I love using read alouds to teach students about important social awareness issues. Whether your goal is to help students understand the challenges someone else faces or to help them realize they are not alone, books are a great way to deal with challenging topics. Today we are spotlighting the book A Bike Like Sergio’s because it is a great resource for discussing these important concepts. - Jodi and the Starts With a Story Team
SUMMARY
A Bike Like Sergio’s is told from the point of view of Ruben, a boy who really wants a bike. Everyone else has a bike, but Ruben’s family can’t afford one. One day in the grocery store, Ruben sees a woman drop money. He picks it up and puts it in his pocket, thinking that it is just one dollar. However, when he gets home he discovers that it is really $100! He decides to keep the money a secret and buy a bike. When Ruben gets home from school the next day, he thinks that he has lost the money! He becomes very upset and searches everywhere. He is relieved when he finds it. The next day, his mom asks him to pick up juice at the grocery store. Juice is one of the few things his family can afford. When he is at the store, he sees the woman who dropped the money. Ruben remembers how he felt when he thought he lost the money, and chases after her to return it. The woman is very thankful because she too is struggling with money. Ruben is proud of himself for doing the right thing.
USE THIS BOOK TO TEACH:
While A Bike Like Sergio’s is a great social emotional learning book, it lends itself to many academic concepts as well. I love pairing a SEL book with teaching reading strategies and writing. Here are some ways I would use this story:
- Practice identifying the message of the story. Encourage students to think about what message the book is teaching.
- Make inferences throughout the story. This is a skill that requires a lot of practice and this story lends itself to making inferences.
- Narrative writing pairs well with this book because students can make connections to the story and feelings or problems.
- Creative writing is always fun for students. Encourage them to get creative by adding to the book or making their own similar story.
- Teach new contractions and compound words.
- Review and practice using action verbs.
- Discuss the importance of showing compassion and making good choices.
NO-PREP PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES:
If you are looking for “ready to go” activities for the first day of school, be sure to check out the book companion. With it you’ll receive all of the following resources to align with this specific book:
- comprehension questions
- 30 writing prompts with themed paper
- vocabulary activities
- word study print & go activities
- ideas for grammar lessons with focus sentence printables
- social emotional learning discussion topics
- graphic organizers to target specific comprehension skills and strategies
Are you looking for activities, lessons, or worksheets to go with A Bike Like Sergio’s? If so, you will want to download our Starts With a Story Book Companion! It is incredibly comprehensive and includes everything you need to teach a read aloud: comprehension questions, writing prompts, grammar lessons, and social emotional learning discussions. We also provide you with a wide range of printable worksheets for your students to use.
GET THE PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES
ADDITIONAL BOOK SUGGESTIONS
You and your students will also love these similar books:
- Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
- Tight Times by Barbara Shook Hanzen
- Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt
- Last Stop On Market Street by Matt de la Pena
TRY OUT A SAMPLE COMPANION
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