Entry 5: Children's books with ELL

The Mixed-Up Chameleon

by Eric Carle

This story is about a chameleon who didn't have a very exiting life until one day he came across a zoo and saw many beautiful animals. He makes multiple wishes to be like the beautiful animals in the zoo. All of his wishes come true and he ends up feeling very mixed up and wishes to be himself again. The chameleon realizes that it's  okay to be himself.

Components that might affect comprehension:

Challenges

1. The concept of animals at a zoo.

2. What a "wish" is.
3. New vocabulary

Supports

3. The pictures are colorful and engaging.
4.  The pictures help support the text.

5. Relatively familiar topic.
6. Age appropriate and developmentally appropriate.

Before reading the book ask students open ended questions to see what they already know about chameleons. Have students make predictions based on the title and cover. I would suggest reading the story a second time and pointing to each animal on the page and explaining what it is called before the chameleon begins to change into the other animals. This way the students have some background information before this happens. This would be a fun book to read after visiting a zoo so the students can make connections with the animals in the story. 

The Giant Cabbage an Alaska Folktale

by Cherie Stihler

This story is about Moose getting ready for the Giant Cabbage contest. He finds an enormous cabbage sitting in his garden. No matter what he does he can't move the cabbage. Many animals friends stop by and try to help moose move the cabbage. They try many different things and nothing works, until all the animals work together and get the cabbage into the truck. They take the cabbage to the fair and moose wins first prize for his giant cabbage. The animal friends help break the cabbage up into smaller pieces and Moose brings the cabbage home to make cabbage soup. All of his animal friends bring a vegetable to add to the soup and they enjoy a wonderful meal together.

Components that might affect comprehension:

Challenges

1. Too many words.

2. Unknown verbs: bump, shove, grab, lift, tug, budge.
3. Metaphors are used.

Supports

4. Pictures are engaging and support the text.

5. Simple story line that is familiar.
6. Developmentally appropriate.

I would recommend asking if any of your students have been to a fair and what their experience was like. This will allow students who have never been to a fair to gain some background knowledge before the story starts. It might be beneficial to list some of the unknown verbs on the board and have students act out what each word means. Many children are unfamiliar with what a cabbage is...bringing in a real cabbage from the grocery store would be fun.

References

     Carle, E. (1989). The mixed-up chameleon. New York: Scholastic Inc.

     Stihler, C. (2003). The giant cabbage an alaska folktale. Washington: Sasquatch Books.