Kindergarten Daily Reading Activities: Stories and Tales

Welcome to Stories and Tales. We'll provide five days of reading lessons designed to engage your child in an exploration of traditional tales. Check back every day for the new day's lesson.

Day 1 Activity

Let’s Watch: The Tortoise and the Hare Watch the video The Tortoise and the Hare, an animated video of the tale about a classic race.

Let’s Read: The Little Red Hen Read The Little Red Hen. Little Red Hen is making bread. Will her friends help her? Download The Little Red Hen

Take It Further

Choose an activity to extend the fun.

Get Moving: Act It Out

Pretend you are Little Red Hen. Show how you would:

• Plant the seed.
• Water the wheat.
• Harvest the wheat.
• Grind the wheat.
• Make the dough.
• Share the bread.

Hands-On Activity: Make a Stick Puppet

You will need: paper, crayons, scissors, glue or tape, craft stick

• Draw a picture of a character from The Little Red Hen.
• Color your picture.
• Cut out your picture. Glue or tape it to a craft stick.

Use your puppet as you read The Little Red Hen.

Family Support Reader’s theater plays are fun to read aloud! Help children build oral reading skills by having them read this play aloud with a partner or small group. After reading, ask: Did Little Red Hen’s friends help her make the bread? Why is it important for friends to help each other?

Day 2 Activity

Let’s Learn about Folktales Look at this chart about folktales. What makes The Little Red Hen a folktale? Can you think of other folktales you have heard or read?

Let’s Reread: The Little Red Hen Read The Little Red Hen. Little Red Hen is making bread. Will her friends help her? Download The Little Red Hen

Take It Further

Choose an activity to extend the fun.

Listening and Speaking: Use Your Voice

• Pick a character from The Little Red Hen.
• Think about how your character would sound. Try reading your lines using different voices. Pick the voice that sounds just right.
• Practice reading your lines in the voice you chose.

Put It Together: Perform The Little Red Hen

Perform The Little Red Hen with a partner or small group.

• Use a loud, clear voice.
• Read with expression!
• Listen to the other readers so that you know when it’s your turn.

Optional: Act out your character’s part, or use the puppet you made on Day 1.

Family Support Performance Options Assign roles and read the play as a family. Call or video call friends or family members and read the play as a small group. Have your child read the play aloud to you. Challenge him or her to use different voices for each character.

Day 3 Activity

Let’s Watch: Ever After Watch the video Ever After to learn more about stories and storytelling.

Let’s Read: Go Home, Chick! Chick wants to find his mother. He needs to go home to find her. Download Go Home, Chick!

Take It Further

Choose an activity to extend the fun.

Project: Draw a Map

• Draw a map of the farm with a partner. Show the animals and their houses.
• Show how Chick found his way home. Draw Chick’s path on the map.
• Write the name of each animal he talked to on your map.

Response Writing: Write About Chick

• Think about what happened after Chick’s mother said, “Welcome home!”
• Imagine what Chick said to his mother. Write what Chick said to her. Use this as a model: Chick said, “I _____.”
• Draw a picture to go with your writing.
• Share your writing.

Family Support Use this learning guide to walk your child through the lesson. Explore additional Review & Extend activities together.

Day 4 Activity

Let’s Reread: Go Home, Chick! Chick wants to find his mother. He needs to go home to find her. Download Go Home, Chick!

Take It Further

Choose an activity to extend the fun.

Vocabulary & Language: Practice Fluency

• Read the story Go Home, Chick! to a partner. Think about how Chick said, “Is my mother here?” Think about how the animals said, “Go home, Chick!”
• Try different voices for Duck, Horse, and Rabbit. Read with a quiet or a sweet voice. Read with a loud voice.
• Discuss with your partner the voice Chick’s mother might have used. Take turns rereading the text on page 16. How does the mother sound? How do you think she feels?

Research Connection: Read About Chickens

• Work with a partner to find information online about chickens.
• Draw or paint a picture of a chick, a hen, and a rooster. Label your picture with words that tell about each one.
• Discuss what you learned with a partner.

Family Support Use this learning guide to walk your child through the lesson. Explore additional Review & Extend activities together.

Day 5 Activity

Let’s Review

This week you've read some traditional tales. Now read a traditional rhyme about a boy who watches over sheep.

Let’s Read: "Little Boy Blue" Read Little Boy Blue with a family member. Listen for rhyming words. What rhyming words did you hear? Download "Little Boy Blue"

Take it Further

Extend the fun with an activity.

Hands-On Activity: Draw and Write

• Pick your favorite scene from a story or rhyme you read.
• Draw a picture of the scene.
• Write some words or sentences about your scene.

Family Support Invite children to be storytellers. Have them retell the story of The Little Red Hen or Go Home, Chick! If possible, find other versions of The Little Red Hen in print or online and read them together. Talk about how the stories are alike and different.