Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta!

FOR THE WEEKEND share this title with your child. 

Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta! is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta! is a bilingual book using simple rhymes to counts from zero to fifteen in English and Spanish. Author Barbara Barbieri McGrath does a wonderful job coupling the counting storyline with interesting facts about soccer and it's history. Readers young and old will enjoy counting to fifteen while learning more about the popular sport.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
After you read Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta! ask your reader questions about their own experiences with soccer. Have they ever played the sport, do they play on a team, do they know he rules? You can also make connections about spectating, have they ever watched a soccer game, do they have a favorite team, etc.? Do they know or play any other sports? Use this book as a jumping point to learn about more sports that they might want to learn about.

Do this with your child:
After you read Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta! try out the sport together! You can try scoring goals against each other or have a more leisurely game of kicking the ball back and forth. 

If you're interested in sharing Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta! with your child you can find it from Charlesbridge Publishing here. 

Click here to learn more about Raising A Reader and the work we do to promote early literacy and family engagement. 

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Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday is appropriate for children age 5-9.

Summary:
Alexander's grandparents came to visit and Alexander knows that when they come, they bring a dollar for him and his brothers. He loves when his grandparents visit because he loves money. But in Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday he quickly learns how fast that dollar can disappear. Follow along with the story written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz to discover where all of Alexander's money disappears.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
As you read Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday you will be able to help your child find connections to their own life. This book can be a window into their own spending habits or a mirror to reflect a possibly less desirable outcome for their money. You can ask have a conversation about whether your child has ever wanted to spend their money right away, if they find it hard to save their money, or if there has ever been something that they really wanted that they would save their money to buy. 

Do this with your child:
Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday provides an excellent opportunity to practice your child's financial literacy skills. Alexander has one dollar bill but as he spends his money, his total is less and less. For older children, keep track of the amounts that he's spending to see how much he has left. You can use real money to help keep track of the amount. For younger children, talk about the different types of money, bills and coins, and help your child recognize them by size and color. For the youngest children, coin sorting and stacking can be a fun activity to go along with the story.

If you're interested in sharing Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday with your child you can find it from Aladdin Paperbacks, a division of Simon & Schuster here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

Aaaarrgghh! Spider!

GET READY FOR HALLOWEEN! FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

 Aaaarrgghh! Spider! is appropriate for all children.

Summary:
Why doesn't this family seem to want a spider as a pet? Aaaarrgghh! Spider! from author and illustrator Lydia Monks is told from the perspective of a friendly spider who just wants to be a family pet and makes a pretty decent argument for her case. Follow her as she captures the hearts (and flies) of one reluctant family. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Compare and Contrast:
While you read Aaaarrgghh! Spider!, find the similarities and differences between the types of pets in the story. This can also be reflected in your child's own life. Does your child have a pet, how is their pet the same or different from a pet spider? If your child does not have a pet, Aaaarrgghh! Spider! can be a window for your child to talk about what kind of qualities in pet they might want.  

Do this with your child:
The timing is perfect for Aaaarrgghh! Spider! since tomorrow is Halloween! Take the opportunity to find and count how many spiders are in the story, and compare that to how many they can find outside (real or decorations.) Just don't get too close!

If you're interested in sharing Aaaarrgghh! Spider! with your child you can find it from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt here.

Follow Lydia Monks on Twitter.