St. Patrick's Day is a fun and festive holiday celebrated worldwide. While many people celebrate the day with green clothing, parades, and Irish food, reading aloud with your students is another fun way to make it even better. 

Introducing read-alouds this St. Patrick's Day can help build classroom community and connect students. It can help create a sense of unity and togetherness in the room.

By sharing a common experience, students can develop closer relationships. Students from diverse backgrounds and experiences will learn about new content and each other. Finally, read-alouds are a great way to introduce new books and excite students about reading.

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If you're looking for read-alouds to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, here are five great options that will help build classroom community:

1. The Leprechaun's Gold by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Kindergarten to 2nd Grade

This charming story is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It tells the tale of a leprechaun who leaves his pot of gold in the care of a young boy.

When the leprechaun returns to reclaim his gold, the boy must use his wits to keep it safe. This story is full of suspense and humor, and it is sure to keep students engaged.

With its beautiful, lyrical phrasing, The Leprechaun's Gold makes a perfect read-aloud while emphasizing the positive traits of its characters. This story teaches students the importance of honesty and bravery and encourages them to work together to solve problems.

TeacherGoals Tips:

If you want a story that encourages students to work together, The Leprechaun's Gold is a great option.

• While reading this book with your students, pause after each page to allow them to guess what will happen next. This strategy will keep them engaged and excited to continue reading.
• Another tip is to discuss the character attributes and emotions displayed throughout the story and how they can relate to these attributes and emotions. 

Reading The Leprechaun's Gold in your classroom will help connect your students this St. Patrick's Day.

2. Leprechaun in Late Winter by Mary Pope Osbourne

2nd to 5th Grade

In this book, Merlin sends Jack and Annie on a mission to Ireland in the 19th century. Their job is to inspire Augusta to share her unique gift of mesmerizing potential with others worldwide!

The characters face many obstacles during the journey, inspiring readers to achieve the goals that they set out for themselves. It is never easy, but when people succeed at inspiring someone else or finding their passion path through hard times, it is worth every difficulty faced before reaching success.

Leprechaun in Late Winter teaches children about setting goals, perseverance, and working together. These are all essential life skills that children will need as they grow up and in the future. The book also teaches children about Irish culture and history. 

TeacherGoals Tips

Start a classroom discussion with your students. Ask them what they think are some of the most essential life skills.

• Have students list the goals that Augusta sets for herself and make personal connections to these goals. This task can help students understand the story and the character's motivation better.
• Ask students to think about what they would do if they were in Jack and Annie's situation. Putting themselves into the characters' shoes can help generate classroom discussion and develop empathy.
• Discuss with students the importance of perseverance. What does it mean to persevere? Why is it important?

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3. The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School by Laura Murray

Pre-K to Kindergarten

In this story, the Gingerbread Man is hunting for a mischievous leprechaun who has wreaked havoc in his band room. He follows clues around the building, finding chaos everywhere, even at the library! But then the Gingerbread Man finds one clue that hints towards an even more significant challenge ahead and must race to find the leprechaun before it’s too late! 

The flowing rhymes and colorful artwork make this a great read-aloud to share during March. Clues left behind by the leprechaun will provide plenty of fun guessing games that keep students engaged!

TeacherGoals Tips

This book has a great story and promotes creativity and learning.

• Let your students collaborate to predict where the leprechaun will be next. 
• The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School is also a great book to go with an in-class STEM activity. Let students work in groups while building their leprechaun trap and learning how to use this idea for future projects or games!

This book is perfect for your classroom! It comes with a poster, and you'll also have fun activities alongside them. 

4. How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace

Kindergarten to 6th Grade

Ready for an adventure? You've been planning night and day, but now it's time to implement your plans. Create the perfect leprechaun trap with shamrocks and pots of gold by getting this bestselling children’s book today! This book makes STEAM concepts like engineering skills fun while utilizing rhymes about catching these lucky creatures. Who knows how many tricks you will learn from this book before your luck runs out?!

As a teacher, one of the most important things you can teach your students is being resourceful and thinking outside the box. How to Catch a Leprechaun helps students learn these skills by showing them how to use everyday objects creatively. For example, the book teaches readers how to make a leprechaun trap using everyday items like a shoebox, string, and gold coins. 

TeacherGoals Tips

Use St. Patrick’s Day as a great way to integrate STEAM in your classroom with a unique Leprechaun Trap Challenge! 

• Have students plan, design, test, and execute the leprechaun traps. The Engineering Design Process aims for students to learn about problem-solving, project management, and more. The students will have a blast while creating their traps! 
• Love this book?  Purchase the series here.

Help your students get ready for some leprechaun-catching fun with this entertaining and educational book!

5. Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman

1st to 3rd Grade

It is well-known that leprechauns, especially leprechaun kings, are tricky to catch. They are fast, cunning, and one step ahead of anyone trying to see them. But what most people don't know is that there is a unique way to catch a leprechaun, and that is with Fiona's Luck. Fiona learns the secret to acquiring a leprechaun from her grandmother in this original folktale full of magic and mischief. With the help of her cat, Lucky, Fiona sets out to catch a leprechaun and get his pot of gold.

Fiona's Luck teaches children they can achieve anything they set their minds to with determination andluck. It is a valuable lesson for teachers to share with their students, as it teaches them that no goal is too big or too small and that hard work pays off in the end. Additionally, the story promotes teamwork, as Fiona could not have caught the leprechaun without Lucky's help.

TeacherGoals Tips

Could you ask questions at the end of your read-aloud time to encourage group discussion? Some discussion questions that you can ask students are:

• How did Fiona show determination in trying to catch the leprechaun?
• Do you think being lucky to achieve your goals is essential? Why or why not?
• What other things do you need to be successful besides luck and determination?
• Can you think of a time when you were fortunate and what happened?
• What are some things you need to do to achieve your wish?

After reading Fiona's Luck, ask students to write about times when they were determined to achieve something and were successful. Then, have students share their stories with the class.

Enjoy reading this folktale with your students, and be sure to talk about the valuable life lessons it teaches! It is an excellent reminder that anything is possible with hard work and some luck.

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Your Classroom

Nothing beats the excitement and fun of a good story regarding read-alouds for St. Patrick's Day. One key takeaway about the best St. Patrick's Day read-alouds for building classroom community for teachers is to help students feel more connected to each other and the school community.

Additionally, read-alouds can help build relationships between teachers and students, create a sense of community in the classroom, and foster a love of reading.

Teachers looking for great St. Patrick's Day read-alouds should consider funny, heartwarming, and suspenseful stories. By choosing great stories, teachers can set the stage for timely stories that are fun and help students learn.

All of the items on this list have one key thing in common: they are all perfect for building classroom community through reading and activities. Whether you're looking for stories to share on St. Patrick's Day or simply want to create a more connected classroom, these read-alouds are sure to get the job done.

If you're looking for great St. Patrick's Day read-alouds, be sure to check out the five selections above and let us know if we missed any of your favorites.

Looking for fun and engaging activities for your students this St. Patrick’s Day?

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Also, check out Crazy St. Patrick’s Day Mazes for All Ages! This awesome fun package contains 20 mazes, each with a unique theme and approach—so you’ll have plenty to keep your students busy!

 Want ideas for more read-alouds? Check out these:

• 10 Halloween Read-Alouds That Will Delight (And Teach) Your Students
• 5 Classroom Community Books to Help Create a Supportive Environment for Your Students
• 10 Social-Emotional Learning Books for Children

Want to grab all these books for your classroom? Click here.

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