Book Summary
Have you ever received too many things all at once? This is the problem that Maria faces in the book Maria Counts Pumpkins. In this text Maria is sitting on the stoop of her apartment with her dog when seven different relatives bring her pumpkins. The pumpkins crowd the dog and Maria off the stoop. The repeated sentence patterns, and picture to text match in this book help early readers retain meaning and read counting words.

About the Lesson 

Targeted Reading Strategy

• Self question when reading: I wonder, I think, I believe

Objectives

• understand that good readers self-question when reading using phrases such as I wonder, I think, I believe
• identify the problems and solutions in a story
• listen for and count the number of words in a sentence
• associate the letter p with the sound /p/
• read sentences expressively that contain exclamation marks
• read counting words and match counting words to the appropriate numerical symbol and quantity

Materials

• Book – Maria Counts Pumpkins (copy for each student)
• Chalkboard or dry erase board
• A pumpkin
• Problem/solution and number words worksheets

    Indicates an opportunity to use the book interactively (All activities may be completed with paper and pencil if books are not consumable.) 

Vocabulary

• High-frequency words: has
• Content words: pumpkin, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven