Small kids story in english
20 Best Short Moral Stories for Kids (Valuable Lessons)
Want to expand your children’s vocabulary? Read to them. That’s all it takes — and there are other benefits to reading aloud to young children as well.
Reading to older children offers a great method to teach them life lessons in a way that they’ll understand. And it’s easier than ever to find these moral stories to read.
There is a large selection of short moral stories for kids online. They range from the classics like The Boy Who Cried Wolf, to somber ones talking about greed. To help you out, we’ve gathered a selection of the most 20 popular stories.
Table of Contents
- 20 Short Moral Stories For Kids
- How Moral Stories Benefit Children
- The Takeaway
20 Short Moral Stories For Kids
1. The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Moral
Lying breaks trust — even if you’re telling the truth, no one believes a liar.
Once, there was a boy who became bored when he watched over the village sheep grazing on the hillside. To entertain himself, he sang out, “Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!”
When the villagers heard the cry, they came running up the hill to drive the wolf away. But, when they arrived, they saw no wolf. The boy was amused when seeing their angry faces.
“Don’t scream wolf, boy,” warned the villagers, “when there is no wolf!” They angrily went back down the hill.
Later, the shepherd boy cried out once again, “Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!” To his amusement, he looked on as the villagers came running up the hill to scare the wolf away.
As they saw there was no wolf, they said strictly, “Save your frightened cry for when there really is a wolf! Don’t cry ‘wolf’ when there is no wolf!” But the boy grinned at their words while they walked grumbling down the hill once more.
Later, the boy saw a real wolf sneaking around his flock. Alarmed, he jumped on his feet and cried out as loud as he could, “Wolf! Wolf!” But the villagers thought he was fooling them again, and so they didn’t come to help.
At sunset, the villagers went looking for the boy who hadn’t returned with their sheep. When they went up the hill, they found him weeping.
“There really was a wolf here! The flock is gone! I cried out, ‘Wolf!’ but you didn’t come,” he wailed.
An old man went to comfort the boy. As he put his arm around him, he said, “Nobody believes a liar, even when he is telling the truth!”
2. The Golden Touch
The Moral
Greed will always lead to downfall.
There once was a king named Midas who did a good deed for a Satyr. And he was then granted a wish by Dionysus, the god of wine.
For his wish, Midas asked that whatever he touched would turn to gold. Despite Dionysus’ efforts to prevent it, Midas pleaded that this was a fantastic wish, and so, it was bestowed.
Excited about his newly-earned powers, Midas started touching all kinds of things, turning each item into pure gold.
But soon, Midas became hungry. As he picked up a piece of food, he found he couldn’t eat it.
It had turned to gold in his hand.
Hungry, Midas groaned, “I’ll starve! Perhaps this was not such an excellent wish after all!”
Seeing his dismay, Midas’ beloved daughter threw her arms around him to comfort him, and she, too, turned to gold. “The golden touch is no blessing,” Midas cried.
3. The Fox and the Grapes
The Moral
Never despise what we can’t have; nothing comes easy.
One day, a fox became very hungry as he went to search for some food. He searched high and low, but couldn’t find something that he could eat.
Finally, as his stomach rumbled, he stumbled upon a farmer’s wall. At the top of the wall, he saw the biggest, juiciest grapes he’d ever seen. They had a rich, purple color, telling the fox they were ready to be eaten.
To reach the grapes, the fox had to jump high in the air. As he jumped, he opened his mouth to catch the grapes, but he missed. The fox tried again but missed yet again.
He tried a few more times but kept failing.
Finally, the fox decided it was time to give up and go home. While he walked away, he muttered, “I’m sure the grapes were sour anyway.”
4. The Proud Rose
The Moral
Never judge anyone by the way they look.
Once upon a time, in a desert far away, there was a rose who was so proud of her beautiful looks. Her only complaint was growing next to an ugly cactus.
Every day, the beautiful rose would insult and mock the cactus on his looks, all while the cactus remained quiet. All the other plants nearby tried to make the rose see sense, but she was too swayed by her own looks.
One scorching summer, the desert became dry, and there was no water left for the plants. The rose quickly began to wilt. Her beautiful petals dried up, losing their lush color.
Looking to the cactus, she saw a sparrow dip his beak into the cactus to drink some water. Though ashamed, the rose asked the cactus if she could have some water. The kind cactus readily agreed, helping them both through the tough summer, as friends.
5. The Milkmaid and Her Pail
The Moral
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
One day, Molly the milkmaid had filled her pails with milk. Her job was to milk the cows, and then bring the milk to the market to sell. Molly loved to think about what to spend her money on.
As she filled the pails with milk and went to market, she again thought of all the things she wanted to buy. As she walked along the road, she thought of buying a cake and a basket full of fresh strawberries.
