Primary and Secondary Literacy
Each session, students will read from the bestselling soccer novel Born to Play by Dan (D.C.) Freedman. This novel series follows the life of Jamie Johnson and every step of his journey from fifth grade soccer all the way to the World Cup and beyond.
A curriculum was designed and adapted to correspond with each chapter of Born to Play; each lesson template including appropriate state standards, materials, and differentiation of instruction. We include extension materials to additionally challenge or support learners from all backgrounds.
Each day, students will complete an “Evidence of Learning” deliverable and present it to their team. This will include character analysis charts, chronological organization of text, writing prompts to build fluency and understanding of text, referencing text to support claims, and more.
"One of the most valuable aspects of this program has been facilitating reading and literacy instruction through discussion-based pedagogy based on what we are reading. Our conversations have been rooted in various life lessons and experiences that a lot of kids can relate to, regardless of their individual background knowledge or prior experience. Kids are engaged with the reading and therefore have a vested interest in discussions. We talk about how to handle adversity, how to engage in problem-solving activities using critical thinking and reflection, using textual evidence to support claims, and contextualizing new vocabulary and learning concepts to bolster reading comprehension. So far, it has been a wonderful experience and I look forward to continuing this work in the coming weeks," says Groom-Thomas.
Our Curriculum
The Jamie Johnson Series follows a young boy who lives and breathes soccer. He's got amazing talent and the desire to make it to the top. He's not perfect, but then none of us are. In each new book of the series, we follow Jamie on every step of his journey as he aims to fulfill his dream of becoming one of he biggest soccer stars in the world.