Program Components

Shared Reading

See Shared Reading for details about Un enfoque de lectura compartida, the shared reading component of Despegando hacia la lectura™.

Paired Books

Connected texts to reinforce learning

  • 304 Student Books (152 pairs of books) organized into 9 Developmental Reading Stages.
  • Paired books address the same concepts, vocabulary, and high-frequency words in different text types and sentence structures.
  • High-frequency words are gradually and systematically introduced and reused.
  • There is a high rate of repetition of high-frequency words and a low ratio of unfamiliar words.
  • There is a balance of illustrated narrative and photographic informational books.
  • There is a wide range of text types: narratives, recounts, procedures, explanations, and reports.

Vocabulary Starters

Provide direct reading support

  • Unique to the Early Emergent Stage, there is one Vocabulary Starter for each pair of books (18 in total).
  • Each Vocabulary Starter introduces the written form of key vocabulary through unambiguous, labeled photographs.
  • Vocabulary Starters can be read as a book, or displayed as a word bank to support beginning readers and writers.
  • On the back of the photographs are suggestions for building oral, reading, and writing vocabulary, as well as reading and writing activities for each book.

Desp-vocab_starters

Full color, sturdy laminated cards with seven folding panels

Activities for developing oral, reading, and writing vocabulary on reverse side of cards

Lesson Plans

Easy-to-use Lesson Plans for practical and systematic instruction

  • 152 Lesson Plans: one for each pair of books.
  • There are Before, During, and After Reading Activities for each book, plus a synthesizing activity focusing on the key concept of both books.
  • Each Lesson Plan can be split into four 30-minute instructional sessions and one review session.
  • Each Lesson Plan integrates oral language, comprehension, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency, and writing.
  • Each Lesson Plan includes ongoing assessment and follow-up activities.

Desp_lesson_plans

Full color, sturdy laminated cards with six folding panels (3 panels per side)

Take-Home Books

Economical one-color versions of 152 of the Student Books (one title from each pair of books) provide

  • Additional reading and writing activities for home.
  • A great opportunity for parental involvement.
  • Opportunities for repetitive reading to build fluency.

Sample activities in Take-Home Books