First Grade · Reading · week 25

Characters and Settings

Identify the characters and setting in a story and talk about both after reading.

Every story has characters -- the people or animals it is about -- and a setting -- where and when it happens. Today you will practice noticing both while you read.

After you finish a story, ask yourself: who was in it, and where did it happen? Those two questions unlock most of what a story is about.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Ask "who" and "where" questions after every story this week, out loud, as a habit.
  • Use the words "character" and "setting" by name so your child learns the vocabulary, not just the idea.
  • Point to pictures in a book to help identify the setting when the words alone are not enough.
  • Talk about the setting of your own home or town as a warm-up before naming one in a book.
Talk about it:
  • Who are the characters in the story you just read?
  • Where and when does the story take place?
  • How does the setting change how the characters act?

Mastery looks like: They correctly name the characters and setting of a short story after reading or hearing it.

Common stumbles: Naming an event instead of a character, or skipping the setting entirely when asked about a story.

See it visually

Interactive, spoken-aloud tools that show this idea in motion.

Story MapChart characters, setting, problem, and solution.try →
Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Reading for this learner.
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