Read the Prereading information on page 470 and About the Authors on page 476. The Grimm brothers wrote many famous fairy tales, including “Rapunzel,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Hansel and Gretel.” What other fairy tales can you think of? What kinds of characters are usually included in fairy tales? Where and when do fairy tales usually take place? As you read the fairy tale, you will keep track of what you already know about fairy tales and what you learn. Make a three-column Knowledge Chart. Label the first column “Things I Know about Fairy Tales.” Label the second column “Characters and Events in ‘The Singing, Springing Lark.’” Label the third column “How ‘The Singing, Springing Lark’ Is Like Other Fairy Tales.” Fill in the first column before you begin reading.
Listen as your teacher reads the first three paragraphs of the fairy tale aloud. When your teacher stops reading, make a list of what has happened so far in column two of your Knowledge Chart. List how the characters and events are like those in other fairy tales in the third column. Continue reading the fairy tale on your own, listing the information and connections you make as you read.
If you are having difficulty connecting what happens in this fairy tale to what happens in other fairy tales, find a partner and read the fairy tale silently together. Whenever you reach a Guided Reading Question, reread that section of the text aloud and help each other find the answer. Then continue reading silently until you reach the next Guided Reading Question. Continue in this way until you reach the end of the tale.
With your partner, discuss what happens in the “The Singing, Springing Lark,” and summarize how it is like other fairy tales. Then share your comparisons with the rest of the class.