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Teaching with Intentionality

Ideas and Resources for Purposeful Teaching

Fables, Reading Comprehension & Strategies, Themes in Literature

Using Fables to Teach Reading Standards

April 14, 2018

My students love fables, and I love using them in my classroom.  Fables are great for introducing reading standards, as well as helping my students see how these standards work together to help them better understand literary texts.  As I have pointed out in my last post, 4 Tips for Helping Students Grasp Theme & Message, fables are a great place to start teaching students how to retell stories, analyze characters, determine the central messages of the stories, and understand key trait vocabulary.  When teaching this genre, students also get a greater sense of how these learning targets are interdependent.

First of all, fables are a short text. They do not have a lot of details to sift through when determining what’s important. This makes it easier for students to retell or summarize the text in just a few sentences. They can use any type of organizer to do this.  I like to use a Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then chart or a Story Elements graphic organizer.  Students can also do a recount of the fable by writing a summary in their Reader’s Notebook.

Download this fable story elements chart when you sign up for my free resource library.                    Download this fable SWBST organizer when you sign up for my free resource library.

Sign up for my free resource library to download these graphic organizers and much more. Click the “Home” page to register. 


Since fables usually have only one or two characters, they are great for introducing character analysis.  Fable characters aren’t complex, so it’s much easier for students to analyze them.  When introducing this genre, I try to use fables that have two characters with opposing traits.  This makes it much easier for students to identify traits that best describe the characters.  It also helps students see how these opposing traits become important to the central message, or moral.  Bridging an understanding of how these two standards (CCRA.R2 & CCRA.R3) work together is so important to students’ comprehension of literary texts.

Here are 5 reasons why fables make teaching key reading standards much easier for students to understand. I begin a close read by having students take a look at what a character says, does, or thinks to determine the most important traits of each character.  Since the text is short, it’s easier for students to point out these things. While students can sometimes make a list of traits for each character and even provide valid evidence to support each, it is important to have them focus on one or two traits that are MOST important to the plot.

As teachers, we feel the need to validate our students’ thinking.  However, we need to teach them how to discern between those traits that really influence the plot and those that do not.  It is then that students can see how traits influence the characters’ choices and actions, which in turn, influence the outcome for the characters at the end.  This is where students can begin to determine the message or moral of the story.

Here are 5 reasons why fables make teaching key reading standards much easier for students to understand. For example, when reading The Ant and the Grasshopper, students can say Ant was cautious, hardworking, determined, wise, responsible, etc.  All are great traits for describing Ant.  However, wise is an important trait to the events that unfold because Ant knew winter was coming and used good judgment to put up food.  Hardworking is another important trait because this resulted in Ant being prepared for the winter.

On the other hand, Grasshopper was friendly, foolish, lazy, carefree, optimistic, etc.  Again, these are all great traits for describing Grasshopper, but his foolishness influenced the choice he made: He knew winter was coming, was even warned by Ant, and he still chose to procrastinate.  Also, his laziness was what led to his demise at the end.

When students have an opportunity to look at these traits in juxtaposition, they begin to see the stark contrast between these traits.  They also begin to notice how this plays a role in what happens to the characters in the end and why this happened to them.  This is when fables make it easier for students to determine the moral of the lesson.

Students begin to see how what the character is like (traits) influences what choices the character makes and the sequence of events that result from these choices.   Even if the characters do not have opposing traits, students can still determine how the traits influenced the character’s actions and the result of these actions.

Note: I like to use fables that don’t state the moral at the end since this is what I want students to determine on their own based on what they read.


Here are 5 reasons why fables make teaching key reading standards much easier for students to understand. As a third grade teacher, one thing is very apparent.  Students need opportunities to build trait vocabulary. At the beginning of each year, my students really struggle with the precise words to describe characters.  This is such a challenge.

I’m a believer in intentionally providing different opportunities to help students gain an understanding of this vocabulary.  I do this through various activities and strategies: whether it’s through task card activities, Marzano’s vocabulary strategies, the use of the Quiz-Quiz trade Kagan structure, word association activities, readers’ theater, or role-playing.

Fables are perfect for introducing both positive and negative trait vocabulary that is commonly found throughout the themes and messages of literature.  Think of all the character traits fables teach.  These stories are intentional in teaching about characters who are wise, honest, prideful, clever, patient, loyal, greedy, selfish, reliable, respectful, trustworthy, courageous, considerate, sly, irresponsible, etc.  They are great anchor texts to use as a foundation for understanding these qualities.  Students can also apply this understanding when describing characters in other types of literary genre.

