Age: 6-7 years

Duration: 40 min

Objectives

• Identify beginning, middle, and end of a short TreeTops graded reader excerpt.
• Name characters and key events on a story map.
• Retell the story in 4–5 sentences using sequence words.

Vocab

• beginning / middle / end: Story structure anchors.
• character / event: "The main character is..." / "In the middle, ___ happened."
• first / then / finally: Retell connectors.

Warm-up (5min)

Three-picture strip of a familiar tale (e.g., Three Bears) — students label B/M/E.

Main Activity (30min): "Read, Map, Retell"

Read TreeTops Stage 2–3 excerpt aloud with stops at page turns. Small groups fill story map: title, characters, beginning/middle/end events. Groups retell to class; listeners add one missing detail. Optional: draw one scene with speech bubble.

Wrap-up (5min)

Sticky note exit: "My favorite part was ___ because ___."

Teacher Tips

• TreeTops bridges ORT K3 exit to chapter-book readiness.
• Comprehension beats decoding speed — choral read difficult pages.
• Story map template reusable for Lessons 15 and 18 review.