Before Reading
Introducing the Book
Before handing out the book, show the front and back cover and title page Ask: What do you see on the covers? What could the two boys on the front cover be thinking about?
Building Background
Invite a guest to come and talk about soccer, or if the season permits, take the class to see a local high school or middle school game.
Some children may have played on soccer teams, or will have siblings who play. Allow children to share these experiences with their classmates.
Have children name different sports. Solicit opinions from children about whether the sports are appropriate for boys, girls, or both.
Book Walk
Before handing out the book, ask children to make some predictions. Ask: What do you think the book will be about? Can you guess why Jessica loves soccer?
There are several multisyllable words that may be new for the children. Write these on the board and have children repeat them several times: Championship (pages 4 and 6), neighborhood (page 4), miserable (page 5), spectacular (page 13), referee (page 16). There is also a composite hyphenated word, under-ten (page 4). Ask children to speculate on the meaning of this word.
Ask children to look at the pictures on pages 5 and 6. Miserable (page 5) and spectacular (page 6) are new words. Ask: What are other words that mean the same thing? How will the pictures help you?
Reading Strategies
Ask: What can you do if you see a new word or idea that you don’t understand?
Ask: How can the pictures help us to understand the book?
Instruct children to reread the sentences above and below the new word/idea and to look at the pictures.
Encourage them to do some guesswork.
Think Aloud
When we read a story, we have to make guesses about what will happen next, or what the characters are thinking. Part of the fun in reading a story is to think to yourself: What will happen to the people in this story? What do I think about this situation? Would I do the same thing?
Go to During Reading
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