The Hike Belonging in Books™ Reading Comprehension Week-Long Unit
Belonging in Books | PreK–2nd Reading Comprehension Curriculum for Close Read and Read-Alouds If you’re looking for a low-prep, high-impact way to bring purposeful comprehension instruction into your PreK–2 classroom or homeschool, this resource is for you! Part of the Belonging in Books curriculum, this unit supports deep thinking, joyful reading, and inclusive discussion using a powerful anchor text: The Hike by Alison Farrell This week, students will read and explore The Hike by Alison Farrell as they learn about exploration, observation, and the many ways people experience nature. Through discussion, vocabulary, and story analysis, students will focus on analyzing character traits while making meaningful text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections. Learners will discover that spending time outdoors encourages curiosity, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the natural world. Students will also read Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer as a connected text, exploring how nature can inspire imagination and help us see beauty from many different perspectives. Each Belonging in Books unit is built around a high-quality read-aloud and carefully designed to: ✔️ Teach comprehension through rich, age-appropriate conversations ✔️ Build vocabulary and language skills in context ✔️ Explore story elements and text structures ✔️ Practice key comprehension strategies ✔️ Support synthesis using a paired companion text ✔️ Center student voices and diverse perspectives What’s Included: 5-day lesson arc (20–30 minutes/day): Day 1: Connect & First Read Day 2: Vocabulary Exploration Day 3: Story Elements or Text Structure Day 4: Comprehension Skill Day 5: Paired Text & Synthesis Discussion +Semi-Scripted daily lesson plans +Thoughtful discussion questions +Printable graphic organizers +Visual Vocabulary and child-friendly definitions +No Prep student practice sheets +Anchor chart templates +CCSS Alignment +Student “I Can” statements +Lesson plans for a culminating project or hands-on response +Companion text suggestion and extension ideas Each book in Belonging in Books can be a stand alone week of learning, or you can dive into an entire thematic unit of quality mentor texts that connect through themes, character experiences, comprehension strategies, and text structures. Check out the rest of the Belonging in Books Curriculum! This unit is part of the Unit 15 Bundle.