Materials • Book for each student• Chalkboard or dry erase board• Magnetic letters• Pencils, crayons or markers, paper• Baseball Facts Activity writing sheet
(optional) (p. 3 of this guide)• Sticky notes (optional)
High Frequency Words: fun, people, play, this, need, first, does, out, after, most, can, too, see
Targeted Reading Strategy/Objectives:Identify and describe facts; understand the difference between
facts and opinions.
Lesson Standards• Key ideas and Details: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.1: Ask and
answer questions about key details in a text. • Key ideas and Details: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.2: Identify
the main topic and key details of a text.• Craft and Structure: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.6: Distinguish
between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
• Craft and Structure: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.7: Use the illustrations in a text to describe its key ideas.
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.8: Identify the reasons as author gives to support points in a text.
Sports Time!
Baseball Time!
Before ReadingBuild Background• Show students the front cover of the
book and read the title. Ask students what they know about baseball. Write these ideas down. Tell the students that these ideas are called facts. Ask them if they know the difference between a fact and an opinion. Explain that a fact is something that cannot be disagreed with because it is always true, whereas an opinion is how someone feels about something, and another person can disagree with that view.
• Review the title page, table of contents, picture glossary, and index. Talk about the information on those pages (title of book, author’s name, vocabulary words and definitions). Explain that the text features are important when reading an informational book because they allow the reader to look for interesting and important information that he or she needs to find. They also point out information that the author wants the reader to pay attention to.
• During the book walk, introduce new vocabulary and model ways to figure out the words. For example, point to the word infield on page 8. Remind students to look for small words they know when solving for unknown words. For example, breaking apart this word into two smaller words will make it easier to read: in-field. This will also help the reader better understand the meaning of the word.
Skill Introduction• Tell students that as they read they are going to think about facts that they are learning about baseball. They will
need to write these facts later, so make sure they pay close attention.
Think Aloud: It is important to understand the difference between facts and opinions. If I said to you that baseball is the best sport in the world, would that be a fact or an opinion? Some people may very well think that, but it cannot be proven. However, if I said to you that baseball is a sport that is played with a bat, would that be a fact or opinion? This is a fact because it can be proven. As you read, please think about which statements are facts and which are opinions.
Critical Thinking with Bumba BooksFoster higher-order thinking skills by embedding Bumba Books’ critical thinking questions into your reading instruction. Use them to spark discussion, and encourage your emergent readers to be actively engaged in informational text!
Sports Time!
Baseball Time!During ReadingCheck for Understanding• Guide reading by asking students to read through page 13 (you may want to place a sticky note there). Fast finishers
can reread until everyone is finished. Students should be reading in their minds or subvocalizing so everyone can read at their own pace.
• Model targeted skill.
Think Aloud: I have learned a lot of information about baseball. Much of it was factual because it can be proven. However, I did find some information that sounded like opinions to me. Even on the very first page, there seemed to be one fact and one opinion. Why was the first sentence an opinion? Yes, the author might think baseball is a fun game, but I might not. That makes it an opinion. The second sentence is a fact. People do play baseball in the summer. I cannot disagree with this sentence, so it is a fact.
• Have students finish reading the rest of the book. Remind them to continue looking for facts and opinions. • Have students place a small sticky note next to any word they cannot read or understand. This can be discussed after
the book is read.
After ReadingResponse to Text• Were you able to identify other facts about baseball? Did you find any other statements that could be an opinion?
How did you know which statements were facts and which were opinions? What helped you make this decision? Have a group discussion with the class and monitor comprehension as you listen to responses.
Word Work• Some words sound the same but look different and have different meanings. These are called homophones. This
book contains some examples of homophones, including which, week, too, and see. Choose any four of the homophones, write them in a sentence, and underline each homophone. Here is an example:
– When I hurt my arm, it felt weak because I couldn’t use it for a long time. – There are seven days in a full week.
• Give students time to think of other homophone pairs.
