Welcome to Mrs. March's Reading Corner!
Who is Mrs. March?What is the purpose of this blog?
My school would like to help you, the parents of our students, better understand the importance of high-quality children's literature on the development of your child. Each week, I will feature a new "book of the week", along with tips tricks for encouraging your child to read at home, and to fall in love with reading.
Week 1 - Into the Game
Book of the Week
Into the Game, written by Nick Eliopulos and illustrated by Luke Flowers
In Into the Game, five friends are transported into their favorite video game when they use a special VR headset. They must use their knowledge of the game to survive.
Recommended for grade levels 1 - 4
Why I love this book:
Many kids in this age group love playing Minecraft. It is exciting for them to imagine being sucked into their favorite game. The author uses fun fonts and wordplay to keep young readers engaged. The illustrator uses pixelated images similar to what one would see whilst playing Minecraft in combination with softer images to portray what is "real". The story follows a group of young friends as they navigate challenges in the real world, as well as in the pixelated game world of Minecraft.
Another reason I love this book is the diversity of characters. Of the five friends, three are girls and two are boys. The girls are portrayed as having their own strengths, which lend to the richness of the story. One of the friends is constrained to a wheelchair, but he doesn't let this stop him from having fun! All of the friends are smart, enjoy STEM activities, and stand boldly to face the challenges before them. The characters learn empathy and friendship as they face challenges together.
I highly recommend this book to encourage your child to enjoy reading. It is full of excitement, adventure, and friendship. The story ends with a mysterious twist, but lucky for your young readers, it is only the first in a series! I was able to finish the first book in just a few hours and I look forward to starting the next in the series, Night of the Bats.
Lessons and Connections:
This book can be used to teach your child about key ideas and details within a story, craft and structure, and integration of knowledge and ideas. These are all goals of the Common Core State Standards. Below are some ways to do this with your child.
An important component of text comprehension is understanding key details of a story. First graders should be able to "retell key details of [the story]" and "[d]escribe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information" (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2021). Some examples of this might be discussing how the students entered into the realistic world of Minecraft, how the students are able to work together to overcome specific challenges they face, and how the original four friends end up including the new student in their group.
Craft and structure play a large role in reading comprehension. Second grade students should be able to use the different font choices, illustrations, and chapter titles to quickly locate specific information within the story. Teaching your child to scan pages for important information will increase their ability to look back to key details and improve their comprehension of what they've read. This may be especially important in a series, such as this, as they may want to look back to previous books for clues to what may happen next.
Integration of knowledge and ideas is another important aspect of reading comprehension, particularly in this book. The twist I mentioned before relies on your child's ability to use illustrations to clarify what is written. There is a mysterious clue left for the adventuring friends which is only written out in the illustration, not directly in the text. The illustrations throughout the book also add detail to what is written. For example, children may notice that one of the characters, Po, is not using his wheelchair at a birthday party, but is sitting on a tire swing, enjoying his time with his friends. Later in the story, Po is late to a Minecraft session because he is coming from basketball practice. These details may challenge your child's understanding of differently-abled children. Just because Po is in a wheelchair does not mean he cannot actively participate in and enjoy his life.
Helpful Information About Early Literacy and Your Child
Why read?
- Reading helps children develop problem-solving skills.
- Reading helps children develop empathy for others.
Language & Literacy Benefits:
- Reading gives children a chance to explore a variety of writing styles, voices, settings, characters, etc.
- Reading helps children build their vocabulary.
- Building vocabulary through reading helps children be successful in school.
Strategies for Home:
- Set up a fun, cozy reading corner of your own! Let your child help decide how to make the space a great one for long hours of reading.
- Take turns reading! Read to your child, allow your child to read to you, and have family reading time where your child can observe you reading for enjoyment, as well.
*** WEEKLY CHALLENGE! ***
This week, work with your child to find a corner in your home to transform into their very own reading corner. Help your child find a book they are excited to read and encourage them to spend an hour reading, each day this week! Comment below if you and your child take up this challenge. Share your struggles, triumphs, and questions with me so that we can work together to build a love of reading in your child!
References
English language arts standards. English Language Arts Standards | Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2021). http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/.
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