Literacy activities for the first day of school?

Question

Studying for my final.

Assuming primary school grades: K-4.

Answer 1

I always start the first day with the kids writing a letter to themselves that I send home on the last day of school.  Then they read a letter I have children write on the last day of school to the incoming students.  Finally, I have them answer 3 questions they want to know about their teacher, their classroom, and their grade.  Then we read the questions they wrote and throughout the first week I answer them.  They love the reading of the letters, the writing their own letters, and having questions answered!  It is an unobtrusive way to get kids reading and writing on the first day!

Answer 2

Writing:

What did you do this summer?

What books did you read this summer?

Tell me about your family.

What are you looking forward to this year?

Write a class book with you as the scribe.

Reading:

readers theater with a simple script

read a poem together teaching about intonation (change intonation after reading it regular to reflect reading it with a frog in your throat, reading it with a pinched nose, reading it mad, etc)

Answer 3

A back to school survey where the students work around the room to answer questions about other students ....................  who traveled to more than 5 states or likes strawberries