Extend the Reading• Baseball Facts Writing Activity: Using the Baseball Facts Activity writing sheet (p. 3 of this guide), students will
write facts they learned about baseball using evidence from the book. They will explain how they know these are facts and not opinions. Then they will write an opinion statement.
• Social Studies Connection: Choose a professional baseball player, living or dead, to study.This player has to be special to the sport in a positive way. Have students research a player, create a web to organize their thoughts, and then write a biography on the player.
High Frequency Words: friends, with, can, play, pair, good, hoop, away, get
Materials • Book for each student• Chalkboard or dry erase board• Magnetic letters• Pencils, crayons or markers, paper• Author’s Purpose handout (p. 3 of this
Lesson Standards• Key ideas and Details: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.1: Ask and
answer questions about key details in a text. • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: CCSS ELA-Literacy
RI.1.8: Identify the reasons as author gives to support points in a text.
Sports Time!
Basketball Time!
Before ReadingBuild Background• Read the title of the book to the students and show them the cover. Ask them what they know about basketball
and if any of them play this sport.• Take a book walk and discuss the pictures as students make predictions about the book. Review the title page, table
of contents, picture glossary, and index. Talk about the information on those pages (title of book, author’s name, vocabulary words and definitions). Explain that the text features are important when reading an informational book because they allow the reader to look for interesting and important information that he or she needs to find.
• During the book walk, introduce new vocabulary and model ways to figure out the words. Explain that the pictures can be helpful in figuring out words, especially in books about specific topics such as this. Think about what you already know about basketball and what word makes sense in the context of the sentence.
Skill Introduction • Tell students that as they read they are going to think about the author’s purpose.
Think Aloud: It is important to think about what you know about why authors write books. I want you to read this book and think about what you are learning as you read. Is this a book that is making you laugh? Is it a book that is teaching you something? Is it a book that is trying to get you to change your mind about something? Ask yourself some questions about the book that will help you determine the author’s purpose. I always start by asking, “Is this book fiction or nonfiction?” This is an important question because it tells me if I am going to be learning or reading for fun.
Critical Thinking with Bumba BooksFoster higher-order thinking skills by embedding Bumba Books’ critical thinking questions into your reading instruction. Use them to spark discussion, and encourage your emergent readers to be actively engaged in informational text!
Sports Time!
Basketball Time!During ReadingCheck for Understanding• Guide reading by asking students to read through page 13 (you may want to place a sticky note there). Fast finishers
can reread until everyone is finished. Students should be reading in their minds or subvocalizing so everyone can read at their own pace.
• Model targeted skill
Think Aloud: I have been thinking about what the author is trying to tell me, and I think I have figured it out. I know now that this is a nonfiction book. We know that nonfiction books give us information about a subject. That is a big clue to what the author’s purpose is. As you continue reading this book, I want you to continue looking for clues or evidence to support your ideas about the author’s purpose. Remember, asking questions during your reading will help you. You should also read the questions the author asks as these may give you clues as well.
• Have students finish reading the rest of the book. Remind them to continue looking for evidence to support their reasoning for the author’s purpose. Have students place a small sticky note next to any word they cannot read or understand. This can be discussed after the book is read.
After ReadingResponse to Text• Were students able to come to a decision on what the author’s purpose was for this book? Have students discuss with
a partner what they think and why, using evidence from the book.
Think Aloud: When I was reading this book, I continued asking questions about the text. I also used the pictures to look for more details and decided that this book was giving information about basketball. I learned important facts about the game and realized these facts were real and could be proven. They were not the author’s opinions but were the rules that everyone would have to follow. This told me that the author’s purpose for writing this book was to inform or to tell us about this game.
Word Work• Inform students that they are going to be making words including -oo. Remind them that -oo can make more than
one sound. It can sound like “good” or “hoop.” Read the words below and then ask students to spell them using magnetic letters.
High Frequency Words: their, need, why, also, you, white, end, tries, can, them, they, with, now, gets, most
Materials • Book for each student• Chalkboard or dry erase board• Magnetic letters• Pencils, crayons or markers, paper• Summarizing handout (p. 3 of this
guide) (optional)• Sticky notes (optional)
Targeted Reading Strategy/Objectives:Summarizing information
Lesson Standards• Key ideas and Details: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.2: Identify
the main topic and retell key details in a text.• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: CCSS ELA-Literacy
RI.1.7: Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.
