A folktale may be defined as a tale of the people, a short, fast-moving oral or written adventure story perhaps of a comic or romantic nature. It is a traditional story of a particular group of people and follows a basic design. Since it is told by many storytellers, it has differing versions or variations. Because it has been handed down through…

Outlines a literature unit consisting of variations of the Cinderella story for use in the upper elementary grades. Presents a rationale for studying fairy tales in general and Cinderella stories in particular. Describes the Cinderella stories and the activities developed to study and expand upon them. Discusses the effectiveness of the unit. (RS)

Classroom teachers might consider teaching children to become critical readers through the use of traditional literature. It is not necessarily difficult to define critical reading, but it is a difficult task to teach students when and how to read critically. The six skills most important to critical reading are that the reader should (1) read…

Presents a unit that uses folk and fairy tales to provide a literary background for creative writing in a fourth-grade classroom. (FL)

Analyzes the way fairy tales reflect and clarify real-life situations, human behavior, and moral values, enabling children to contemplate powerful and urgent themes. (GT)

This unit is designed as a planning guide for a literature-based approach to teaching reading, writing, vocabulary, and reasoning. It serves as a model to reinforce the important aspects of literacy through a literature-based approach in which children read authentic literature and engage in authentic tasks relative to that literature. The unit…