This unit can be used as a supplemental reading program for elementary grades. The program will utilize fairy tales and tales from around the world to motivate children to read. The stories will entertain and will add meaning to the student’s life by relating to all aspects of his/her personality, thus promoting confidence in himself/herself. The tales can be used as a story telling session, reading lesson to be completed at home, or as an assigned reading lesson in class depending on availability of materials and time. I will focus on the third and fourth grades; however, depending on the fairy tales you use, you can use this program for lower grades as well.
A discussion of where the tales came from will provide the student with interesting information. This can be used as the first step to introducing the literature. For example, some stories are very old and have reached the Latin countries from the Orient. Each tale will be discussed in detail. The family structure will be explored, especially the relationships between adult and child. The families in the stories will be compared with the modern families. The readings can also be used to provide the student with a moral education. By implication only, the tales will convey to him/her the advantages of moral behavior, not through complicated explanations but through story predicaments that are meaningful to him/her. In addition to fairy tales, this unit is designed to encourage teachers to use folktales, fables, myths, and stories from other countries. A bibliography is included which will be helpful in selecting these tales for your students. I have also included a list of books for children written in Spanish for the bilingual teachers.
(Recommended for Reading, English as a Second Language, and Bilingual Reading Classes, Grades 2-4; and Special Education Classes, Grades 3-5)
Key Words
Fairy Tales Reading Instruction Spanish English Bilingualism
