Round is a Tortilla
Shape by shape, this book reinforces the shapes found in every child’s day: rectangles are ice-cream carts and triangles are slices of watermelon. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, and all are universal in appeal.
English
A Guide to Reading Aloud to Your Child
- Find a comfortable space to read together.
- Slow down and enjoy the illustrations.
- Ask and answer questions together.
- Make reading part of your routine - bedtime is a great time for reading.
- Use these prompts to encourage deeper thinking with your children: "Tell me more, why do you think that?" "How do you know that?" "Interesting, did you notice anything else?"
Phonemic Awareness
When introducing the book, share the title and notice these phonemic elements:
When introducing the book, share the title and notice these phonemic elements:
The first letter in the word Round is Rr. This letter makes the sound /r/ like rug, red, and rabbit. Let’s say that sound together: /r/, /r/, /r/. Point to the R in the title. Read the title together, emphasizing the sound /r/.
Ask the children to say the word after you. Show them the cover of the book and have them read the word out loud with you as you point under each word.
Vocabulary
round : shaped like a ball or circle
trumpets : a brass wind instrument
chime : to make the sound of a bell
grind : to crush into a fine powder
crunchy : making a crunching sound when chewed
sail : to move over the water
chilled : to become colder
pebble : small rocks or stones
lining : a layer of material covering something
Questions to Discuss
What food do you find in the story? Which food would you like to eat?
In the book, we see an illustration of the grandma making stew for her grandchildren. Who cooks for your family? What do they make that you like?
How many cars or buses do you see in the illustration of the park?
Look at the illustration of paletas. What do you think a paleta is? What flavor are the kids eating? What do you see that makes you say that?
The family is pictured eating chips and guacamole. What do you think they are talking about as they're gathered around the table? How are they feeling?
Look at the last illustration. Count the following items: hats, animals, instruments, stars.
Let's Play
This activity will help your child make connections to the text, which helps children improve comprehension.
Practice the shapes that you learned about in this by playing I Spy with your family! For example, you might say: “I spy, with my little eye, a rectangle.” The child looks around the room for a rectangle and might guess it is a refrigerator, a drawer, or a table. Play the game with each shape taught in the book: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval.
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ID: round-is-a-tortilla