Fables are also wonderful for helping students with nuances in trait vocabulary.  For example, many times my students use wise and clever interchangeably.  I use fables as an opportunity to demonstrate the differences between these words.  Being wise is using your knowledge and experience to make good judgments.  Ant was wise because he knew that seasons change and food would be scarce in winter, so he used that knowledge and experience to make the choice to prepare for winter.  Being clever is using your knowledge to get what you want.  Crow, in The Crow and the Pitcher, was clever because he used pebbles to make the water rise in a pitcher to get water.

To see more ideas for teaching shades of meaning, visit my post Understanding Characters Through Shades of Meaning.

I also try to help them see the difference between being clever and being sly.  Clever can be good or bad.  It is a more neutral trait.  Whereas, sly has a more negative connotation in that it is self-serving.  These are the very shades of meaning between character traits that help kids better understand literary texts.  For example, these words illustrate differences in the intent of the character.

There’s one more thing I would like to share about the morals of fables.  Sometimes if a fable is a bit more complex in its message, I like to introduce the moral to students first.  I begin by talking about what it might mean before diving into the fable.  This frontloading is effective when students need that support.  They have the message to the reader before them as a purpose for reading.  As students read, they are looking for details that support this message or moral.  This is a great strategy for my struggling readers who have difficulty making inferences.

If you are searching for fables resources to help support your instruction, check out my fable flipbook series. Each resource includes the fable, as well as carefully crafted questioning intentionally focused on analyzing characters, examining the plot, and determining the moral of the fable.  These resources were created to integrate key ideas and details standards to better assist my students with core learning targets.  These resources are in both PDF format and digital format for use in Google Classroom or in any other digital platform.

Sign up for my free resource library if you would like to try samples of these resources.  Just go to my home page and register for free, exclusive resources. 

         

by Cherie 
Fables, Reading Comprehension & Strategies, Themes in Literature, Vocabulary Activities

Teaching Theme in Literature

November 8, 2017

Teaching–theme in literature can be quite difficult at the elementary level.  As a third grade teacher, I have struggled with this for years before figuring out how to make these concepts more tangible for my students.  Here are some important things to consider when planning instruction.

It wasn’t until I decided to change my approach, that I realized the graphic organizers I used were part of the problem.  Many of us are familiar with the typical organizers: The ones that have three or more boxes labeled “detail,” and then a box at the bottom labeled “theme” or “message.”  These were too vague and offered my students little guidance as we muddled through.  Though I modeled and modeled, it was still too hard for them to independently identify which details were key in helping them determine the theme or message.  I needed something more specific to guide my students.

Obviously, reading standards cannot be taught in isolation if students are going to be able to determine the theme and central message.  Students need to be able to dig deeper into the text by examining story elements, especially the main character, the problem, and the character’s response to the problem.  They also need to be able to evaluate the character’s actions and how these influence what happens to the character at the end, as herein lies the message to the reader.  Graphic organizers that are more specific in guiding students’ thinking are exactly the types of tools students need to be successful determining theme and message.

I love the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then method.  It’s such a great way to help students summarize the text.  We can take this format a step further by embedding questions within this organizer to help students think more critically about these story elements.  I’ve created a SWBST organizer that does just that.  Notice below how the organizer asks the students to be a little more specific with each part.  As students work through this organizer, it guides their thought process in determining the theme and message of the story.

*To have access to this resource and many other fabulous freebies found exclusively on this site, sign up for my free resource library on my homepage.

Understanding theme and message can be made simplified by asking students the right questions in a sequence that helps them process.  If students can think through these series of questions, they are more likely to be able to determine the theme and message.  Here are six simple questions that guide students’ thinking so they can determine the message of the story.

  • What is the main character like? (traits, feelings)
  • What does the character want?
  • What happens to the character at the end of the story?
  • Why does this happen to the character? (Students will have to infer and evaluate the character’s actions or choices.)
  • What does the character learn from what happens?
  • What can the reader learn through the characters experience?

It’s so important for students to make the distinction between the last two questions.  What the character learns and what the reader can take away from the story are two very different questions.  Students need to be able to extend the character’s lesson so that it applies to life in general.

For example, in the fable The Ant and the Grasshopper, Grasshopper learns he should have prepared for the winter.  However, students need to take it a step further and think about how this can be applied to their own lives.  The moral of the story is much broader than preparing for winter.  It’s a story about being prepared in general or putting first things first, whether it’s doing your homework, studying for a test, getting ready for a trip, etc…  This takes some practice for my third graders, but by October or November students are grasping it.

Selecting the perfect read aloud to teach theme and message makes all the difference in the world.  Start with stories that have a clear theme and message.  Fables are so useful in teaching this standard.  I like using fables without the morals stated in the text because this allows students to work through the questioning above.