Sports Time!
Football Time!
Before ReadingBuild Background• Introduce the book to students by reading the title and asking them what they know about football. Make an idea
web to activate prior knowledge about football, and add to it as you take a book walk and discuss the pictures.• Review the title page, table of contents, picture glossary, and index. Talk about the information on those pages (title
of book, author’s name, vocabulary words and definitions). Explain that the text features are important when reading an informational book because they allow the reader to look for interesting and important information that he or she needs to find.
• During the book walk, introduce new vocabulary and model ways to figure out the words. For example, point out the word protect on page 7. Ask students what strategies could help them figure out this word. Explain that using contextual clues from surrounding sentences can help to solve unknown words.
Skill Introduction • Tell students that as they read they will be practicing the skill of summarizing information while reading the book. In
order to do this, they should first establish what they already know about a topic.
Think Aloud: It is important to think about what you already know about football as you learn more information about this game. I know that there have to be 11 players on the field from each team during play. I also know that football is a very physical sport and the players need to wear a lot of padding to protect their bodies from getting hurt. What else do you know about football? Let’s write some things down in our idea web and then add to it as we finish reading.
Critical Thinking with Bumba BooksFoster higher-order thinking skills by embedding Bumba Books’ critical thinking questions into your reading instruction. Use them to spark discussion, and encourage your emergent readers to be actively engaged in informational text!
Football Time!During ReadingCheck for Understanding• Guide reading by asking students to read through page 13 (you may want to place a sticky note there). Fast finishers
can reread until everyone is finished. Students should be reading in their minds or subvocalizing so everyone can read at their own pace.
• Model targeted skill.
Think Aloud: I have been learning a lot of new information and adding it to what I already know about the game of football. Reading pages 8 and 9, I realized that the end zones are different colors to help players see where they need to run to make a touchdown. This makes it easier for them to see how much farther they need to go. Did you notice how I used my own words and not the author’s words? This is called retelling or summarizing the information. I am using what I am learning and adding it to what I know about football and thinking about it as I put the information in my own words.
• Have students finish reading the rest of the book. Remind them to continue looking for new information and adding it to what they already know. Have students think about how they will retell this in their own words. Have students place a small sticky note next to any word they cannot read or understand. This can be discussed after the book is read.
After ReadingResponse to Text• Tell students to think about some new ideas to add to the idea web as a class; these ideas will help them later when
they do the written assignment for summarizing text. Have them discuss what they have learned with a partner, and let each partner summarize what the other has said.
Think Aloud: I will use my own thoughts to talk about the game of football; this is called retelling or summarizing the information. I know that when I retell the information, I need to start with the main idea, which is football. Then I need to discuss the information I learned in an organized way. This is not always easy to do. Using the idea web helps because I am able to look at all of the ideas we have come up with, and then I can organize them in a way that helps me retell the information in my own words.
Word Work • Words made up of two words put together are called compound words. Use the words below to create mix-and-
match compound word puzzle pieces. Students can form new words by matching smaller words together to make football-themed compound words. Sidelines football teammates touchdown afternoon goalpost championship quarterback
Extend the Reading• Have students work with a partner to retell what they learned and expand on their knowledge of football. Then the
partner will summarize what he or she heard and write it down on the handout provided (p. 3 of this guide).History of American Football: Have students research the history of football. Find books or online resources that students can use to find and present information about the founding of the sport; important teams, players, and events in the sport, and any interesting facts they find while researching.
SummarizingWork with a partner. Listen to your partner retell what he or she has learned from the book Football Time! Use the idea web from class to help you. Then write down what you heard in your own words to summarize.
