Read and Write Sports

Suen uses children's interest in athletics to help generate ideas for writing. Popular sports like basketball, football, and baseball are highlighted as well as skating, track, and gymnastics. The book includes sports-themed word searches, crossword puzzles, and graphic organizers, or "writing maps," as Suen calls them. The latter generate material for poetry, nonfiction writing, and fictional snapshots about specific sport. A simple readers theatre piece depicts an exciting moment in a game and includes suggested reading levels for each part. The activities outlined in the book are helpful for writers who need structured support to help guide them, and the lesson plans are clearly laid out. The majority of the book consists of the graphic organizers with only a small portion devoted to explaining how to implement the activities.—Kari Allen, National Writing Project, Plymouth State University, NH