How to Teach Fairy Tales and Traditional Tales

Fairy tales, such as the story of the tortoise and the hare, often have important lessons.

Most states have education standards that include traditional literature such as fairy tales and folk tales. What makes these stories intriguing as teaching aids is that no matter where in the world the tales originate, they usually offer universal themes within human history. Many homeschooling parents also choose to include traditional literature in their programs as well. Having appropriate resources makes planning a unit easier.

Instructions

1. Collect a series of traditional tales and fairy tales you wish to use with a class or your own children. Libraries and used book sales are good resources for hard copies (see Resources).

2. Read the tales before using them with children. The original Grimm's tales are far more violent than the sanitized versions. Some parents are surprised when purchasing a copy of the original tales to find that they are not the stories they remember. This holds true of any traditional literature. Just because a story is found in the children's section and is illustrated does not mean the story that will be appropriate for all situations.

3. Choose stories from a variety of cultures. Have students make a list of common themes found in stories and across cultures.

4. Teach students about the oral traditions that traditional tales developed from in each culture. Use puppets, reader's theater and storytelling techniques to help children share the oral story tradition.

5. Decide the vocabulary you wish the children to know by the end of the unit. Use the words, define them in context and encourage the students to use the appropriate vocabulary during class discussions.

6. Read some of the fractured fairy tales to children. There are varieties of tales available that tell the traditional fairy tales from another characters' perspectives. Compare and contrast versions of the tales. Students can use Venn diagrams or any other tools to demonstrate similarities and differences.

7. Use fairy tales and traditional tales to teach plot development to students. Even young children can be taught how to use a plot map. Older students can use traditional tales as the basis for more complex discussions about plot. Engage students in discussions and give them tools to prepare for the discussion and to record what they learn after the discussion.

Tips & Warnings

• Compare and contrast the similarities and differences of traditional literature.

• Consider having older children write their own fairy tales explaining the origins of a modern technology.

References

• Ferrum College; General Guidelines for Teaching with Folk Tales ... ; Tina L. Hanlon

Resources

• Sorting Through Life's Lessons: Fairy Tale and Traditional Tale Resources