Foundations of Language and Literacy · Junior Infants

Active learning ideas

Exploring Different Genres: Fairy Tales

Active learning helps Junior Infants grasp fairy tale features by letting them touch, move, and create with the stories they hear. When children role-play endings or sort characters by actions, they connect abstract ideas like 'good' and 'magic' to concrete, memorable experiences.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Purpose and Genre
• NCCA: Primary - Appreciation of Language

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Interactive Read-Aloud

Select a simple fairy tale like 'Goldilocks.' Read aloud, pausing at key points to ask about magic events and character kindness. Children respond with thumbs up/down or share one word descriptions.

What magic or special things happened in this fairy tale?

Facilitation Tip

During the Interactive Read-Aloud, pause on the first page to let children chime in with the familiar 'once upon a time' phrase to build shared anticipation.

What to look for

After reading a fairy tale, ask students to point to pictures in the book that show magic or special events. Then, have them hold up one finger for a kind character and two fingers for a not-so-kind character when you name them.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 30 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Character Sorting Mats

Prepare mats with 'kind' and 'not-so-kind' labels. Provide character pictures from the story. Groups sort and justify choices with sentences like 'The wolf is not kind because...'

Who were the kind characters and who were the not-so-kind characters in the story?

Facilitation Tip

During Character Sorting Mats, model how to place one character card at a time so children watch your reasoning before working in pairs.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If you could add one more magical thing to the story we just read, what would it be and why?' Encourage students to share their ideas and explain their reasoning, listening for creative additions and justifications.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 20 min · Pairs

Pairs: New Ending Dramatization

Pairs discuss and act out a changed ending using props like scarves for costumes. One child narrates while the other performs. Share one pair's version with the class.

How would you change the ending of this fairy tale?

Facilitation Tip

During New Ending Dramatization, provide simple props like a crown or wand so children can physically step into the story to explore changes.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple worksheet. Ask them to draw one kind character and one not-so-kind character from the story. Below each drawing, they can dictate or draw one word describing why that character was kind or not-so-kind.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 15 min · Individual

Individual: Magic Item Drawing

Children draw a new magic item for the story and label its power. Display drawings and have owners explain to a partner.

What magic or special things happened in this fairy tale?

What to look for

After reading a fairy tale, ask students to point to pictures in the book that show magic or special events. Then, have them hold up one finger for a kind character and two fingers for a not-so-kind character when you name them.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers begin with read-alouds that read aloud the familiar phrases slowly and invite children to echo key words, building a shared language bank. They avoid over-explaining the difference between fantasy and reality; instead, they let children discover the boundary by adding silly twists during role-play. Research shows that when children act out fairy tales, their recall of story elements improves because movement and voice create stronger memory hooks.

Children will point to magical events in stories, sort characters by actions with clear reasons, and invent new endings that keep the fairy tale spirit alive. They will show growing comfort with fantasy elements and story structure through their talk, drawings, and play.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Interactive Read-Aloud, watch for children who treat fairy tale events as real.

  As you read, occasionally add a silly twist like 'and the wolf wore bunny slippers' to highlight the story’s playful nature, then ask children to raise hands if the twist could happen in real life.

• During Character Sorting Mats, watch for children who place characters only on extreme ends.

  Prompt pairs to discuss a character’s action first and then place the card closer to the middle if the action shows change or mixed motives.

• During New Ending Dramatization, watch for children who insist endings must always be happy.

  Give pairs a choice: they can keep the happy ending or try one where things stay tricky but the character learns something new.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play