Too Many Tamales

On Tuesday we read Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto to discuss character traits and to identify the elements of a story. First we watched the video on Discovery Education and then we read the book. After reading, we discussed the different emotions that the main character had throughout the story. We then created a class Story Map to identify the characters, the setting, the problem, and the solution. The students then created their own Story Maps. Parents, as you are reading with your children, ask them questions such as these:

• Who are the characters in the story? (use specific names)
• What is the setting of the story? (use specific places and times)
• Is there a problem in the story? What is it?
• How do you think the problem will be solved?
• How was the problem solved in the story?
• How did the characters feel in this story?
• Why do the characters feel that way?
• What made the character's feelings change?