New York State Elementary Test Prep- ELA 4- Grade 1

As we read/discuss literature in my classroom, we often concentrate on the literary elements. I am always ready to hear the thinking and reasoning behind the discussion, not just ONE right answer. In our Guided groups and large group, we often return to the text to confirm and support what we say. Story elements are effective tools that can be used to increase comprehension and learner understanding. We use story maps and other graphic organizers to enhance our retellings. When discussing the elements of a story we use the terms character, setting, problem and solution. I have included some questions that can help elicit responses from your students.

Character	Is there a main character? Who is it?	How is the main character important to this story?	Are there other important characters? How are they important to the story?
Setting	Where does the story take place?	What is important about the setting?	How important is the setting to the story?
Problem	Is there a problem in this story?	How does the problem affect the characters?	How do you predict the problem might be solved?
Solution	How did the story end?	Was the problem solved?	Did you like the ending? Why or why not?

How do we accomplish this in our first grade?

Read many different books as a whole group in shared reading.
Usually starting in October , we focus on one element and begin to create collaborative story maps through interactive writing.
When I want the children to work independently, I use my listening center . The children listen to a story tape and respond at their seats following the story by drawing or writing about the element I have assigned them for the day.

Here are some pages that you can print out below. I use these in my literacy listening centers. I find that the more the kids practice the better they are at discussing story elements.

Click on the links below to use our listening response sheets.

Character Setting Problem