Ambitious Girl by Meena Harris; Illustrated by Marissa Valdez
Strategy Notes
Set purpose for reading Our country is celebrating many game-changing moments
Use prior knowledge to predict and connect with text this year: We have our first African American, first Asian
Check for understanding; monitor and self-correct American, and first woman to ever be the vice president
Back up and reread right now, with Kamala Harris. We have the very first
Make and adjust mental images; use text to confirm Black senator in the state of Georgia, with Senator Raphael
Ask questions throughout the reading process Warnock. Dr. Swati Mohan is an Indian American woman
who led the NASA mission to get the Perseverance rover
Make and adjust predictions; use text to confirm
on Mars. Many of these game changers experienced being
Infer and support with evidence
told they were too assertive, too ambitious, “too this,” and
Comprehension
Recognize literary elements “too that,” but they didn’t let that stop them from achieving
Retell; include sequence of main events their goals and more. This book explores what happens
Summarize text; include important details when the seeds of hopes and dreams have been planted.
Use main ideas and supporting details to determine
importance
Use text features to learn important information
Analyze how visual elements integrate & contribute
to the meaning of text
Determine and analyze author’s purpose and support
with text
Recognize and explain cause and effect relationships
Compare and contrast within and between texts
Read voraciously
Look carefully at letters and words
Use beginning and ending sounds The illustrations in this text show the main character seeing
Blend sounds; stretch and reread someone being told they’re “too that” or “too this” and
Chunk letters and sounds together using it as motivation to achieve their goal anyway. She
Flip the sound sees women as astronauts, scientists, teachers, and
Accuracy
Recognize high-frequency words on sight professional athletes. They use imagery to show her
Use picture clues running ahead and facing roadblocks along the way,
Cross-check: Do the words… look right, sound followed by the strength of her mother’s words lifting her
right, make sense?
up and reminding her that she is valued and loved, and has
Use prior knowledge and context
purpose, hope, and power.
Skip the word, then come back
Read voraciously
Read texts that are a good fit
Use punctuation to enhance phrasing and prosody Look closely at the punctuation to signal intonation, vocal
Fluency
Adjust and apply different reading rates to match stress, pitch, loudness, tempo, and rhythm. Repeated
text reading can strengthen the voice within this text.
Reread text
Read voraciously
Tune in to interesting words ambitious, assertive, persistent, confident, proud, resist,
Use prior knowledge and context clues valued, purpose, “make space for more,” disrupt,
Expand Vocabulary
Use pictures, illustrations, and diagrams flowering, empowering, “make some noise,” “ready to use
Use word parts my voice,” reframe, redefine, reclaim
Apply understanding of figurative language
Use reference tools such as dictionary, thesauruses,
and glossaries
Ask someone to define the word for you
Read voraciously
Written by Shandreka B. Rankin ©www.TheDailyCAFE.com
