Animal fantasy stories are an excellent option to teach children the basics of reading. The stories can keep young children engaged while also immersing them in worlds where animals can speak and possess human-like qualities. This storytelling method has become increasingly popular in recent years, with many books portraying many creatures like rabbits, cats, dogs, and even elephants, and teaching them valuable life lessons.
If you are a teacher looking for fun activities to teach your students to read animal fantasy, here are some ideas to help you get started:
1. Story Maps:
Story mapping is an essential skill for reading comprehension, which involves charting and analyzing the story’s essential elements. Create a story map with the students, consisting of boxes that are labelled with significant moments and characters. Getting the students to create a visual map will provide them with a template to track the story’s flow.
2. Sequencing:
Children need to understand the sequence of events in a story. Break down the story’s elements into bite-sized pieces, and have the children rearrange the pieces uniquely. This will help them understand how the story is structured and identify critical elements of the story.
3. Character Mapping:
Animal fantasy books have many cute creatures, each with different personalities, dreams, and aspirations. Mapping the characters’ traits will help students understand the book’s plot better. Mapping will also help children understand the characters’ roles in advancing the story and developing the characters’ storyline.
4. Drawing:
Many children respond well to a story when they have a visual to complement their reading. Encourage students to participate and draw pictures of specific scenes as they read. These pictures will bring the story to life for them, making it more engaging and enjoyable.
5. Acting:
Acting out the story provides a practical experience for children who learn better with hands-on activities. Assign characters to students and have them act out the story. Children will enjoy taking on the animals’ personalities, creating memories that they will keep with them forever.
In conclusion, animal fantasy stories provide a fun, engaging, and immersive learning experience for young students. Incorporating the above activities promotes a greater understanding of the story’s essential elements and encourages students to become more engaged with the story. Most of all, the lessons learnt from these stories will stay with these young minds for years to come, shaping their beliefs, imaginations, and cognitive abilities.