There are a few reasons why I find fables perfect for teaching theme and message.  One, the text is short and to the point.  Two, fables usually have two characters with opposing traits.  This makes it easier for students to analyze how these traits play out in the plot of the story.  And three, students can clearly see how what happens to the character at the end is directly related to what the character is like (traits) or is a result of their actions or choices.  This fable bundle can be found at my TpT store.  It is also in digital format.

For tips on how Fables are a great way to start teaching themes in literature, see my blog post, 5 Reasons for Using Fables to Introduce and Integrate Reading Standards.

I also like to select book titles that are straightforward with the theme and message.  The Empty Pot, by Demi, is a great example of a perfect read aloud where students get it.  I love using this book because students also realize that a story can have more than one theme and message depending on the details used to support this.

This book is a story with two themes: honesty and courage.  The premise on which the Emperor selects his successor is based on these two traits.  Ping is honest in presenting an empty pot to the Emperor and admitting to him that his seed did not grow despite his best efforts.  He is also courageous for being the only child who took an empty pot to the Emperor amid all the children who had beautiful flowers to present.  Students find two messages within this text: If you are honest with little things, you are trustworthy of bigger things, and it takes courage to do the right thing.  It also helps students see that sometimes the title of a book is just as important as the details in the story.

Below is a list of titles I’ve found helpful in teaching theme and message.  Once students have practice with these types of texts, then they have a better foundation for determining the theme and message within more complicated story plots.

Suggested Book Titles for Teaching–Theme:

  • The Empty Pot, by Demi
  • Tops & Bottoms, by Janet Stevens
  • Seven Spools of Thread, by Angela Shelf Medearis
  • Stellaluna, by Janell Cannon
  • Enemy Pie, by Derek Munson
  • Elmer, by David McKee

Building students’ vocabulary is just as important when teaching–theme and message.  Students need the right words to express their understanding of the text.  Building students’ theme and trait vocabulary is crucial.  Students need to be able to use theme words such as perseverance and compassion, as well as trait words like determined or considerate.  They also need to understand the relationship between theme vocabulary and trait vocabulary.  For example, a story about perseverance has characters that are determined in the storyline.  A story about compassion usually has characters that are considerate of others’ feelings.

Using activities to build students’ vocabulary, not only helps their comprehension but also their ability to communicate clearly.  I like to use task card activities, interactive notebook templates, and application activities to build this vocabulary.

Students can use task cards to match words with their definitions or with short story samples that illustrate the theme or trait word.  In their Readers’ Notebooks, students can define these words, use them in a sentence, and illustrate these sentences using vocabulary notebook templates.  Also, having students think, jot, and share examples of these words is another strategy that is helpful. (i.e. Think of a time where you were determined to learn something new.  What was it and what did you do that showed perseverance?)

For more resources for teaching–theme and message, visit my shop by clicking on the toolkit below.  You can purchase this through my TpT store.

Happy Teaching!

