Hello, and thank you for considering my class! I am Teacher Sydney, and I hope to meet you soon!

Make sure to apply the coupon code PHELPSREADING5 for $5 off your first week! 

In this ongoing book club, students will learn reading comprehension strategies as we read classic stories and fairy tales together! These stories have proven the test of time and have been well-loved through the ages. Students do not need a copy of the story for class; I will share my screen so that everyone can see the words and illustrations that go along with the tales. 

In class, learners will hear a short version of the story read dynamically, complete with voices for each character! :) They will answer engaging and meaningful questions about characters, setting, problem, solution, and plot. They will learn to make inferences and understand the story as a whole as well as in parts. 
We will construct a "story map" together in class featuring the story elements listed above. I will send an optional story map worksheet so that learners may follow along with the teacher, either through writing words or drawing pictures! It is completely okay if you choose to let your learner simply watch the teacher or complete the worksheet after class. :)

We may have time to make a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the story we read in class with the version of the story students have heard before. Or maybe we will discuss more complex topics such as "perspective, protagonist, antagonist," and plot elements: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion.

Each week's class does stand alone. Learners may join or leave the course at any point!



Stories we have done in the past include timeless favorites such as:
The Three Billy Goats Gruff 
Little Red Riding Hood
The Little Red Hen
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Sleeping Beauty / Briar Rose
Beauty and the Beast
Peter Rabbit
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Snow White and Rose Red
Cinderella
King Thrushbeard
Rapunzel
Thumbelina
The Frog Prince
The Princess and the Pea / The Real Princess
The Twelve Dancing Princesses
The Tailor of Gloucester
The Fir Tree
Mother Holle
The Elves and the Shoemaker
The Gift of the Magi
Twas the Night Before Christmas
Peter Rabbit - Beatrix Potter
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny - Beatrix Potter    
The Three Little Pigs - retold by Nicola Baxter
The Gingerbread Man - retold by Karen Schmidt
The Country Mouse and the City Mouse - retold by Jan Brett
The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids - Grimm's Fairy Tales 
Jack and the Beanstalk - retold by Rita Balducci 
King Midas and the Golden Touch - retold by Ingri and Edgar d'Aulaire
Momotaro, The Peach Boy - Japanese folklore
Stone Soup - retold by Marcia Brown
Chicken Little / Henny Penny - retold by Madge Tovey
The Emperor's New Clothes - retold by Katherine Sully
The Traveling Musicians / The Bremen Town Musicians - retold by Ruth Belov Gross
The Ugly Duckling - published by Parragon Books, illustrated by Polona Lovsin   
Caps for Sale - Esphyr Slobodkina
Rumpelstiltskin - retold by Joanna Nadin

And I am adding new stories to my collection all the time!

I am so, so happy to hear thoughts, comments, feedback, and/or questions from you and help in any way that I can. Please don't hesitate to reach out! And I hope to see you in class soon.