Soccer and Passion for Sports With Lesson That Size Does Not Matter in This Fun Read Aloud for Young Readers

Soccer is a growing passion and even three-year-old-children are learning the game. Young readers will be engaged with this fun picture book and easy reader as they learn how Mo really works on his kicking skills to be a winner with his soccer team. David A. Adler's Kick It, Mo! teaches that perseverance is the key to being a winner at anything.

Mo is working hard to make his kicking perfect in order to make his team a winner. Mo is small, but he refuses to let his size get in the way of improving his kicking skills to become a winner for his team. he can only run around on the field in the beginning. Mo wonders if he will ever get to actually make a successful kick to help his soccer team. His parents continue to encourage him and Mom and Dad help him practice his kicking skills. Mo listens to his coach with his advice to keep the ball on the ground and aim for the goal. Mo gets tired during the game but he knows that he must help the team win. The winning goal is finally scored by Mo when something magical happens and Mo's special kick tricks the opposing team goalie and Mo scores a win for his team.

Sam Ricks contributes his talent as an illustrator with colorful illustrations of the soccer game. Kick It, Mo! Was published by Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. It is recommended for ages 6-8 and has an ISBN of 9780425289815.

David A. Adler's Kick It, Mo! is a great choice to bring into an early elementary classroom for young readers who are learning to read. Soccer is a popular sport now and young readers will easily want to pick up this book to practice their reading skills. The large print and easy-to-read simple sentences make this a great first reading book for ages 6-8. This book is in the category of a Level 2 in the Early Reader series. The editorial editor of the Penguin Young Readers includes a beginning page of great ideas for teachers to use in preparing lesson plans for using this fun read for young readers.

*Read Kick It, Mo! in a group story time reading session. Call attention to Mo's love of soccer. Take a class poll of students who love the game of soccer. Does your school have a soccer team for young players?

*Call attention to the repetition of some of the words. Which words are repeated throughout the story? How does this make for easy reading?

*What skill does Mo have to work on to help his team win?

*Brainstorm with students ideas about how Mo can practice his kicking skills. What advice does Mo's coach give to him about kicking the soccer ball?

*Use the words that are repeated throughout the story as new vocabulary words for young readers. Prepare lessons for using these words.

*Brainstorm with students about their own experience with playing soccer. What skills do they have to practice?

*Organize a soccer team for the class.

*How can beginning readers use the illustrations to decipher the text in the story?

*Prepare a lesson with drawing paper, crayons, markers, and collage materials to give students an opportunity to draw their own experiences with playing soccer. Students can share their pictures and tell their own stories about playing soccer.

*Bring in other books about soccer and books about famous professional players to use as enhanced reading experiences for Adler's Kick It, Mo!. Take a class poll of favorite professional soccer players.

*Brainstorm with students other skills that they need to work on at school in order to master the skill.