Use this strategy with the whole class to model the importance of capturing the most important parts of the story. Stop about half way through the book and ask the students to turn and talk with a classmate about the main events that are most noteworthy. Give them a few minutes and then record their ideas for all to see. From here, depending on the grade, students could formulate a paragraph using the key ideas collected during the whole class discussion.

What causes the fish to leave the pond?

What effect does leaving the pond have on the fish?

Before reading pages 13-18 to the class, remind students that making a picture or mental image helps us understand what we are reading.

Read pages 13-18 to the class without showing the pictures. Have some students describe the images they pictured and then show them the pages.

Ask the students why their mental images probably differed from the fish’s mental images. (We make new meaning based on what we already know. When the frog was describing what he had seen outside of the pond, the fish pictured it from his perspective of only knowing about fish.)

Sometimes when we’re reading, we sound out a word, but it doesn’t quite make sense. That’s a clue to try a different sound for a letter or part of the word!

Let’s practice with these words:

• Fine — You might first try saying it like “fin” (like a fish fin), but that doesn’t sound right in the sentence. Try the long i sound: “fine.” Now it makes sense!
• Gone — You might read this with a long o like in “cone,” but it actually sounds like “gon” (like in "on"). Flip the vowel sound to check!
• Feathered — If "fea" doesn’t sound right, try saying it like "feth" (short e sound) and see if it makes more sense.
• Decided — You might say "deck-ided" at first, but try a long e sound at the beginning: “dee-cided.”

There are many places in this book to model reading with meaning. The first few pages should sound joyful until the fish gets mad when he sees that the tadpole is turning into a frog. Using the pictures on the next few pages, it is clear that the fish is getting mad! His madness turns to sadness when the frog leaves and does not return for weeks. After the frog describes what he has seen on land to the fish, it is clear that the fish is getting sad and jealous. This is evident in the pictures as well. Finally, on the last page the fish learns his lesson and all is well.

Select words from the text to discuss with the class, such as: triumphantly, mysteriously, marvelous, gasping, feebly, groaned, luminous.

Think aloud how some other words in the sentences may help you determine the meanings of these words. Reread the sentence, thinking about what the sentence is saying and decide if a synonym can be used in its place.

On the first page, the author uses the word “inseparable.” Ask the class if they know any part of this word.  Discuss what the prefix “in” means and what the suffix “able” means. Point out the root word, separate and see if they can determine the meaning of inseparable. 

Use this same strategy for extraordinary (page 12), impatiently (page 14), unable (page 23), and weightless (last page).