Materials • Book for each student• Chalkboard or dry erase board• Magnetic letters• Pencils, crayons or markers, paper• Gymnastics Retelling handout (p. 3 of
this guide) (optional)• Sticky notes (optional)
Lesson Standards• Key Ideas and Details: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.2: Identify the
main topic and retell key details of a text. • Craft and Structure: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.6: Distinguish
between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.7: Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.
High Frequency Words: your, may, have, too, own, some, join, walk, high, air, from, swing, think, you, helps
Targeted Reading Strategy/Objectives:Use descriptive words to retell and illustrate what they learned
about gymnastics.
Sports Time!
Gymnastics Time!
Before ReadingBuild Background• Introduce the book to students by
reading the title and asking them what they know about gymnastics.
• Review the title page, table of contents, picture glossary, and index. Talk about the information on those pages (title of book, author’s name, vocabulary words and definitions). Explain that the text features are important when reading an informational book because they allow the reader to look for interesting and important information that he or she needs to find.
• During the book walk, introduce new vocabulary and model ways to figure out the words. For example, point out the words indoor and ages on page 4 and ask students if they remember how to break words into syllables. Remind them that breaking words into syllables can help them read words that are difficult or unfamiliar. They should also always use contextual clues that they have learned.
Skill Introduction• Tell students that they are reading about gymnastics and will be focusing on identifying the main idea and details.
Students will be expected to retell what they have learned using their own descriptive words about gymnastics. Brainstorm some adjectives with students using a web on chart paper.
Think Aloud: I know that when authors write books, they sometimes use descriptive words to describe the topic. Today we are reading about gymnastics; your job is to write about what you have learned using descriptive words, also known as adjectives. Adjectives describe how something looks, feels, smells, sounds, moves, or even talks. For example, look at the person to your right. Describe what they look like. Think about how you can use adjectives to describe them.
• Tell students to think about descriptive words as they read: the sounds they would hear, the smells of the gym, the things they would see, feel, and maybe even taste. This will make their writing more interesting later on.
Critical Thinking with Bumba BooksFoster higher-order thinking skills by embedding Bumba Books’ critical thinking questions into your reading instruction. Use them to spark discussion, and encourage your emergent readers to be actively engaged in informational text!
Sports Time!
Gymnastics Time!During ReadingCheck for Understanding• Guide reading by asking students to read through page 15 (you may want to place a sticky note there). Fast finishers
can reread until everyone is finished. Students should be reading in their minds or subvocalizing so everyone can read at their own pace.
• Model targeted skill.
Think Aloud: I have been using the information from my reading, from the pictures, and from what I already know about gymnastics to think about some descriptive words I can use to retell what I have learned so far. For example, I read that sometimes music is playing while people practice gymnastics, so I know that when I think about my retell, I will definitely use words to describe music playing. I also know that the mats are soft, so I may use words like squishy, soft, bouncy, foamy, mushy, cushy, cushiony, squashy, doughy, or spongy. Using words like these make the writing more interesting.
• Have students finish reading the rest of the book. Remind them to think about the pictures and what the topic is about so they use lots of descriptive words to retell the facts. Have students place a small sticky note next to any word they cannot read or understand. This can be discussed after the book is read.
After ReadingResponse to Text• Allow students time to discuss what they have learned. Monitor the learning and their comprehension based on their
answers. • As a group, create a word web using the descriptive words students generated while reading. Tell students they will
be using the descriptive words from the web to retell what they learned about gymnastics.
Word Work • Have students write all the high frequency words from the book in the left margin of a sheet of paper. Make three
columns on the paper. Have students cover the first word, say the word aloud, and write it in the first column. If students spell it wrong, they should circle the part that is incorrect so they know where they made the mistake. Repeat the process in the second and third columns. Do this for each high frequency word.
Extend the Reading• Now that students have learned about descriptive words, explain that they are going to use the words to write at
least three sentences retelling what they learned about gymnastics. Once you have finished creating a class bubble map, pass out the Gymnastics Retelling handout (p. 3 of this guide). Have them write three sentences retelling what they learned using their descriptive words and then draw an illustration of some of the equipment used in gymnastics to show their descriptive words.
