For the month of March, the common theme I’m going with is “Color, Art and Shapes” since this is when St. Patrick’s is celebrated so rainbow and color is already something that people like during this month. I had a really hard time choosing only 10 favorite books in this unit- that’s the main reason why I didn’t include any shape books but I will still include a bunch of great books about shapes that your kids will love in my big list of March books (a list for a different time).

For the month of February, the common theme for books is “Love, friendship and community” since this is the month where love and friendship is celebrated. Teaching kids through books to love and appreciate friends and family but also those who serve them in other capacities, such as community helpers, is a great way to cultivate kindness, empathy and gratitude.

As a mom, I have found that switching books once a month, right at the beginning of each month is the sweet spot for knowing when and how often to get books for kids. Utilizing common themes and topics for each month makes it a lot easier to know what books to get. From a teacher perspective, reading books that have a theme or topic in common also allows for a deeper and more immersive learning experience for kids. This approach also promotes confidence and love for learning. For the month of January, the common theme I use is “Winter” since this is the season that we are experiencing where we currently live.