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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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. 

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this summer title with your child. 

Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream is the true story of Marcenia Lyle, a young African American girl who grew up to become the first woman to play professional baseball. Marcenia loves baseball, and she is very good at it. But everyone likes to remind her that girls aren't allowed to play baseball and that she should try playing with dolls instead. Marcenia doesn't give up on her dream, and when a baseball scout for the St. Louis Cardinals comes to recruit kids for camp, Marcenia shows him what she is capable of! Author Crystal Hubbard and illustrator Randy Duburke do justice to the amazing story of an amazing girl who grew up to become Tori Stone, the first woman to play professional baseball.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Take a Picture Walk:
Before you read Catching the Moon: The Story of A Young Girl's Dream to Play Baseball ask your reader to flip through the pages. As they're looking, ask them questions about what they're seeing on the pages. Where are the characters, what are they doing, and what do you think is happening are great questions to spark comprehension and engagement when sharing a story.

Do this with your child:
After you read Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream talk with your child about baseball. Have they ever played, baseball, t-ball, softball. Have they watched a local team or a sibling play a game? Talk about the rules of the game then run outside and practice hitting and catching!

If you're interested in sharing Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream with your child you can find it from Lee & Low here. 

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

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Happy Like Soccer

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

Happy Like Soccer is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Sienna loves soccer. Nothing makes her as happy as when she's playing. But nothing also makes her as sad. While she loves the game and has fun playing, she wants her aunt to be able to come to the game and cheer her on too. But her aunt works on game days and isn't able to make it. The one day she is able to switch her schedule, the game is rained out. See if Sienna is able to get her coach to change the game day and time in order to have her family there cheering her on in Happy Like Soccer.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Inferring:
As you read Happy Like Soccer ask your child questions about what they think will happen next based on what you've read so far. They'll be more engaged as you read forward, more invested in knowing whether or not the predictions they have made based on context clues are coming true. 

Do this with your child:
In Happy Like Soccer Sienna loves to play soccer. Has your child ever played soccer? Take the opportunity to go outside and play! You can try baseball or any sport that you've seen during the Olympics; it is always fun to try something new and play outside. Playing a sport or a game will help your child learn teamwork, let them practice following directions, and build self esteem. You can also make signs to cheer on friends or family members who are playing a sport as well.

If you're interested in sharing Happy Like Soccer with your child you can find it from Candlewick Press here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Curious George at the Baseball Game

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

Curious George at the Baseball Game is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
George is at it again! In the classic Curious George at the Baseball Game follow the adventures of this curious little monkey as he sits in the dugout, watches from the stands, and of course, finds a way to get into and out of trouble! 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Sequencing:
After reading Curious George at the Baseball Game talk to your child about which order the events happen in the story. Use words like 'before,' 'after,' and 'next' to help your child put the events in order. Did George sit in the stands or the dugout first? When did he find the little boy? Ask questions to help prompt your child if they need it!

Do this with your child:
In Curious George at the Baseball Game George and the man with the yellow hat watch baseball. Has your child ever played baseball or t-ball? Take the opportunity to go outside and play! You can try baseball or any sport that you've seen during the Olympics; it is always fun to try something new and play outside. Playing a sport or a game will help your child learn teamwork, let them practice following directions, and build self esteem. 

If you're interested in sharing Curious George at the Baseball Game with your child you can find it from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt here. Please like them on Facebook and Instagram. 

Colors of Sports

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

Colors of Sports is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Colors of Sports by Laura Purdie Salas is the perfect title to share with your child as we enter Olympic season! This colorful book with real photographs touches on some of the sports that the world will be watching in the Olympics and even includes a GOLD medal.Each new page tells a little about a sport and the way a certain color connects to that sport.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
As you're reading Colors of Sports ask your child if they recognize any of the sports that they see on the pages. Have they ever played these sports? Have they seen someone else play? Do they have a favorite team? By asking questions that relate to your child's experiences, you will be deepening their engagement with the book and hopefully furthering their interest in the text.

Do this with your child:
Colors of Sports explores several major sports and has a different color on every page. Ask your child to chose which color or sport is their favorite and why. Then draw a picture of their favorite sport together!

If you're interested in sharing Colors of Sports with your child you can find it from Capstone Press here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.