Summer Times reading - Newspapers In Education

Read all aboutThe ComebackChallenge,by Matt ChristopherMark Conway has a lot to deal with in hislife. His parents are getting divorced, andMark must move in with his grandparents.His only outlet seems to be the game ofsoccer. He quickly becomes a valuableplayer on his school soccer team, but thereis a lot of tension on and off the field. Readabout Mark’s challenges and achievements.The academicsof baseballSo, what do baseball and reading have in common?Sharpening your reading skills is a lot like sharpeningskills for baseball. When baseball season has ended, theplayers do not become couch potatoes. They must exercisetheir bodies to stay in shape, just as you need to exercise yourbrain even though you are not in school.A pitcher would never enter a game without warmingup his or her arm, so why would you enter anew school year without warming up yourbrain? Baseball, the thinking person’sgame, is a sport in which having a lot ofknowledge and sharp, critical thinkingskills leads to success. The best way tosharpen those skills and increase yourknowledge base is through reading.Being a team playerLearningwith the TimesBen Zobrist knows the meaning of determinationand teamwork. Look on the pages of the Tampa BayTimes for photos, illustrations, comics and headlinesthat represent teamwork and determination.Based on the items you find, write down how theseitems represent teamwork and determination. Next,write a fully developed paragraph discussing theimportance of teamwork at home, at school andin your community. Share your thoughts with yourfamily and classmates.Parent TipSet aside a special time each day to readaloud to your children. Fifteen minutes a dayis an ideal time. Vary your reading selections.For very young children, look for picture bookswith artwork and stories that are simple, clearand colorful.Source: Reading Is FundamentalGrades 3-5Summer Reading SuggestionsThe Bears on Hemlock Mountain, by Alice DalglieshBillions of Bats, by Scott NickelGuardians of Ga’Hoole series, by Kathryn LaskyHoot, by Carl HiaasenReal-Life Vampires, by Megan KoppThe Book That Ate My Brother, by Michael DahlGhost Hunters, by Michael MartinGhost Knight, by Cornelia FunkeHalf-Minute Horrors, by Susan RichLost in Spooky Forest, by Sean O’Reilly6 tampabay.com/nie