lesson 3 teacher’s guide new kid on the court of words: 776 lesson 3 teacher’s guide new kid on...

Number of Words: 776

L E S S O N 3 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

New Kid on the Courtby Gail Blasser Riley

Fountas-Pinnell Level NRealistic FictionSelection SummaryChim is upset by his family’s move from California to rural New York. In his old school, he was volleyball champion, but in his new school, he feels unwelcome until kids ask for his help playing volleyball. As Chim shows them how to hit the volleyball, he feels welcome. He belongs.

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Realistic fi ction

Text Structure • Third-person narrative, told in chronological order• Continuous narrative without chapter or section breaks

Content • Moving to an unfamiliar environment• Adjusting to a new school• Making friends

Themes and Ideas • Making new friends makes you feel welcome.• You can make a friend by helping someone.• You may feel unwelcome at fi rst in a new environment.

Language and Literary Features

• Informal, realistic dialogue• Some idiomatic expressions, such as Wait up, Come on

Sentence Complexity • Simple, compound, and complex sentences• Questions and exclamations in dialogue passages• Short declarative sentences for emphasis

Vocabulary • Familiar words, such as team, friends, school• Some slang and informal usages, such as kid, nah, hey

Words • Some multisyllable words, such as negative, California, encouragementIllustrations • Drawings with captions aid visualization.

Book and Print Features • Twelve pages of text, most with illustrations• Italics to show characters’ thoughts

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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Target Vocabulary

encouragement – support that makes someone feel hopeful, p. 10

glances – looks at something for a short time

honor – a sign of respect included – to be part of a group,

p. 5

negative – something that is unpleasant or bad, p. 3

observes – makes a remark about something, p. 10

prepared – to put something together

sensitive – understands the feelings of others

unspoiled – seems to be untouched

welcomed – when one person has greeted another person in a friendly way, p. 3

New Kid on the Court by Gail Blasser Riley

Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge about being new somewhere to visualize the text. Build interest by asking questions such as the following: Have you ever been the new kid in your class? If so, how did you feel about it? What did you do that helped you feel at home? What can you do to help new kids at school feel welcome? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Tell students that this is realistic fi ction, and ask them what kinds of features they can expect to fi nd in this type of story.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary. Here are some suggestions:

Pages 2–5: Explain that Chim has just moved from a city in California to the country in New York State. Suggested language: Look at the pictures on pages 2 and 4 and read the captions. How do the pictures show that Chim is negative about moving? Judging from the picture on page 4, how do you think Hanna is feeling? Is she feeling negative, too? Notice that Chim and Hanna are not included in the groups of kids playing. If you want to be included in a group at school, what can you do?

Page 7: Point out the paragraphs of conversation, indicated by quotation marks. Remind students to pay attention to who is speaking. A new paragraph usually shows that the speaker has changed.

Page 10: Tell students that Mr. Gonzales is Chim’s teacher. Ask them to think as they read about how a teacher can give encouragement.

Now turn back to the beginning and read about how Chim and Hanna start to feel like they fi t in.

2 Lesson 3: New Kid on the CourtGrade 4© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text and fl uency as needed.

Remind students to use the Visualize Strategy and to use the text and illustrations to picture the story as they read.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the story.Suggested language: Do you think Chim was right to feel angry at the beginning of the story? Why or why not? At the end of the story, what do you think caused the change in Chim’s feelings about his new school?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Chim moved from urban California to rural New York State.

• Hanna felt excluded when her friend Yolanda moved away.

• Using his skill in volleyball helped Chim make new friends.

• Helping others is a good way to make friends.

• Having a positive attitude helps you adjust to a change.

• You may have to take the fi rst move to make new friends.

• Illustrations help readers picture characters and events.

• Language and dialogue are realistic.

• The story focuses on a real-life problem.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to participate in choral reading. Remind them to pay attention

to punctuation and to read sentences in quotation marks as if the story characters were actually speaking.

• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.

• Phonics/Word Work Remind students that short words are often combined to form a compound word. The meanings of the short words often help in understanding the meaning of the compound. Examples from the text include: sunlight (page 2), kickball (page 3), volleyball (page 5), outside (page 6), sidewalk (page 6), and playground (page 9).


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Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 3.7.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillCause and Effect

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that an event can cause something else

to happen. What happens as a result is an effect. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

Moving from California to New York State has many effects on Chim’s life. The move is a cause. What are its effects? Chim is upset. He feels unwelcome. He misses volleyball and his old school. But there are pleasant effects, too. Chim makes new friends, and he fi nds things to like in his new school. Adding these details to the chart will help show the difference between cause and effect.

