Stories Begin at Home

Every story you know came from somewhere — a kitchen, a porch, a field, a neighborhood block. This lesson starts there.

What We Will Do

We will read a short passage together, then talk about where the story lives in your own life. The goal is not to get the answer right. The goal is to notice what the story makes you think and feel.

Reading Prompt

Find a comfortable spot with your caregiver or reading partner. Read the passage below aloud, or have your partner read it to you.

“The old oak at the edge of the garden had been there longer than anyone could remember. Every spring it dropped seeds, and every fall the children collected them in their pockets like small promises.”

Discussion Questions

After reading, talk through these questions together:

1. Where does this story feel like it takes place? Does it remind you of a place you know?
2. What do you think “small promises” means? Have you ever made a promise to yourself?
3. If you were going to write a story that started with a tree or a plant, what would it be?

Vocabulary to Notice

• Promise — something you commit to doing or keeping
• Collected — gathered together carefully over time

Write one sentence using each word in your notebook.

Before Next Lesson

Ask someone in your family to tell you a short story — something that really happened — that starts with a place. Write down two or three details you want to remember.