Lauren Flahive

Interactive Read-Aloud Assignment

Interactive Read-Aloud: The Rainbow Fish, (Pfister)

Grade: 1st
Common Core Literacy Standard:
RL. 1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to
the senses.
Continuum of Literacy Learning Goal:
Students should be able to infer characters intentions or feelings.

Objectives:
Students will be able to make inferences about the story during reading and after reading.
Students will be able to determine the texts message.
Students will be able to make connections between the text and their own experiences.

Materials:
Book The Rainbow Fish (Pfister)
Paper Fish, one happy and one sad (one of each per student)
Procedure:
1. Gather the class, to sit in the Reading Corner.
2. Distribute the happy and sad Paper Fish to each student.
3. Preview the book to the class. Show them the cover and read the title. Flip through the
pages, so that the class can have a chance to look at the illustrations.
4. Before reading, ask the class if they think the Rainbow Fish is happy or sad. Tell them to
hold up the happy Paper Fish or the sad Paper Fish, to show their answer. Ask some
students to share why they think the Rainbow Fish is happy or sad.
5. Read aloud. Stop when the Rainbow Fish doesnt give the little blue fish a scale and ask
students, How do you think the little blue fish feels when the Rainbow Fish didnt share
a shiny scale with him? Happy or sad? Have them raise either their happy Paper Fish or
their sad Paper Fish. Ask students why they think the little blue fish is happy or sad.
6. Call on some volunteers to share their thoughts.
7. Continue reading. Stop after the Rainbow Fish talks to the starfish and ask students,
How do you think the Rainbow Fish feels now that none of the other fish like him?
Happy or sad? Have them raise either their happy Paper Fish or their sad Paper Fish.
Ask students why they think the Rainbow Fish is happy or sad. Tell the students to pay
attention to the characters emotions throughout the story.
 8. Again, call on some volunteers to share their thoughts. (Try and call on different students
than before.)
9. Continue reading. Stop after the Rainbow Fish gives the little blue fish a shiny scale and
ask students, How do you think the Rainbow Fish is going to feel after sharing one of
his shiny scales with the little blue fish? Happy or sad? Have them raise either their
happy Paper Fish or their sad Paper Fish. Ask students why they think the Rainbow Fish
will feel happy or sad.
10. Again, call on some volunteers to share their thoughts. (Try and call on different students
than before.)
11. Continue reading until the end of the book and ask students, How do you think the
Rainbow Fish feels after sharing his shiny scales with the rest of the fish? Happy or
sad? Have them raise either their happy Paper Fish or their sad Paper Fish. Ask some
students why they think the Rainbow Fish is happy or sad.
12. Again, call on some volunteers to share their thoughts. (Try and call on different students
than before.)
13. To conclude, ask the students if they have had an experience where they shared with
someone, or if someone has shared with them. Ask the students how it made them feel.
Let volunteers take turns sharing their thoughts.
Evaluation:
Monitor the students responses, on whether they raised the happy or sad Paper Fish,
throughout the reading. Look to see if their response accurately matched the emotion
going on in the story.
Observe and listen to the students responses and thoughts they shared, during the read-
aloud.