Fables

Our new unit in Language is 'Fables'. Students will be reading fables and discussing the characteristics of fables - what differentiates a fable from other texts such as fiction stories or fairy tales.

Students will also be improving their ability to construct interesting sentences and retain a storyline, by retelling fables in their own words, paying close attention to the sequence of events and important details that need to be included. This will help students improve their story writing and oral communication skills.  

Another skill we will practise is inferential thinking. Students will be asked to decide on a moral for each fable based on what they have read and why they think the fable was created in the first place. (Most fables do have a moral stated at the end of the tale, but we have found that most fables have many life-lesson morals that apply to them. Your child's job is not to repeat the stated moral, but to decide on another moral that also applies to the fable being discussed.) Students must not only have good reasons for their answers, but they must also connect directly to the text and draw out evidence to support their answers. (This is a necessary skill for comprehension of a text at a higher level, and of course preparation for the EQAO testing this year.)

Comprehension questions for any reading in grade three involves students supporting their answers with evidence from the text and well as including their own thinking. Ask your child questions about the texts he or she reads. Try using the Q Chart to help guide you to asking higher-level, thinking questions.

 Expect a clear answer that actually answers your question, and displays good reasoning and includes evidence from the text. Remind your child to keep the entire answer in one tense i.e., the past tense.

Below you will find links to a number of fable videos. If they do not include text for your child to read, they could be watched in preparation for an oral retelling, or you could use the video as material on which you could focus comprehension questions.

The Lion and the Mouse

The Boy Who cried Wolf

The North Wind and the Sun

The Clever Crow

The Ant and the Pigeon

The Cunning Fox

The Bear and the Bee