Thinking Friends® Stories
There are eight (8) stories (currently available in Spanish and English) that introduce each of the major animal characters as s/he interacts with Farmer Framer and three (3) stories in which the animal characters and Farmer Framer interact as a group. The Story example below Snakey Sequencer Meets Farmer Framer includes an introduction with outcomes, assessment and pre-reading; followed by the story; and concluding with Post-Reading activities.

What is the Thinking Friends® Story Process?
The sample story Meeting Snakey Sequencer on this page includes the three steps in the Thinking Friends® process:

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Introduction: Meeting Snakey Sequencer
Meeting Snakey Sequencer Snakey Sequencer’s cognitive/thinking strength is SEQUENCING. Snakey puts things in order and focuses on the sequencing of ideas, things, numbers, alphabet, and events.

Educational outcomes
When children understand and can apply sequencing like Snakey Sequencer…

How you can assess progress
At the conclusion of the guide…

Pre-reading activity:

During Reading:
When reading this story, ask students to pay attention to what happens first, what happens next, and what happens at the end. Have the child consider the order of events that happen from Snakey’s perspective. They may want to draw pictures as they try to remember what happens in the story to refer back later.

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Sample Story: Snakey Sequencer Meets Farmer Framer
Farmer Framer is headed down to the barn to do his chores. It is early in the morning. He looks down on the ground and is startled to see a snake following him down to the barn. He jumps back a little.

Snakey looks up and says, “Hi Farmer Framer, I’m Snakey Sequencer.”

Farmer Framer replies, “Hello Snakey Sequencer. What brings you here this fine day?”

Snakey says, “I hear this is the Thinking Farm where each of your animals has a special thinking skill. I’d like to come live here because I have a special thinking skill too.”

Farmer Framer nods. “Yes, this is the Thinking Farm. What is your special thinking skill?”

Snakey looks at Farmer Framer and says, “I like to put things in order and I like to look at the sequence of things that happen—that’s why my name is Snakey Sequencer. Plus, look at the pattern on my skin—it forms a sequence —see—wavy line, straight line, two dots, wavy line, straight line, two dots. Yesterday, I watched the order that you fed the animals and gave them water. I like to focus on these sequences and make up new ones of my own.

Farmer Framer responds, “Well, you’ll fit in well at our Thinking Farm with the Thinking Friends—we need someone like you to put things in order. We don’t have anyone with that special skill and it’s an important one! In fact, I was wondering what to do today and I can’t figure out what to do first. I’ve got to milk the cow, clean the stalls, feed the animals, put some of them out in the pasture, give them all water, collect eggs from the chicken, and I need to take a nap and have lunch. There’s so much to do here on the farm and I need to figure out the best order in which to do them!”

Snakey thinks for a moment. “Well, it seems to me that you need to feed the animals first because they all seem restless and hungry. They will be thirsty so next you should give them water. After that, you should milk the cow before you put her in the pasture. Then you can put her outside and the pony and donkey outside, too, so you can clean their stalls. Then you can collect eggs, bring them to the house and have lunch. Finally, you can take a nap. You’ll be so tired!” Farmer Framer says, “That’s brilliant Snakey and sounds like a plan— do you want to follow me to make sure I do things in that order? And you can meet all the animals along the way.”

“Sure,” Snakey says excitedly. “I think I’m really going to like it here!”

Farmer Framer says, “Snakey, thank you for helping me understand how important it is to sequence. We need to put things in order, and understand the sequence of stories and events. I am going to think some more about how I put things in order, and I’m glad I have you here to help me.”

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Post-reading Activities:
Sequencing is a thinking skill that is essential to reading comprehension, mathematics and planning our daily lives. After Snakey Sequencer has been introduced, and the ‘Snakey meets Farmer Framer’ story has been read, students should be encouraged to recognize the sequence of any story they read.

Applying these ideas to other stories:
If, as the teacher or parent, you are reading aloud to a child, ask him or her at the end (or part of the way through), “What has happened so far? What is the sequence or order of events that have happened?”

As students become more familiar with the characters and their associations you can ask, “In what order might Snakey Sequencer think about the events that happened?”


 

 

 



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Thinking Friends®