Are you searching for a way to achieve maximum engagement in your classroom this spring? Look no further!

Picture Book March Madness is the ultimate way to energize your literacy block, combining the thrill of a tournament with the magic of storytelling. By transforming your reading lessons into a celebration of books, you can foster a deep love for learning that lasts long after the final buzzer sounds.

Why Teachers Love the March Madness Reading Challenge

This resource is designed to simplify your planning while amplifying student curiosity. Because it connects engaging stories with skill-building activities, it serves as a bridge between pure fun and rigorous academic growth. Furthermore, the “print and go” nature of the materials allows you to focus on what matters most: your students.

Whether you are looking to expand your students’ understanding of diverse stories or planning themed activities that tie into the curriculum, this resource has you covered. It is adaptable, interactive, and high-energy. In short, it is a win-win for both you and your readers!

What’s Included?

I know how busy teachers are and I want to make your life easier. I created a pacing calendar guide to help teachers map out how the March Madness Tournament. You can grab this one here. This is from the 2026 resource.

To make this experience seamless, I have included everything you need to run a successful bracket, whether you prefer a traditional or digital setup. There are also a variety of themes to choose from!

• Curated Book List: A mix of 16 fiction and nonfiction titles (or choose your own!).
• Comprehensive Questions: Thoughtful prompts for before, during, and after reading.
• Versatile Brackets: Options for “old school” paper brackets or digital versions via Google Slides.
• Interactive Voting: Digital voting forms to make the “selection Sunday” feel real.
• Fun Fact Printables: Engaging trivia to build background knowledge for each book.

The Heart of the Competition: The Stories

The core of any Picture Book March Madness event is the collection of inspiring, diverse stories. Each year, each theme and book is carefully selected to spark curiosity while offering opportunities to strengthen critical thinking and SEL skills.

For instance, you might dive into the hilarious rivalry of The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors or explore the heartwarming themes of belonging in Where Are You From. Overall, you can choose a resource that fits a theme of your interest or add in your own books in the editable templates.

Themes to try

• Backpack Series: School Subjects battle it out
• Topic Vs. Topic– Various topics that center around relevant topics for students
• Fiction Vs. Nonfiction– Paired picture books with matching themes across the genres

A Legacy of Champions

One of my favorite parts of this tradition is seeing which books rise to the top of the bracket. In my classroom, we have built a “Hall of Fame” to honor the stories that captured our hearts. Over the years, our champions have included unforgettable titles such as Thank You, Mr. Falker, What If, Pig?, I Love Strawberries, and The Big Cheese.

Seeing students eagerly debate their favorites after engaging in deep discussions is a testament to the power of this resource. It turns a standard reading lesson into a hands-on experience that makes learning both fun and impactful.

Lastly, I’m excited to share a glimpse of how I bring March Madness to life in my own classroom! From the bracket setup on the wall to the activity stations for each book, my students get a hands-on experience that makes learning both fun and impactful. I’ve included some pictures to show how I organize everything and create an environment where students are encouraged to dive deep into each story. The setup has been a hit year after year, and I hope it inspires you to create a March Madness experience your students will never forget!

March Madness Picture Book Edition Instagram

March Madness Picture Book Edition Podcast Episode

Ramona Recommends partners with affiliate platforms where commission may be earned based on clicks and or purchases, and I would love it if you decided to use the links above! Affiliate links help bloggers like me to fund the free content that we provide on our blogs.

The post The Ultimate March Madness Picture Book Tournament for Your Classroom appeared first on Ramona Recommends.

If we want our students to read with intonation we must model all year long. Make the read aloud in your classroom the reason your students become readers. 

Please understand, I do not think you have to be a broadway star to read a picture book, but you need to have some confetti in that voice. 

If you are a first year teacher, student teacher, or a teacher who does not want to be on broadway, this blog post is for you! Let me help you feel confident when you are reading aloud in your classroom. 

I teach fifth grade and I would say 95% of my students love it when I read picture books. This last week, I had my students fill out a rating form about their 5th grade experience thus far, and SO many said their favorite part of the day was Open The Magic. It made my whole week!

Speaking of my students, in the past I have asked them, “What do I do that makes you engaged during read alouds?” Here are their responses summarized.

“you are SO excited about picture books! It’s like giving EXCITEMENT VIBES.”

“You do cool voices!” (bless them, I try!)

“You raise and lower your voice at the perfect time”

“You find books that we can learn from or relate too.”“You find funny books, remember when you read, Where’s My Butt?.”

I teach fifth grade and I would say 95% of my students love when I read picture books. This last week, I had my students fill out a rating form about their 5th grade experience thus far, and SO many said their favorite part of the day was Open The Magic. It made my whole week!

Speaking of my students, in the past I have asked them, “What do I do that makes you engaged during read alouds?” Here are their responses summarized:

“You are SO excited about picture books! It’s like giving EXCITEMENT VIBES.”

“You do cool voices!” (bless them, I try!)

“You raise and lower your voice at the perfect time”

“You find books that we can learn from or relate too.”

“You find funny books, remember when you read, Where’s My Butt?.”

Here is what I do when I want to have a solid read aloud. 

#1 Read the book ahead of time.

Reading aloud takes practice. Sometimes you have to pull your inner broadway star out of you, but I promise it is worth it. I understand that time is vital; you do not always have the time. I get it, I am a teacher too. Just try your best! If you are using a book to teach a lesson, I highly recommend reading the book beforehand. This will help you utilize all the teaching confetti inside. I am the type of teacher that has to prep before I do an activity in front of my students. My brain works better that way. If you are not sure which picture books would hit in your classroom, be sure to check out The Confetti Bookshelf, where I give you picture books I read each month in my own classroom.

#2 Do not sound like a robot.

I ask you to please not read like you do not like to read. The kids notice and then they are not engaged. I have learned from over the years when I make reading a confetti moment is when I get the most buy in about books. I have had multiple parents tell me that their child did not like reading until they came into my class. If we want our growing readers to thrive we must model for them how to read, the importance of reading, and showing the excitement we get from reading a book we love. 

I provide a  free training where I walk you through how to engage your readers during a read aloud and how to not be nervous when reading. Grab it here. 

#3 Explain the confetti.

Make the read aloud fun and engaging so your kids buy in. I typically share why I choose the books we read during Open The Magic. When I am selecting the books for the week, the first thing I will do is look up the national days for the week. I will try to match a national day with a book. For example, October 22nd is National Color Day. I will most likely read the book Mixed: A Colorful Story. I have a detailed blog post about National Days that are kid friendly and I share which books pair well with every holiday.

I also share new books that have not been released yet, the kids LOVE this. They feel so cool. Mini perk of Ramona Recommends. Oh! We always start off with looking at the picture book wallpaper and to see if there is a secret cover. Yes, I have 5th grade boys begging to have me check if there’s a secret cover even before I sit in my yellow chair. 

Here is your plan for your next read aloud.

-Grab a book from my suggested list. 

-Read it aloud or in your head. 

-Think of 1 way this book will connect to your students.

-Go shine, bookstar!

Ramona Recommends partners with affiliate platforms where commission may be earned based on clicks and or purchases, and I would love it if you decided to use the links above! Affiliate links help bloggers like me to fund the free content that we provide on our blogs.

The post How to Read Aloud to Kids appeared first on Ramona Recommends.