Researchers have demonstrated that when caregivers and children share books, they enhance the quality of their reading in the long term, making for frequent conversation and increased caregiver understanding of a child’s learning (Fletcher & Reese, 2005). However, these types of interactions are limited (or nonexistent) if families do not have access to books. In contrast, children in homes with more extensive home libraries read more, have higher-level reading skills, and attain more years of education than those with access to fewer books, even after controlling for parental education level (Crook, 1997; de Graaf et al., 2000; de Graaf, 1986; de Graaf, 1988; Evans et al., 2010; Georg, 2004; Park, 2008; Teachman, 1987). R.E.A.L. puts these research findings into practice, aiming to not only expand home libraries, but to also do so in a way that promotes diverse and culturally relevant books and further fosters family engagement in their children’s learning journey. In addition to expanding home libraries, the R.E.A.L. program promotes, encourages, and simplifies family engagement. This is done by providing an extensive collection of Family Guides (one for each text) in both English and Spanish. These guides are filled with questions and prompts targeted at starting and sustaining meaningful conversations about the book in the home environment. For example, in the Family Guide accompanying the astronomy-themed book The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal , there are activities that encourage the child and their family to look at the sky and draw the moon together each night, map out the world’s time zones, practice shadow drawing, and calculate their ages on different planets. These guides are specifically designed for families to deepen comprehension, build personal connections to the text, and enrich communication, all while encouraging quality family interaction.
Figure 3. Examples of the Family Guides for a second-grade student in both English and Spanish
Family Reading Fun Enjoy The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal together, then build your observation, math, and fact- finding skills with the story-inspired activities below. Phases of the Moon Before bed, try to spot the moon in the sky. Sketch a picture. Can you and your family capture all eight phases of the moon? *Check out page 11 to see the phases. What Time Is It? Fact-find with your family. When you’re waking up in the morning, which countries around the world are going to bed? When it’s lunchtime, which countries around the world are having breakfast? *Curious about why? Check page 15! Shadow Drawing Wait for a sunny day. Use paper, pencil, and a small object (think: action figure, coffee mug). Near a window, set the object on the paper and trace around the shadow it casts. Leave your object in place and return in an hour. Trace the shadow’s outline again. How has the shadow changed? *Why do shadows change? Check page 32 (sundials). How Old Are You in Space? Work together to calculate or estimate how old you’d be if you lived on Mars and Mercury. To calculate: A year on Mercury is 88 days, and a year on Mars is 687 days. To estimate: You’re roughly four times older on Mercury and half as old on Mars. *Why? Check out page 8.
Lectura en familia Disfruten juntos The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal y luego desarrollen destrezas de observación, matemáticas y de búsqueda de datos con las actividades que presentamos a continuación inspiradas en la historia. Las fases de la luna Antes de acostarse, intenten ver la luna en el cielo. Hagan un dibujo. ¿Pueden identificar las ocho fases de la Luna? *Consulten la página 11 para ver las fases. ¿Qué hora es? Hagan una investigación en familia. Cuando se despiertan por la mañana, ¿en qué países del mundo se están acostando a dormir las personas? A la hora del almuerzo, ¿en qué países del mundo están desayunando? *¿Les intriga la causa? Consulten la página 15. Dibujo de sombras Esperen a que llegue un día soleado. Usen papel, lápiz y un objeto pequeño (por ejemplo, un muñeco pequeño, una taza de café). Cerca de una ventana, coloquen el objeto sobre el papel y tracen la sombra que proyecta. Dejen el objeto en el lugar y regresen en una hora. Tracen el contorno de la sombra nuevamente. ¿De qué manera ha cambiado la sombra? *¿Les intriga saber por qué cambian las sombras? Consulten la página 32 (sundials) (relojes solares). ¿Qué edad tienen en el espacio? Calculen juntos las edades que tendrían si vivieran en Marte y Mercurio. Tengan en cuenta que un año en Mercurio tiene 88 días y en Marte, 687 días. Son cuatro veces más viejos/as en Mercurio y la mitad de viejos/as en Marte. *¿Por qué? Consulten la página 8.
®
®
FAMILY GUIDE
GUÍA PARA LA FAMILIA
The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal escrito e ilustrado por Nick Seluk
The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal Written and Illustrated by Nick Seluk
Acerca del libro Su niño/a leyó The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal hoy en la escuela, un libro lleno de humor y datos sencillos. Contamos con el Sol para muchas cosas buenas, como la luz y el calor, el crecimiento de las plantas y el ciclo del agua. Lean para aprender más sobre el papel que desempeña el Sol en nuestro sistema solar y por qué es importante.
About This Book In school today, your child read The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal , a book filled with humor and straightforward facts. We count on the Sun for all sorts of good stuff, like light and warmth, helping plants grow, and keeping the water cycle flowing, too. Read along to find out more about the role the Sun plays in our solar system—and why it’s kind of a big deal!
Item #LI22PR01-0467
Item #LI22PR01-0467
FAMILY GUIDE
GUÍA PARA LA FAMILIA
9
SCHOLASTIC R.E.A.L. FOUNDATION PAPER
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs