What’s so powerful about integrating picture books into your lesson plans? Of course, it helps expand reading abilities and increase vocabulary but, beyond that, it unlocks students’ imaginations to enhance literacy skills. We can use this interest and draw them further into the story with reading response graphic organizers.
Reading response graphic organizers work wonders because they are concise and easy for students to use to put what they’ve learned into practice. Ease of use coupled with interest creates a smooth path toward deepening reading comprehension — thanks to fully engaged kids.
It can feel tedious figuring out how to apply reading activities with graphic organizers. Particularly, when you’re trying to capture a specific skill after reading a book. Thankfully, I’ve got an easy step-by-step process that makes integrating independent reading response activities second nature.
To take you into the step-by-step process, let’s explore how we can use basketball read-alouds for kids and pick the right reading response ideas.
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You can start by selecting a picture book that resonates with your students. For the sake of staying on theme, we are going to focus on the best basketball picture books!
Whether it’s a story about teamwork, perseverance, or overcoming challenges on the court, choose a book that will inspire and engage your readers. I’ll use basketball-themed books in this post, but this process can be used with any read-aloud.
Here’s the list of some of my favorite basketball-themed picture books that will be discussed:
You can find the full book list linked on Amazon here.
Before reading the book with students, peruse the book. Pay close attention to the reading comprehension skills that stand out or that you need to focus on. Use sticky notes to jot down key concepts.
Think about key concepts that lend themselves to deeper analysis and discussion such as:
This is of course not a comprehensive list, but a start. These sticky notes will help you narrow your focus and choose the right reading response graphic organizer.
Now it’s time to choose a reading response graphic organizer. I like to keep a notebook of reading response printables on hand so that I can pull them out at any time. Find the printable that best aligns with the identified reading comprehension skill.
Whether it’s a character analysis, story map, cause and effect chart, or writing a summary, choose a tool that will scaffold students’ understanding of the text while also enhancing their critical thinking skills.
Before diving into the read-aloud with students, take a moment to explain to students what the comprehension focus will be for the text. Give them the target comprehension skills.
Now it’s time to read!
Engage students while reading in a collaborative discussion about the book. Encourage students to share their thoughts and model how to think deeper as they are reading.
If you are using an anchor chart, this is the perfect time to incorporate it. Or if you’re using a document camera and projector, you can use sticky notes directly on the book — as shown in the image above.
Now that we’ve modeled critical thinking, discussed the book, and engaged with the comprehension skill, students can respond to the text. We’ve done the groundwork, now students have the chance to show their understanding of both the text and the comprehension strategy. Let’s use the book Salt in His Shoes as an example, a story about Michael Jordan’s childhood.
We can focus on identifying the character traits of Michael Jordan while we are reading. Some topics of discussion can be how he was persistent and patient, or his determination and grit.
Then, students will identify 6 character traits on their own using a character trait graphic organizer. But, they aren’t just guessing. They are using the tools that we provided during the read-aloud to respond to the text.
Here’s a look at additional basketball-themed picture books and how I would apply reading response graphic organizers based on the identified skills from the story. If you’re interested in additional basketball-themed activities, check out this basketball graphing activity!
Hoop Genius tells the story of how James Naismith came to create one of the world’s most beloved sports. It shares his highs and his lows. Pair this story with sequencing skills. After the read-aloud, students piece together the events in the order they occurred. They highlight the important events that led up to the creation of basketball.
In Allie’s Basketball Dream, you will meet a determined young girl who has a passion for basketball. You’ll see how she went from dreaming about playing to hitting the court. With this fictional text, students can summarize the events from the story. Allie wanted to play basketball, but things did not come easily for her. She kept persevering until she finally found some success on the court!
Have you ever heard the background story of the Harlem Globetrotters? Swish is a fresh take on basketball stories! Behind all of the ball handling, jumping tricks, and slam dunks, there is an inspiring story about how one team changed the trajectory of basketball for ALL players.
Pair this story with the skill of identifying the main idea and details. Students will see that their journey to playing professional basketball paved the way for generations to come!
In this inspiring Narrative Nonfiction book Basketball Belles, we follow the journey of Agnes Morley. She was a trailblazing athlete who challenged gender norms to pursue her passion for basketball. As students dive into her story, they will explore the text’s main purpose – to celebrate resilience, determination, and the pioneering spirit of female athletes. By understanding the author’s purpose behind the text, we will deepen our appreciation for the story and its significance!
With any of the books that I have mentioned in this post, you can focus on identifying the lesson that students learned after reading. They will consistently see a theme of perseverance and determination. Michael Jordan’s story is a perfect example of that. Dream Big showcases Michael’s dreams of becoming a professional athlete. You experience his perseverance as he never gave up on those dreams.
Hey, y’all! My name is Amy Lemons and I am passionate about providing students with both engaging and effective standards-based Math and ELA lessons.
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