With a small group, read the Prereading information on page 229. Quickly skim the story. Then look at the pictures, examine the sentences in large letters, and read the About the Author feature on page 245. Discuss what you think “My Friend Flicka” will be about. Then discuss what you know about relationships between animals and their owners. If you have a pet, share what your relationship with your pet is like. Add what you know about the relationships between people and other animals. At the end of your discussion, make a list of how animals and people help each other.
Read the story, keeping track of connections you make as you read. Use sticky notes or write a note on a bookmark whenever you have one of the following reactions:
* This shows a special relationship between Flicka and Kennie
+ I like this
! This reminds me of something else
? I don’t understand this part
√ This is important; I might need to come back to it
You do not always have to write a note when you have a reaction. You can mark the text with the symbol to remind yourself of the reaction you had. Try using some of these symbols as you read. Feel free to add symbols for other reactions you have.
If you are having difficulty writing down your reactions, find a partner to read short sections of the story with you. Silently read the story together until you reach each Guided Reading Question, help each other answer each question, react to what has happened so far, and then continue reading until you reach the next Guided Reading Question. Repeat this process until you finish the story. Summarize the main story events when you finish reading. Try to think of at least six main story events.
Go back and summarize your reactions. Then share your reactions with your class. Discuss how these connections helped you stay focused on the story. Find out which sections of the story caused the most reactions, and read those sections aloud.