Islandborn 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:

Islandborn by Junot Díaz

This week, students will read and explore Islandborn by Junot Díaz as they follow Lola’s journey to learn about the place she was born and discover how memories, stories, and imagination help shape her identity. Through discussion, vocabulary, and story analysis, students will focus on asking questions and visualizing the setting to better understand the story. Learners will explore themes of identity, heritage, and belonging while recognizing how learning about our past helps us understand ourselves. Students will also read My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero as a connected text, comparing how both characters explore their communities and develop a deeper sense of pride and belonging.

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 4 Bundle.