Gymnastics RetellingWrite three sentences, using descriptive words, retelling
what you learned about gymnastics.
Draw a picture of the equipment used in gymnastics to show the descriptive words you used in your sentences. You may want to label the parts to add more details.
Materials • Book for each student• Chalkboard or dry erase board• Magnetic letters• Pencils, crayons or markers, paper• Inferencing handout (p. 3 of this
guide) (optional)• Sticky notes (optional)
Academic Vocabulary: world, field, different, shirts, goalie, teammates, stadium, town
High Frequency Words: all, much, two, each, they, their, down, past, most, might, school, have, your, long
Targeted Reading Strategy/Objectives:Inferring
Lesson Standards• Craft and Structure: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.6: Distinguish
between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.9: Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
Sports Time!
Soccer Time!
Before ReadingBuild Background• Introduce the book to students by
reading the title and asking them what they know about soccer.
• Review the title page, table of contents, picture glossary, and index. Talk about the information on those pages (title of book, author’s name, vocabulary words and definitions). Explain that the text features are important when reading an informational book because they allow the reader to look for interesting and important information that he or she needs to find.
• During the book walk, introduce new vocabulary and model ways to figure out the words. For example, point out the word world on page 4. Ask students if they remember the rule for the “bossy R.” Tell them that the bossy R changes the vowel sound and makes the o sound like /er/ when it is next to the r. Then have them try to solve the word using all the other strategies they know.
Skill Introduction • Tell students that they are reading about soccer. They will learn new information and will need to use the text and
the pictures to help them understand what the author is trying to teach them. Explain that they will need to think about the information that might not be printed, but that the author is telling them through the pictures. They will also be learning about inferences. Explain that inferences are when you figure out something that wasn’t completely explained by using the information found in the text combined with your own experience.
Think Aloud: It is important to think about what you already know about soccer because sometimes when we read the author’s words or look at the pictures and think about what we know, we can infer, or make a good guess, based on what we know. For example, if I look outside the window and I see someone wearing a scarf, hat, and gloves, I can infer that it is cold outside. Does that make sense?
Critical Thinking with Bumba BooksFoster higher-order thinking skills by embedding Bumba Books’ critical thinking questions into your reading instruction. Use them to spark discussion, and encourage your emergent readers to be actively engaged in informational text!
Soccer Time!During ReadingCheck for Understanding• Guide reading by asking students to read through page 9 (you may want to place a sticky note there). Fast finishers
can reread until everyone is finished. Students should be reading in their minds or subvocalizing so everyone can read at their own pace.
• Model targeted skill.
Think Aloud: I have been using the information from my reading, from the pictures, and from what I already know about soccer to make inferences about certain information. For example, let’s look at pages 8 and 9. On page 8, the author asks why the teams wear different shirts. I just read about how two teams play each other in a game of soccer and that each team has a net on the field at each end. I know from my own experience that each team wants to shoot the ball into the other team’s net to score. Using the information from my experience and from the reading, I can infer that the teams wear different color shirts so that the players can see their teammates and so they pass the ball to the right team. If everyone wore the same color, you would not be able to tell which players were your teammates right away.
• Have students finish reading the rest of the book. Remind them to make good guesses about information that might not be printed from what they know about soccer and by using the pictures. Have students place a small sticky note next to any word they cannot read or understand. This can be discussed after the book is read.
After ReadingResponse to Text• Ask students to think about what they have learned about soccer. Have students discuss the question on page 12
with a partner. Have them use evidence from the text on how they arrived at their answer. Monitor comprehension of the reading strategy based on answers and discussions.
Word Work• Have students read the word might, have them look at the beginning of the word, and then tell them to make it
on their magnetic board. Once they have done that, tell them to write it in their notebooks or on paper, Then have them take away the m and add an r, ask them to read the new word, have them say it aloud. What word did they make? Have them repeat this by taking away the first letter and adding another letter. Have them continue making words and having them read and write each new word. Then see if they can add two new letters, for example, fr to make fright.
