8 Activities for the Global Read Aloud

Are you looking for a free program that will allow your students to make personal connections with other kids their age around the world? The Global Read Aloud (GRA) project could be the perfect fit.

Each spring, a new list of books is released on the GRA website covering a variety of interest levels from kindergarten through high school. During a six-week period in the fall (usually October–November), teachers can select one or more books to read to their class, connect with another classroom, and plan activities with their partner teacher. The 2026 program kicks off Oct. 5.

Making the Most Out of the Global Read Aloud

1. Daily clues: To build excitement, give daily clues and invite students to guess the location of your partner class. The first hint can be broad, with the clues gradually becoming more specific throughout the week. Announce the location on a Friday, leaving students buzzing with excitement all weekend before starting your GRA book together the following Monday.

2. Mystery meet-up: Another option for creating instant engagement is to schedule a Mystery Meet-Up videoconference with your partner teacher. The goal is for each class to ask one another a series of yes-or-no questions to help them determine the location of their partner class. To set students up for success, make sure they have some basic map skills and knowledge of geographic vocabulary. Generating a list of questions beforehand is helpful, and students can work together to determine which questions to ask next. When they correctly pinpoint their partner class’s location, the celebration begins.

3. Virtual school tour: Have your students create a video or photo tour of your school to send to your partner class. What is your daily schedule like? Do you have a mascot, motto, or school colors? What is something notable or special about your community? Don’t forget to talk about recess and lunch!

4. Letter or postcard exchange: Most students enjoy the novelty of hand-writing letters and postcards to students in their partner class. After watching the other school’s virtual tour video, students will have lots of questions and comments. They can also include a drawing with their letter. Hard copies of the letters can be sent through the mail or scanned and emailed. 

5. Kahoot competition: Students love to compete, and creating a Kahoot quiz featuring questions from the book can lead to a fun atmosphere of friendly competition.

6. Neighborhood maps: Ask students to think about five important places they visit frequently and draw them on a map. Rather than drawing to scale, the goal is to represent places important to their daily life, like their school, home, friends’ houses, businesses they patronize, and places they visit regularly for sports practice and games, music or dance lessons, or club meetings.

Students can write or audio-record a narrative explaining why these places are important, how they get from place to place, and how much time they spend there. Padlet is a great (free) tool that allows students to share drawings and narratives with their partner schools. Kids can comment and ask questions about one another’s maps and reflect on similarities and differences.

7. ‘Where I’m From’ poems: Students can write autobiographical poems that share elements of their family traditions, history, and cultural background, providing an outlet for sharing parts of their identity and connecting with peers to recognize commonalities and differences. This lesson plan provides models and a template.

8. Discussion and reflection: Reading and discussing a good book together is at the heart of the Global Read Aloud. Discussion and activity ideas are often shared on the GRA Facebook group.

The Book, Head, Heart reading strategy includes questions adaptable to any book or age level. These questions can help students think more deeply by challenging them to consider “How did this book challenge, change, or confirm my thinking? How did it make me better?” Learners can also discuss what elements from the story serve as a mirror that reflects their own experiences and what details provide a window, exposing them to new perspectives and ways of life.

How to participate

Teachers looking for a partner classroom can visit the GRA Facebook group or use the spreadsheet link at the bottom of the book list page. This allows educators from around the world to connect and plan student activities.

By building collaborative relationships through literacy, students can take part in GRA founder Pernille Ripp’s vision of “one book to connect the world.” As they read, share ideas, and learn how to interact with peers from another location or culture, participants broaden their perspectives as they develop empathy and understanding, essential qualities that equip them to make a positive difference in the world.