Practice the SkillEncourage students to share examples of other stories that show cause and effect of a character adjusting to a new circumstance.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Assessment Prompts• The author says, “A smile the size of California,” to help the reader

________________________________________________________________.

• Page 12 is mainly about

________________________________________________________________.

• What will most likely happen to Chim in his new school?


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Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text Why is Chim unsure at fi rst about

playing volleyball at his new school?

2. Think within the text What is Hanna’s big worry when she

meets Chim by the school bus?

3. Think beyond the text What effect do you think his family’s

move to New York will have on Chim in the long run? What

details in the text support your answer?

4. Think about the text How does the author describe Hanna’s

smile when Chim fi nds her ring? Why do you think the author

chooses those words?

Making Connections Life is peaceful in the country, but Chim misses the city. Describe how living in the country is different than living in the city.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

9Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Lesson 3B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 3 . 7

Grade 4, Unit 1: Reaching Out

Name Date

New Kid on the CourtCritical Thinking

Chim has never used this kind of court and he does not know anyone on the team.

Hanna has lost the new ring her father gave her.

It is likely that Chim will adapt to his new environment. Chim makes a new friend

right away, and he goes to volleyball practice with her. He likes being asked to

play, so he will probably join the team.

The author says that Hanna’s smile is “the size of California” to show that the

smile is big. The author also probably wants to show the reader what Chim thinks

about Hanna’s smile.

Possible responses shown.

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English Language DevelopmentReading Support Pair advanced and intermediate readers to read the story softly, or have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Remind them that this story is about the diffi culties of settling in at a new place.

Vocabulary Remind students that some words have more than one meaning. Assist them in using context clues to fi gure out the meaning the following words have in the story: country (page 2), ring (page 7).

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: What did Chim miss playing?

Speaker 2: volleyball

Speaker 1: What did Chim fi nd for Hanna?

Speaker 2: her ring

Speaker 1: How did Chim help the kids at the park?

Speaker 2: by teaching them to play volleyball

Speaker 1: Why was Chim upset about living in the country?

Speaker 2: He was used to living in the city.

Speaker 1: Why did Coach Chang hope Chim would play volleyball?

Speaker 2: Chim had been captain of the volleyball team in his old school.

Speaker 1: What caused Chim to have negative feelings on the fi rst day he went to his new school?

Speaker 2: No one welcomed Chim when he got on the bus, and he was one of the last chosen to play on a kickball team.

Speaker 1: What two things that Chim did for others helped change his feelings about the move?

Speaker 2: Finding Hanna’s ring and helping other kids play volleyball made Chim feel good.



Name Date

New Kid on the CourtThinking Beyond the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two paragraphs.

Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Why was feeling needed essential to making Chim relax and feel like he was settling in? Do you think that feeling needed is essential to most people? Why? Use your experience and examples from the text to support your answer.



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text Why is Chim unsure at fi rst about

playing volleyball at his new school?

2. Think within the text What is Hanna’s big worry when she

meets Chim by the school bus?

3. Think beyond the text What effect do you think his family’s

move to New York will have on Chim in the long run? What

details in the text support your answer?

4. Think about the text How does the author describe Hanna’s

smile when Chim fi nds her ring? Why do you think the author

chooses those words?

Making Connections Life is peaceful in the country, but Chim misses the city. Describe how living in the country is different than living in the city.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Lesson 3B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 3 . 7

Name Date

New Kid on the CourtCritical Thinking



1413

918

Student Date

New Kid on the CourtRunning Record Form

Lesson 3B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 3 . 1 1

New Kid on the Court • LEVEL N

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

ˆcat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

12

13

After school, Chim kept thinking about the volleyball team

while he did his chores. He missed volleyball a lot. Playing it

might remind him of being back in California, even though he

could not use the same kind of court. He also didn’t know

anyone on the team. That made him nervous, too.

After school the next day, Chim and Hanna walked outside.

“Come on,” she said. “My dad’s taking me to the park for

volleyball practice. Won’t you come?”

Chim finally agreed. At the park, a net was stretched across the

grass. Kids were already starting to practice.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read

correctly/99 × 100)

%

Total Self- Corrections



lesson 3 teacher’s guide new kid on the court of words: 776 lesson 3 teacher’s guide new kid on...

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