Minnie Mouse Storytime

Overview

This 30-minute session is designed for one 4th grade student to practice reading comprehension through a Minnie Mouse narrative paired with WH-questions. The lesson aligns with Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts, focusing on reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. Visual supports and a dyslexia-friendly worksheet help ensure accessibility. Differentiated and extension activities accommodate diverse learning needs.

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Standards Addressed

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4.A
Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

• I can read and understand a short Minnie Mouse story.
• I can answer WH-questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why) about the story.
• I can use visual clues to support my answers.
• I can explain details about the characters and setting from the text.

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Success Criteria

• Accurately answer at least 4 WH-questions based on the story.
• Use visual supports effectively to formulate responses.
• Demonstrate engagement by summarizing parts of the story in own words.

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Materials

• Dyslexia-friendly annotated Minnie Mouse story worksheet (large font, clear spacing, simple font such as OpenDyslexic)
• Visual supports for WH-questions (icons next to who, what, when, where, why)
• Colored pencils or markers
• Whiteboard and marker (for optional summary)

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Lesson Procedure

1. Introduction & Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Greet student and explain today's goal: read a Minnie Mouse story and answer questions.
• Show visual icons for WH-questions, briefly reviewing what each question word means.
• Use a simple example unrelated to the story, e.g., “Who is your favorite cartoon character?”

2. Guided Reading (10 minutes)

• Student reads the Minnie Mouse narrative silently or aloud as preferred. Use the dyslexia-friendly text format.
• Teacher follows along; if necessary, read lines aloud with the student to model fluency and expression.
• Pause after each paragraph to discuss key details and check comprehension.

3. WH-Questions Worksheet (10 minutes)

• Student completes the worksheet that includes 5 WH-questions about the story. Each question is paired with a small image representing the question type (e.g., an eye for “Who”).
• Questions example:
  • Who is in the story?
  • What is Minnie doing?
  • When does the story take place?
  • Where does Minnie go?
  • Why does Minnie feel happy?
• Encourage referring back to the text and images to find answers. Teacher supports as needed.

4. Review & Reflect (5 minutes)

• Review answers together using the worksheet and text.
• Ask student to summarize one part of the story in their own words.
• Praise efforts and encourage self-awareness of learning: “What part was easy? What was tricky?”

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Differentiation Strategies

• For Diverse Learners:

  • Provide read-aloud support or allow audio recording of the story.
  • Use visual cues and graphic organizers to break down questions.
  • Simplify questions or offer multiple-choice options if needed.

• For Dyslexic Learners:

  • Use dyslexia-friendly fonts and color overlays.
  • Highlight keywords in each sentence to improve focus.
  • Break text into smaller, manageable chunks.

• Extension for Advanced Learners:

  • Write an additional question predicting what might happen next in the story.
  • Create a short alternate ending for Minnie’s adventure using clues from the text.
  • Discuss character motivations in more depth and connect to other stories.

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Assessment

• Informal formative assessment through observation during reading and worksheet completion.
• Check accuracy and completeness of WH-question answers.
• Use student summary to assess deeper understanding.

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Reflection and Next Steps

• Note which questions or story parts posed challenges and consider revisiting story elements in upcoming lessons.
• Plan to introduce more complex narratives and inference questions as skills develop.
• Integrate technology options (text-to-speech tools) for practice at home if helpful.

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This lesson combines storytelling, visual aids, and comprehension strategies to support a single student’s reading growth while fully aligning with 4th grade language arts Common Core standards.