Text Structure • Third-person narrative• Simple narrative with several similar episodes
Content • Classroom activities• Fantasy animals acting like children helping their teacher
Themes and Ideas • Children and teachers have jobs to do in a classroom.• There are different ways of helping.• People have different skills.
Language and Literary Features
• Simple, split dialogue assigned to speaker• More complex repeating sentence patterns.(“You can pass out the _____.”)• Simple elements of fantasy: talking animals
Sentence Complexity • Some longer sentences more than six words• Simple sentences
Vocabulary • Names of familiar classroom objects supported by pictures (books, paper, pencils, crayons, blocks)
Words • Some multisyllabic words (crayons, elephant)• Abbreviation: Mr.• Common and proper nouns (Mr. Horse; Little Elephant)
Illustrations • Lively, drawings support and extend the text.Book and Print Features • Nine pages of text with illustration on each page
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Number of Words: 82
L E S S O N 2 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E
Helping Mr. Horseby Carrie Waters
Fountas-Pinnell Level DFictionSelection SummaryThe children help Mr. Horse pass out and collect materials in their classroom. Finally, Little Elephant helps them all have fun by turning his trunk into a slide.
Build BackgroundRead the title to children and talk with them about what the horse and raccoon are doing in the cover illustration. Explain that the title character, Mr. Horse, is a teacher. Ask children what they will learn about helping a teacher in a classroom. Then ask: How do you help your teacher? Why do you think it is important to help out?
Introduce the TextGuide children through the text, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary. Explain important text features such as words that are spoken by the story characters. Point out the repetition of sentences and phrases. Here are some suggestions:
Page 2: Explain that in this story the animals help their teacher, Mr. Horse, do certain jobs in the classroom. In this book the characters are animals who talk and act just like people. Suggested language: Turn to page 2. Here is Mr. Horse behind his desk. What is he holding? Mr. Horse says: “You can all help me.” Now say Horse. What letter would you expect to see fi rst in Horse? You can see that Horse begins with uppercase H because it is a name. Put your fi nger under Horse and say it. Point out that the word Mr. is an abbreviation for Mister.
Page 3: Remind children to use the information in the pictures to help them read. Turn to page 3. Mr. Horse says: “You can help. You can pass out the books.” How do you think the monkey feels about helping Mr. Horse?
Page 6: Who is in the picture on this page? Mr. Horse says to the kangaroo: “ You can pick up the crayons.” What is the kangaroo doing? Why do you think it is important to pick up the crayons?
Page 8: Turn to page 8. Little Elephant says: “I like to help.” Because it is his name, Elephant begins with the uppercase letter E. Find the word Elephant. What do you think Little Elephant will do to help? Do you think it is funny that he is called Little Elephant ? Why?
Now turn back to the beginning and read to fi nd out what the different animals do to help Mr. Horse.
ReadAs the children read, observe them carefully. Guide them as needed, using language that supports their problem solving ability.
Respond to the TextPersonal ResponseAsk children to share their personal responses to the story. Begin by asking what they liked best about the story, or what they found interesting.Suggested language: How do you think the animals felt about helping Mr. Horse? How do you think Little Elephant felt about helping everyone in the class?
Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, make sure children understand these teaching points:
Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text
• Some animals pass out books, paper, and pencils.
• Some animals pick up crayons and blocks.
• Little Elephant helps everyone have fun.
• It’s important to help your teacher pass out and pick up supplies.
• Children should work together in their classroom.
• Everyone has something they are good at.
• The pictures show what is happening in the story.
• The words sound the way teachers and students talk.
• It’s funny to read how Little Elephant helps everyone have fun.
Choices for SupportConcepts of PrintPractice early reading behaviors such as understanding the concepts of a sentence as a group of words with ending punctuation.
Phonemic Awareness and Word WorkProvide practice as needed with words and sounds, using one of the following activities:
• Clapping Syllables Have children hear and say syllables in words from the book: helping, horse, pass, pencils, little, elephant, pick, crayons, blocks. Have them clap on each syllable: help-ing; horse; pass; pen-cils; lit-tle; el-e-phant; pick; cray-ons; blocks.
• Blend the Sounds Say words sound by sound and ask children to say the words. Begin with /c/ /a/ /n/. What is the word? (can). Continue with these words: /p/ /a/ /s/ (pass); /h/ /e/ /lp/ (help); /bl/ /o/ /ks/ (blocks); /p/ / ı/ /k/ (pick).
Target Comprehension Skill Tell children that characters are the people or
animals who do and say things in the story. Reading carefully and looking at the pictures help readers understand story characters. Model understanding characters:
Think Aloud
How can I understand the characters in this story? I will read the words and look at the pictures. I read that different animals are helping Mr. Horse in class. Some pass out things; some pick up things. Little Elephant helps the class have fun. Now I understand the characters. They are all helping Mr. Horse in the classroom in different ways.
Practice the SkillHave children think of another story they have read. Guide them in understanding the characters in the book.
Writing PromptRead aloud the following prompt. Have children write their response, using the writing prompt on page 6.
How do you think everyone felt about Little Elephant? Write about how you can you tell.
English Language LearnersFront-Load Vocabulary Make sure children know the meaning of pass out, pick up, little, help, crayons, and elephant. Use the illustrations to reinforce the meanings.
Oral Language DevelopmentCheck the children’s comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches their English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the child.
Beginning/ Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: Point to Mr. Horse.
Speaker 2: [Points to Mr. Horse]
Speaker 1: Point to Little Elephant.
Speaker 2: [Points to Little Elephant]
Speaker 1: Who is everyone helping?
Speaker 2: Mr. Horse
Speaker 1: Name one thing the animals help pass out.
Speaker 2: They pass out books (or paper, or pencils).
Speaker 1: Name one thing the animals help to pick up.
Speaker 2: They pick up blocks (or crayons).
Speaker 1: What do all the animals do in this story?
Speaker 2: All the animals help Mr. Horse in class.
Speaker 1: How does Little Elephant help Mr. Horse?
Speaker 2: Little Elephant helps the other animals slide down.