Extend the Reading• Students will use the Inferencing handout (p. 3 of this guide) to answer the question from the book Soccer Time!
Tell students that they will be looking at the picture from page 14 in the book and thinking about the question on this page to make a good guess, or to infer, information to answer the question. They will need to think about what they read from the book Soccer Time! and what they already knew about soccer to help them make an inference. Tell them to look at the expressions on the children’s faces, the setting, and what is happening in the picture.
• World Cup research: Every four years there is a World Cup soccer tournament, where teams from across the world play each other. Have students research who won the last World Cup. What year it was played in and where it was held? Once students have completed this, put them in small groups that can work together to find out what the official logo of the World Cup tournament was for that year. Have them make a poster and color it according to the colors that were on the logo.
Materials • Book for each student• Chalkboard or dry erase board• Magnetic letters• Pencils, crayons or markers, paper• People vs. dolphins Venn Diagram
handout (p. 3 of this guide) (optional)• Sticky notes (optional)
Targeted Reading Strategy/Objectives:Compare and contrast
High Frequency Words: be, need, much, some, people, many, end, back, called, last, where, else
Lesson Standards• Key ideas and Details: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.1: Ask and
answer questions about key details in a text.• Key ideas and Details: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.3: Describe
the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.9: Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic.
Sports Time!
Swimming Time!
Before ReadingBuild Background• Introduce the book to students by reading the title and asking them what they know about swimming. Make an idea
web to activate prior knowledge, and add to it as you take a book walk and discuss pictures.• Review the title page, table of contents, picture glossary, and index. Talk about the information on those pages (title
of book, author’s name, vocabulary words and definitions). Explain that the text features are important when reading an informational book because they allow the reader to look for interesting and important information that he or she needs to find. During the book walk, introduce new vocabulary and model ways to figure out the words. For example, point out the word goggles on page 7. Ask students what strategies could help them figure out this word. Explain that using contextual clues from surrounding sentences and pictures can help to solve unknown words.
Skill Introduction • Tell students that they will be reading about how people swim on a team for fun and for sport. Tell them that as
they are reading you want them to use the text to help compare and contrast humans and dolphins.
Think Aloud: I know that when I swim I need to hold my breath. I need to kick my feet and move my arms or I will sink. I cannot stay underwater for very long, but I can do other things. Dolphins can live in the water. We are both mammals, which is why we can’t breathe underwater. I wonder how else we are the same as dolphins. I wonder how we are different.
Critical Thinking with Bumba BooksFoster higher-order thinking skills by embedding Bumba Books’ critical thinking questions into your reading instruction. Use them to spark discussion, and encourage your emergent readers to be actively engaged in informational text!
Sports Time!
Swimming Time!During ReadingCheck for Understanding• Guide reading by asking students to read through page 11 (you may want to place a sticky note there). Fast finishers
can reread until everyone is finished. Students should be reading in their minds or subvocalizing so everyone can read at their own pace.
• Model targeted skill
Think Aloud: As I was reading, I found out that people swim in pools and wear bathing suits and goggles. Do dolphins do that? Dolphins can also swim in pools. Why would a dolphin be in a pool? As I continue reading, I am going to keep looking for ways that people and dolphins are alike and different.
• Have students finish reading the rest of the book. Remind them to keep placing sticky notes on pages when they find similarities and differences between people and dolphins.
After ReadingResponse to Text• Let students discuss the reading and give examples of what they learned. Prompt them with questions like the
following: What did you learn about swimming that you did not know? Were you able to think about any more ways that people and dolphins are alike and different? Monitor their comprehension based on their answers. Ask them to identify evidence from the text to support their answers.
Word Work • Have students use paper or dry erase boards to write an antonym—a word with an opposite meaning—for the
following words: fun alone winner end indoors forward last some When they are finished, have them think of new words. Then have them switch words with a partner to see if they can come up with an antonym for their partner’s word.
Extend the Reading• Have students complete the People vs. Dolphins Venn Diagram (p. 3 of this guide). Assist students when necessary
and encourage them to find their answers from the book, background knowledge, and other resources.
