully, this post gave you a few ideas of preschool and Kindergarten class books you can create with your students. The options are truly endless!  I know you’ll love creating meaningful class books with your students!