Hoops

FOR THE WEEKEND share this title with your child. 

Hoops is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Hoops is a poetic understanding of basketball, the experience of the game, and the beauty of teamwork. Feel the rough roundness of the ball. Celebrate the soaring freedom of the dunk. Savor the moment when all eyes focus on the long three-pointer. Author Robert Burleigh and illustrator Stephen T. Johnson beautifully bring the rhythm of the basketball court to the pages of this book.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
After you read Hoops ask your reader questions about their own experiences with basketball. Have they ever played the sport, do they play on a team, do they know the rules? You can also make connections about spectating: have they ever watched a basketball 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 know more about.

Do this with your child:
After you read Hoops try out the sport together! You can try making baskets, passing, and dribbling the ball. Head to a local outdoor court or park, play on a mini hoop of your own, and have fun!

If you're interested in sharing Hoops with your child you can find it from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 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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Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English

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

Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English is appropriate for children 4-8 and is a perfect book to curl up on the couch under a blanket with this fall.

Summary:
Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English is a collection of poems in Spanish and English, one for each letter of the alphabet describing farms and harvest. The beautiful book from author Alma Flor Ada is perfect alongside the traditional style paintings of Simon Silva on each page, drenched in bold, warm colors which help bring the poetry to life.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Take a Picture Walk/Sequencing:
As you read through Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English, use the beautiful paintings to ask your child what they think that page's poem might be about. For an older child, you can also try sequencing and working on alphabetical order. Help your child remember what letter was on the previous page and try to figure out what letter the poem on the next page will start with.

Do this with your child:
Read through the poems in Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English in the language you are more comfortable with, then try the other language. Practice the titles of each poem in English and Spanish with your child. It's a good possibility that you will both be exposed to something new and different. It's okay if you're unsure of some of the words, that is how we learn!

If you're interested in sharing Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English with your child you can find it from Harper Collins Publishers here.

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