A little further down the road, she spotted a chicken. She thought, “With the money I get from today, I’m going to buy a chicken of my own. That chicken will lay eggs, then I will be able to sell milk and eggs and get more money!”
She continued, “With more money, I will be able to buy a fancy dress and make all the other milkmaids jealous.” Out of excitement, Molly started skipping, forgetting about the milk in her pails. Soon, the milk started spilling over the edges, covering Molly.
Drenched, Molly said to herself, “Oh no! I will never have enough money to buy a chicken now.” She went home with her empty pails.
“Oh, my goodness! What happened to you?” Molly’s mother asked.
“I was too busy dreaming about all the things I wanted to buy that I forgot about the pails,” she answered.
“Oh, Molly, my dear. How many times do I need to say, ‘Don’t count your chickens until they hatch?’”
6. A Wise Old Owl
The Moral
Be more observant. Talk less and listen more. This will make us wise.
There was an old owl who lived in an oak tree. Every day, he observed incidents that occurred around him.
Yesterday, he watched as a young boy helped an old man carry a heavy basket. Today, he saw a young girl shouting at her mother. The more he saw, the less he spoke.
As the days went on, he spoke less but heard more. The old owl heard people talking and telling stories.
He heard a woman saying an elephant jumped over a fence.
He heard a man saying that he had never made a mistake.
The old owl had seen and heard what happened to people. There were some who became better, some who became worse. But the old owl in the tree had become wiser, each and every day.
7. The Golden Egg
The Moral
Never act before you think.
Once upon a time, a farmer had a goose that laid one golden egg every day. The egg provided enough money for the farmer and his wife to support their daily needs. The farmer and his wife continued to be happy for a long time.
But, one day, the farmer thought to himself, “Why should we take just one egg a day? Why can’t we take them all at once and make a lot of money?” The farmer told his wife his idea, and she foolishly agreed.
Then, the next day, as the goose laid its golden egg, the farmer was quick with a sharp knife. He killed the goose and cut its stomach open, in the hopes of finding all its golden eggs. But, as he opened the stomach, the only thing he found was guts and blood.
The farmer quickly realized his foolish mistake and proceeded to cry over his lost resource. As the days went on, the farmer and his wife became poorer and poorer. How jinxed and how foolish they were.
8. The Farmer and the Well
The Moral
Cheating will not get you anything. If you cheat, you’ll pay soon enough.
One day, a farmer was looking for a water source for his farm, when he bought a well from his neighbor. The neighbor, however, was cunning. The next day, as the farmer came to draw water from his well, the neighbor refused to let him take any water.
When the farmer asked why, the neighbor replied, “I sold you the well, not the water,” and walked away. Distraught, the farmer went to the emperor to ask for justice. He explained what had happened.
The emperor called on Birbal, one of his nine, and wisest, courtiers. Birbal proceeded to question the neighbor, “Why don’t you let the farmer take water from the well? You did sell the well to the farmer?”
The neighbor replied, “Birbal, I did sell the well to the farmer but not the water within it.
He has no right to draw water from the well.”
Birbal said, “Look, since you sold the well, you have no right to keep the water in the farmer’s well. Either you pay rent to the farmer, or take it out immediately.” Realizing that his scheme had failed, the neighbor apologized and went home.
9. Elephant and Friends
The Moral
Friends come in every shape and size.
A lone elephant walked through the forest, looking for friends. She soon saw a monkey and proceeded to ask, ‘Can we be friends, monkey?’
The monkey quickly replied, ‘You are big and can’t swing on trees like I do, so I cannot be your friend.’
Defeated, the elephant continued to search when it stumbled across a rabbit. She proceeded to ask him, ‘Can we be friends, rabbit?’
The rabbit looked at the elephant and replied, “You are too big to fit inside my burrow. You cannot be my friend.”
Then, the elephant continued until she met a frog. She asked, “Will you be my friend, frog?”
The frog replied, “You are too big and heavy; you cannot jump like me.
I am sorry, but you can’t be my friend.”
The elephant continued to ask the animals she met on her way, but always received the same reply. The following day, the elephant saw all the forest animals run in fear. She stopped a bear to ask what was happening and was told the tiger was attacking all the small animals.
The elephant wanted to save the other animals, so she went to the tiger and said, “Please, sir, leave my friends alone. Do not eat them.”
The tiger didn’t listen. He merely told the elephant to mind her own business.
Seeing no other way, the elephant kicked the tiger and scared him away. Upon hearing of the brave tale, the other animals agreed, “You are just the right size to be our friend.”
10. When Adversity Knocks
The Moral
We can choose how to respond in difficult situations.
Asha was getting frustrated and tired of life, so she asked her father what to do. Her father told her to bring an egg, two tea leaves, and a potato.
He then brought out three vessels, filled them with water, and placed them on the stove.
Once the water was boiling, he told Asha to place the items into each pot and keep an eye on them. After 10 minutes, he asked Asha to peel the egg, peel the potato, and strain the leaves. Asha was left confused.
Her father explained, “Each item was placed into the same circumstance, boiling water. See how each responded differently?”
He continued, “The egg was soft, but is now hard. The potato was hard, but is now soft. And the tea leaves, they changed the water itself.”
The father then asked, “When adversity calls, we respond in the same manner as they have. Now, are you an egg, a potato, or tea leaves?”
11. The Needle Tree
The Moral
It’s important to be kind, as it will always be rewarded.
Once, there were two brothers who lived at the forest’s edge. The oldest brother was always unkind to his younger brother. The older brother took all the food and snatched all the good clothes.
The oldest brother used to go into the forest in search of firewood to sell in the market. As he walked through the forest, he chopped off the branches of every tree, until he came upon a magical tree.
The tree stopped him before he chopped its branches and said, ‘Oh, kind sir, please spare my branches. If you spare me, I will provide you with golden apples.’
The oldest brother agreed but was feeling disappointed with how many apples the tree gave him.
Overcome by greed, the brother threatened to cut the entire tree if it didn’t provide him with more apples. But, instead of giving more apples, the tree showered him with hundreds of tiny needles. The brother fell to the ground, crying in pain as the sun began to set.
Soon, the younger brother became worried and went to search for his older brother. He searched until he found him at the trunk of the tree, lying in pain with hundreds of needles on his body.
He rushed to him and started to painstakingly remove each needle with love.
Once the needles were out, the oldest brother apologized for treating his younger brother so badly. The magical tree saw the change in the older brother’s heart and gifted them with all the golden apples they could need.
12. A Glass of Milk
The Moral
No good deed goes unrewarded.
There once was a poor boy who spent his days going door-to-door selling newspapers to pay for school. One day, as he was walking his route, he started feeling low and weak. The poor boy was starving, so he decided to ask for food when he came to the next door.
The poor boy asked for food but was denied every time, until he reached the door of a girl. He asked for a glass of water, but seeing his poor state, the girl came back with a glass of milk. The boy asked how much he owed her for the milk, but she refused payment.
Years later, the girl, who was now a grown woman, fell sick. She went from doctor to doctor, but no one was able to cure her. Finally, she went to the best doctor in town.
The doctor spent months treating her until she was finally cured. Despite her happiness, she was afraid she couldn’t afford to pay the bill. But, when the hospital handed her the bill, it read, ‘Paid in full, with a glass of milk.’
13. The Ants and the Grasshopper
The Moral
There’s a time for work and a time for play.
One bright autumn day, a family of ants was busy working in the warm sunshine. They were drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer when a starving grasshopper came up. With his fiddle under his arm, the grasshopper humbly begged for a bite to eat.
“What!” cried the ants, “Haven’t you stored any food away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all summer?”
“I didn’t have time to store any food before winter,” the grasshopper whined. “I was too busy making music that the summer flew by.”
The ants simply shrugged their shoulders and said, “Making music, were you? Very well, now dance!” The ants then turned their backs on the grasshopper and returned to work.
14. The Bundle of Sticks
The Moral
There’s strength in unity.
Once upon a time, there was an old man who lived in a village with his three sons. Although his three sons were hard workers, they quarreled all the time. The old man tried to unite them but failed.
Months passed by, and the old man became sick. He asked his sons to remain united, but they failed to listen to him. At that moment, the old man decided to teach them a lesson — to forget their differences and come together in unity.
The old man summoned his sons, then proceeded to tell them, “I will provide you with a bundle of sticks. Separate each stick, and then break each into two. The one who finishes first will be rewarded more than the others.”
And so, the sons agreed. The old man provided them with a bundle of ten sticks each, and then asked the sons to break each stick into pieces. The sons broke the sticks within minutes, then proceeded to quarrel among themselves again.
The old man said, “My dear sons, the game is not yet over. I will now give you another bundle of sticks. Only this time, you will have to break them together as a bundle, not separately.”
The sons readily agreed and then tried to break the bundle. Despite trying their best, they could not break the sticks. The sons told their father of their failure.
The old man said, “My dear sons, see! Breaking every single stick individually was easy for you, but breaking them in a bundle, you could not do. By staying united, nobody can harm you. If you continue to quarrel, then anyone can quickly defeat you.”
The old man continued, “I ask that you stay united.” Then, the three sons understood there’s power in unity, and promised their father they would all stay together.
15. The Bear and the Two Friends
The Moral
A true friend will always support and stand by you in any situation.
One day, two friends were walking through the forest. They knew the forest was a dangerous place and that anything could happen.
So, they promised to remain close to each other in case of any danger.
All of a sudden, a big bear was approaching them. One of the friends quickly climbed a nearby tree, leaving the other friend behind.
