Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What is foster care? Why might someone be placed in foster care? How has foster care changed over the last several decades?

Teaching Suggestion: With sensitivity to students who are or have been in foster care, consider discussing what foster care is. The author of A Chance in the World was placed into foster care when he was 3 years old. Though there have been some changes to the foster care system, students will explore possible changes that still need to be made as Steve addresses the abuse he experienced at the hands of his foster parents in the 1960s foster care system.

• This article describes what foster care is and why someone might end up in foster care.
• This article provides an overview of the changes that have been made to the foster care system over the years.

2. Why is reading so important? Why is reading important even for adults? How can you find ways to include reading in a busy lifestyle?