The Little Red Hen

This lesson uses the classic story "The Little Red Hen" to teach children about teamwork, responsibility, and the importance of helping others. The conversation between Mom and the little kid helps introduce the moral of the story in an easy-to-understand way.

Little Kid: (excited) Mommy, tell me a story!
Mom: (smiling) Okay, how about I tell you the story of “The Little Red Hen”?
Little Kid: Ooh, I like that one!
Mom: (starting the story) Once upon a time, there was a little red hen. She found some seeds and decided to plant them. She asked her friends, the dog, the cat, and the pig, to help her.
Little Kid: Did they help her?
Mom: No, sweetheart, they didn’t. The dog said, “I’m too tired.” The cat said, “I’m too busy.” And the pig said, “I don’t feel like it.”
Little Kid: Oh no! That’s not nice!
Mom: That’s right. So the little red hen planted the seeds all by herself. She watered them, took care of them, and soon the wheat grew tall.
Little Kid: Wow! She did all that by herself?
Mom: Yes! And when the wheat was ready to be harvested, she asked her friends again to help her. But again, they all said no. So she harvested the wheat all by herself.
Little Kid: They didn’t help her at all?
Mom: Nope. After she baked the bread, she asked, “Who will help me eat the bread?”
Little Kid: And did they help her then?
Mom: (smiling) Yes, they did! But the little red hen said, “Since you didn’t help me plant, water, or harvest the wheat, you don’t get to eat the bread.” So, she ate it all herself!
Little Kid: (laughing) That’s funny! They should’ve helped her!
Mom: Yes, they should’ve! The story teaches us that it’s important to help others, and if you don’t help, you don’t get the reward.
Little Kid: I’ll help you more, Mom!
Mom: (hugging) That’s my good girl! Remember, helping others makes everyone happy.

Vocabulary List

    • Hen [hɛn] (noun) – A female chicken.
      • Example: “The hen lays eggs.”
    • Plant [plænt] (verb) – To put a seed in the ground so it can grow.
      • Example: “I like to plant flowers in the garden.”
    • Harvest [ˈhɑːvɪst] (verb) – To gather crops when they are ready.
      • Example: “We harvest apples in the fall.”
    • Reward [rɪˈwɔːd] (noun) – A gift or prize given for doing something good.
      • Example: “The reward for helping was a big smile from Mom.”

    Grammar Tips:

    • Past tense of regular verbs: In this story, the past tense of regular verbs like “plant” (planted), “harvest” (harvested), and “help” (helped) are used to describe what happened in the past.
      • Example: “She planted the seeds.”
      • The verb “help” becomes “helped” in the past tense.
    • Use of “since”: The word “since” shows the reason for something. It’s used to explain why the little red hen didn’t share the bread with her friends.
      • Example: “Since you didn’t help me, you don’t get any bread.”

FILL IN THE BLANK

Story with Missing Words

Little Kid: (excited) Mommy, tell me a story!

Mom: (smiling) Okay, how about I tell you the story of "The Little Red Hen"?

Little Kid: Ooh, I like that one!
Mom: "Once upon a time, there was a little red ."
Little Kid: "Was she all ?"
Mom: "Yes, sweetheart. She found some seeds and decided to them."
Little Kid: "Who did she ask for help?"
Mom: "She asked the dog, the , and the pig."
Little Kid: "Did they help her?"
Mom: "No, they didn’t! The dog said, 'I’m too .' The cat said, 'I’m too busy.' And the pig said, 'I don’t feel .'"
Little Kid: "That’s not nice!"
Mom: "No, it’s not. So the little red hen planted the seeds all by ."
Little Kid: "Wow! She did it all alone?"
Mom: "Yes! And after a while, the wheat grew ."
Little Kid: "Then what happened?"
Mom: "She asked for help to harvest the wheat, but no one helped her again!"
Little Kid: "Oh no!"
Mom: "After she baked the bread, she asked, 'Who will help me eat the bread?'"
Little Kid: "Did they help her?"
Mom: "Yes, but she said, 'Since you didn’t help me, you don’t get to the bread!'"
Little Kid: "That’s funny! They should’ve helped her!"
Mom: "Yes, that’s the lesson. If you don’t help, you don’t get the ."

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