EVEN MORE! EARLY READERS ARE HERE

We've heard you and we listened! You are loving our Early Reader versions of our most popular stories so we've added even more and are working on brand new ones for the coming week! We've added "Fur & Feathers" (what will Mama Ostrich do when Mama lion steals her chicks and calls them her own?), "The Empty Pot" (Jun's seed does not sprout...how can he compete with the other boys plants to become Emperor?), "The Ram & the Pig" (A classic tale similar to the Three Little Pigs, Pig & Ram go to build their house in the woods, but what about the wolf?), and a very popular Aesop's Fable "Androcles & the Lion" (Androcles, an escaped slave, meets a lion in the woods. The tale of an unlikely friendship). Be sure to check out our December Themed Stories published this Friday! Our Theme for December is "Self-Reflection" with our focus on three tales: The Girl Who Changed Her Fate, Haku's Power and the Enormous Nose all with lesson plans! Happy Storytelling! 

EARLY READER VERSIONS ARE HERE!

Stories to Grow by is proud to present Early Reader versions of our most popular stories! You will find such stories as "The Apple Dumpling", "A Caterpillar's Voice" and "Fur & Feathers" , plus more on the way!, in shortened form with simpler language for younger students or those learning English. While they are shorter and simpler to make a wonderful Bedtime Story or Classroom edition for the younger grades, they are still full of the wonderful positive messages each one contains! Remember all our stories are kid-tested (my 2nd grader has read each version to ensure an easy, memorable read)! So visit www.storiestogrowby.org, search for a Story or Script by age range, read time or Theme (we have some wonderful stories for Thanksgiving and the Theme of Gratitude) and share a Storytelling experience sure to leave a lasting impression. Stories to Grow by thanks you all for your continued support of our Stories & Mission. We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. 

Teaching Kindness in the Classroom with "The Talking Fish"

"A kindness is never lost, even if you throw it into the water."

This is the theme of the "The Talking Fish".  A folktale from Armenia, The Talking Fish tells the story of a poor, desperate fisherman's assistant who throws a magical talking fish back into the sea and is fired. On his way home, downtrodden and depressed, he comes upon a "monster" whom offers him a cow to sustain his life for the next three years, but when the monster returns, he must repay him by answering three questions lest he, his wife and the cow become the monsters' property. Seeing no other way, the fisherman agrees. Three years later the monster returns, but how is the poor fisherman to answer his absurd questions? "A kindness is always repaid". Click here to find out the magical ending to this story...

This short story provides an opportunity to cover ELA skills on "Making Predictions and Drawing Conclusions" while also focusing on Character Education and Kindness. In the beginning of the story, students can draw conclusions about the type of character the fisherman was for throwing the fish back despite his poor disposition and possible loss of his job. They can then predict what will happen after the man foolishly agrees to the terms of the monster. Finally, students can predict/draw conclusions on if and how "The Talking Fish" might repay the fisherman's kindness. Lastly, students can work on Determining Theme through explicit text: What does the final statement mean: “A kindness is never lost, even if you throw it into the water.”? 

My sons are in 2nd grade and Kindergarten and their school theme this year is KINDNESS. They talk about the books "How Full is Your Bucket" and "Have you Filled a Bucket Today". The Principal even went into each class to read these stories to the students. Classes are focused on teaching students to be a "Bucket Filler" not a "Bucket Dipper". Kids write post-its and put them into a Kindness bucket when a fellow class member does something to "fill their bucket". I mention this because our story "The Talking Fish" and many of our other stories teach these important themes effortlessly. They can easily be shared in class as mini-lessons, not only to teach ELA standards, but to work on Character Education. We all want our students and children to be successful with their grades, but most importantly, I think, we want them to be KIND. Happy Storytelling! 

Repost: Teaching the Theme of Gratitude with Stories to Grow by

New Lesson Plan Coming this Week on Stories of Giving and Kindness! Three Stories with a Theme of Gratitude:

For Classroom Use at Thanksgiving and Year-Round

Thanksgiving is almost here! How will you be teaching the theme of Gratitude in your classroom this year?

We look for thought-provoking stories that encompass the virtues we hope our students showcase, not only around the holidays, but all throughout the year.  One free resource is  Stories to Grow by, an award-winning selection of kid-tested multicultural stories. The three tales featured below provide shining examples of Thanksgiving themes such as Gratitude, Friendship, and Kindness.  Dramatic versions of the first two stories are also freely available as Reader’s Theater and can offer entertaining read-aloud opportunities.  

Androcles and the Lion:  Androcles is an escaped slave who runs away from his cruel Roman master.  Wandering in the woods, he meets a lion in distress. This Fable comes from the collection of “Aesop’s Fables.”  Aesop is credited as author of hundreds of fables, many of which are still taught as morality lessons and used as subjects for various entertainments, especially for children's plays and cartoons.  Help yourself to Stories to Grow by’s Reader’s Theatre script for “Androcles and the Lion.”

Baba Yaga:  Natasha is sent deep into the forest by her stepmother to face the witch Baba Yaga.  Baba Yaga has the frightening power to embody her hut, such that the hut stands on hen’s legs and hops about to chase its child-victims. In this classic Russian fairytale, Natasha befriends several enchanted creatures trapped by Baba Yaga, and they in turn help Natasha to escape.  Help yourself to Stories to Grow by’s Reader’s Theatre script for “Baba Yaga.”

The Queen and the Mouse:  A Queen is captured and imprisoned, along with her infant daughter, in the tallest room of a tower.  She has but one friend – a charming dancing mouse. This French fairytale drives to a moment of reckoning when a magical old woman offers the Queen a chance to free her baby daughter – but only if the Queen hands over the mouse.

The content of the three tales can also prompt skill-building for “Making Predictions” as well as “Cause and Effect.” Additional stories and Reader’s Theatre scripts, as well as teaching materials and Common Core alignments, are available at storiestogrowby.org.

November Themes of Giving and Kindness: New Lesson Plans Coming Soon!

Happy November! 

Themes of Kindness and Giving

I can hardly believe it has been a year since I started this blog to bring you Lesson Plans surrounding our wonderful stories. I hope that you have found them to be useful in your classroom or at home with your little ones. Reading is so much more than just the words on the page; it is an experience to be shared, a lesson to be learned, a value to be appreciated. I am so proud that our stories bring to life lessons from the past, passed down from generation to generation to bring enlightenment and wonder to children from all over the world. Our stories connect people, children and adults alike and I hope you have found a way to use them to both teach and inspire. 

This month our Lesson Plans will focus on stories surrounding Kindness and Giving. If you've been with us since the beginning, you will see familiar lessons on such stories as "The Apple Dumpling" and "Wali Dad". New Lesson Plans starting next week with focus on such stories as "The Talking Eggs", "The Talking Fish" and "The Troll's Ride". These are some of our most popular stories and I am proud to present them to you and offer ways to use them in your classroom or at home to promote Kindness and Giving, not just at this time of year, but all year round. Happy November!