Over the last few weeks, ALuv {2nd grade} has been studying fairy tales. To accompany our study, I created several activities for him and today, I’m sharing them with you! {Link to download is at the end of the post.}
Recording Fairy Tale Features
Although he was already familiar with many of the fairy tales I read, I wanted him to dig a little deeper. After I’d read about three books into our study, he started filling out the Fairy Tale Features Organizer. I asked him to look for text-to-text connections. How are these stories all the same? What story elements are similar? How are the plots/structures of the stories similar? As we continued to read each fairy tale, he added to his list. {Helping readers understand the structure of a text is a wonderful way to build comprehension!}
Storytelling with Fairy Tales
After we’d read quite a few fairy tales and I knew he was comfortable with how fairy tales were organized, we played a little storytelling game. {By the way, this is a fantastic way to help kids start brainstorming their own story.} I included “good characters”, “bad characters”, “setting” and “other features” cards.
We each took turns, flipping over one of each card and making up our own silly fairy tale stories. It was a big hit {you know you’ve struck gold with your child when they ask to do the entire stack.}
Write Your Own Fairy Tale
The last step in our fairy tale unit was asking him to write his own fairy tales. {As of right now, his favorite piece is about a prince who was turned into a fish and thrown into the castle moat by a witch.}
Using the Fairy Tale Organizer for Writing, he brainstormed the characters he wanted to include, his setting, etc. One way to help him brainstorm was to look back through the deck of cards from our storytelling game.
To download this FREE Fairy Tale Printable Pack, click HERE!
~Becky
This is a great resource, Becky. I have to look at this particular printable in more detail even though my daughter loves fantasy stories (e.g. Greek Myths), but finds most fairy tales too scary 🙂
Good point! Yes, many fairy tales are rather scary. That’s why I chose to wait until 2nd grade for my son, when he could developmentally decipher the difference between real and fantasy without becoming scared. The younger siblings only listened to a few of the the fairy tales. 🙂
My second grader would love the castle organizer =) Great ideas!
Thank you! I printed this out to use with my 2nd and 3rd grader kiddos. Big sister (7th) led the storytelling game with them. And all the little brothers (ages 6, 4, 2, 1, and 3 mos) have been listening to the stories they come up with. 2nd and 3rd started brainstorming their own fairy tale today using the castle organizer. Thank you so much! It’s been fun.
Awesome!
I really love that fairy tale story map! We’ll definitely have to use it!
Thank you, Anna!
Wow, what a great pack! This is my first time here and I would LOVE to link to some of your printables if you didn’t mind.
Sure, you have permission to share one picture from the post you’d like with a link back to the site. 🙂 And welcome!
This is a beautiful printable, thank you!
I liked so much, I translated it to spanish to use it with my kids (we are colombian).
I wanted to send you the file, so you can use it or post it or do anything with it, but I didn’t find your email adress.
I’d love to see it. beckythisreadingmama{at}yahoo{dot}com
Looking for fairytale materials in Spanish. Please send your translations! Thanks.
I’m sorry. I don’t have a Spanish version. Maybe you could adapt it. 🙂
there any way that I mailed it all? thank’s!
I just found your site today and am printing this out for my granddaughter starting K. She will love it! She spends all day creating stories and acting them out. This will be a great way to introduce her to writing.
Wonderful! Thanks for stopping by to comment.
Thank you for this resource. I am going to use it with my ESL students since they are learning about fairy tales for the first time. Very nice package and so nice of you to share.
I love that write your own sheet. I have shared this on my Magical Things Fairy Day Roundup post.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you from India! I’m a grade 4 English teacher teaching the Cambridge curriculum here in Mumbai. Your ideas and resources are brilliant! Love.