by Cherie 

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A Bad Case of Stripes is an awesome book 📚 to A Bad Case of Stripes is an awesome book 📚  to teach character trait analysis and message!  I love 😍 when I can take a few lines from the text and turn it into a language lesson- adjectives, similes, and nouns. "Camilla was striped from head to toe.  She looked like a rainbow 🌈 ," lent itself to the imagination💭 of all my third graders.  She was a leopard🐆 , a disco ball🕺, a zebra🦓, a tree🌳, a chicken🐔, a fish🐟... You name it, my students brainstormed so many adjectives and thought of great comparisons that would represent those adjectives so well.  Lessons like this, you can't help but love what you do. 💗 
You can find a link 🔗 in my profile. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Read-Aloud-and-Book-Companion-Bad-Case-of-Stripes-RL32-33-36-37-4177690 *
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So after finding adjectives in our poem, I gave st So after finding adjectives in our poem, I gave students a list of rhyming foods. Students worked in partners to come up with their own versus using adjectives to describe  foods to add to Sarah Silvia Cynthia Stout’s garbage problem. ❤️ I love when poetry lends itself to so many authentic activities. Loved the student engagement. *
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Love, love, love ❤️ 💕❤️ my Emoji pillow Love, love, love ❤️ 💕❤️ my Emoji pillows and rolled towels for an easy way to create seating flexibility in my classroom during read-to-self time and partner reading.  I usually start out with students finding a place in the room to read, and as I walk around to listen 👂 to students read or talk about their reading, ⁣
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I choose those who are totally engaged in their reading activity to grab a towel or pillow and find a comfortable place to read.  Each day is a new day for students to practice reading expectations, so I really like to select different students who are trying to apply what good readers do. ⁣
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What do you do to help motivate your kiddos to focus on engagement while independently reading or reading with a partner? ⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #iteachreading #studentengagement
Fluency Friday was awesome today❗️ Students re Fluency Friday was awesome today❗️ Students read the poem Sarah Silvia Cynthia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out, by Shel Silverstein. We highlighted adjectives throughout the poem and even used a list of rhyming foods and thought of great adjectives to describe those foods to create our own versus to add to the garbage heap. This Friday the 13th 🗓 / full moon 🌕 didn’t have a chance to get our ELA block off track!
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As we begin the school year strong, one of the mos As we begin the school year strong, one of the most important reading activities I do with my 3rd-grade students is a method I use to increase student engagement 💯. Though there are benefits to turn-and-talks during 📖 read alouds, I still struggled with not getting a true sense of what my individual kiddos were getting and what was a struggle or misconception. ⁣⁣
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The Think🤔, Jot ✏️, Share 💬  method provides for my students an opportunity to think about the question in front of them, jot their ideas once they've had a moment of think time, and share their thoughts with a partner.  While I'm able to engage with students during think and share times to offer support, the biggest plus is that I have a formative assessment that gives me so much insight 🔍 into their application of the focus standard and their written expression.  I also use response booklets to plan my next steps👣. ⁣⁣
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In addition to this, I can repurpose my read aloud to teach multiple focus standards, and my students have an opportunity to reanalyze a familiar text with a different purpose for reading. ⁣⁣
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If you want to increase your students' engagement during read aloud time, you can find a 🔗link in my profile for this Think, Jot, Share post.  The resource provides a complete guide for implementation, management, and preplanned questions for literature standards to make planning a breeze.....and so much more. ⁣⁣
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What do you do to increase your students' engagement during read alouds? ❓❓❓⁣⁣
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https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Read-Aloud-Booklets-Book-Companion-RL3-2-3-3-3-4-3-6-3-7-4182596⁣⁣
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I love lifting a line from our interactive read al I love lifting a line from our interactive read aloud and using it as a mentor sentence. With this sentence, my students had a great discussion about how some nouns can become adjectives.  i.e. though butter and peppermints can be nouns, they describe the tea and cookies in this particular sentence. ⁣
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My students enjoy mentor sentence activities so much, they sometimes like to go the extra mile and illustrate their cloned version of the sentence.  In this sentence, students had our principal, Mr. Price setting up a table with hot cocoa ☕️ and ice cream cake 🍰, the kind with sprinkles on top. ❤️ I just love the illustrations. ⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #teacherspayteachers #teacherspayteachersfreebie #teacherspayteachersresources #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #anchorcharts #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement
I love 💖 how our school celebrates Grandparents I love 💖 how our school celebrates Grandparents' Day. 👩‍🦳🧓 All grandparents are invited to have school breakfast with our kiddos.  Our family resource coordinator sets up decorated tables in the cafeteria and the gym so students have a nice place to have a pleasant meal with their loved ones. 📸 She also sets up this photo bench to capture this special day. ⁣
What does your school do for Grandparents’ Day? ❓❓❓
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#grandparentsday  #teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers
📸Picture day is one of the many things going on 📸Picture day is one of the many things going on at the beginning of the year.  I love seeing all my kiddos dressed up and ready to say cheese.🧀 ⁣
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Unfortunately for Stanley Birdbaum, he got his dates mixed up. 🗓️ You would think dressing for crazy hair day on picture day would be disastrous…but not for Stanley, thanks to his great classroom community of friends and a teacher who knows how to turn a bad day into a great one. 💕 ⁣
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If you haven't read 📖 Crazy Hair Day to your kiddos, it's a wonderful read, especially around picture day. I LoVe reading this story to my kids each year.  This book shows kids how they can show up for one another when friends aren't having such a great day. ⁣
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What picture books about friendship do you absolutely love and read every year? ❓❓❓ *⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #readingstrategies #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement⁣
#picturedayatschool
Dot Day is coming up next week! 💕 This book is Dot Day is coming up next week! 💕 This book is a great way to celebrate the day and kick off growth mindset 🌱🧠 in your classroom. If you don’t have the book, there is a great animated video of the book online 🖥. Just google The Dot, by Peter Reynolds.  Your kiddos will love seeing how the main character goes from having a fixed mindset to a growth mindset all because of a dot. 😍⁣
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⁣Need some activities to go with the story or to launch or foster growth mindset in your classroom?  Click the link in my profile. 🔗https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Dot-by-Peter-Reynolds-Growth-Mindset-Activities-Poster-3302113⁣
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