The other friend did not know how to climb, and instead, followed common sense. He laid down on the ground and remained there, breathless, pretending to be dead.
The bear approached the friend lying on the ground. The animal started to smell his ear before slowly wandering off again because bears never touch those who are dead.
Soon, the friend who hid in the tree came down. He asked his friend, “My dear friend, what secret did the bear whisper to you?” The friend replied, “The bear simply advised me never to believe a false friend.”
16. The Miser and His Gold
The Moral
A possession is as important as what it’s used for.
There once was an old miser who lived in a house with a garden. The old miser used to hide all his gold coins under stones in his garden.
Every night, before he went to bed, the miser went out into his garden to count his coins. He continued the same routine every day, but he never spent a single, golden coin.
One day, a thief saw the old miser hiding his coins. Once the old miser went back into his house, the thief went to the hiding place and took all the gold.
The following day, as the old man came out to count his coins, he found it was gone and started wailing loudly. His neighbor heard the cries and came running, asking what had happened. Upon learning what had occurred, the neighbor asked, “Why didn’t you just save the money inside your house where it would’ve been safe?”
The neighbor continued, “Having it inside the house would make it easier to access when you need to buy something.” “Buy something?” answered the miser, “I was never going to spend my gold.”
When hearing this, the neighbor picked up a stone and threw it. Then, he said, “If that’s the case, then save the stone. It’s as worthless as the gold you’ve lost.
”
17. The Dog At the Well
The Moral
Always listen to what elders say and don’t defy them.
A mother dog and her pups lived on a farm. On the farm, there was a well. The mother dog always told her pups never to go near or play around it.
One day, one of the pups was overcome by curiosity and wondered why they weren’t allowed to go near the well. So, he decided he wanted to explore it.
He went down to the well and climbed up the wall to peek inside. In the well, he saw his reflection in the water but thought it was another dog. The little pup got angry when his reflection was imitating him, so he decided to fight it.
The little pup jumped into the well, only to find there was no dog. He began to bark and bark until the farmer came to rescue him. The pup had learned his lesson and never went back to the well again.
18. Controlling Anger
The Moral
Anger is like a knife — one of the most dangerous weapons.
When you use it, the wounds will heal, but the scars remain.
Once, there was a young boy. This boy had problems controlling his anger. When he got angry, he would say the first thing that came to mind, even if it affected people.
One day, his father gifted him a hammer and a bundle of nails, then said, “Whenever you get mad, hammer a nail into the backyard fence.”
In the first days, the boy used up half of the nails. Over the next weeks, he used up fewer nails, until his temper was under control. Then, his father asked the young boy to remove a nail for each day he didn’t lose his temper.
On the day when the boy removed his last nail, his father told him, “You have done good, boy. But, can you see the holes in the wall? The fence is never going to be the same. Likewise, when you say mean things in anger, you’ll leave a scar.”
19. The Leap at Rhodes
The Moral
It’s the deeds that count, not the boasting words.
Once, there was a man who visited foreign lands.
When he returned, all he could talk about was the wonderful adventures he had and the great deeds he had done.
One of the feats he told was about a leap he made in a city called Rhodes.
“The leap was so great,” the man said. “No other man can make such a leap. Many persons in Rhodes saw me and can prove I am telling the truth.”
“No need for witnesses,” said one who was listening. “Suppose that this city is Rhodes, now show how far you can jump.”
20. The Wolf and the Sheep
The Moral
A person’s ulterior motives are easy to spot if someone is paying attention.
A wolf had gotten seriously hurt during a fight with a bear. He wasn’t able to move, and so, could not satisfy his thirst or hunger.
One day, a sheep passed by his hiding place, and so the wolf decided to call out to him. “Please fetch me some water,” said the wolf. “That might give me some strength to get some solid food.”
“Solid food!” the sheep said. “I suppose that means me.
If I brought you something to drink, it would merely be to wash me down. Don’t speak to me about fetching a drink.”
How Moral Stories Benefit Children
Moral stories offer several benefits for children of all ages. They work to engage your child’s imagination, are entertaining, and can make your little one smile. Short moral stories work well at getting your child’s attention, keeping them focused during the length of the story.
However, the best moral stories will also teach a truth to your child. Children, especially younger ones, love repetition, and with moral stories, that’s the whole point. The more you read the same moral stories, the more your child will familiarize with the story and the moral lesson (1).
Reading Tip
When you read the story, remember to discuss the situations and events that occur, if your child is old enough. This is an excellent teachable moment, as well as providing an opportunity for bonding (2).
The Takeaway
Short moral stories for kids are fantastic for teaching valuable life lessons in a fun way children can understand. Short stories work well as they’re just long enough for your child to concentrate.
There’s a large selection of great stories online, and here you have 20 examples to get you started. When reading the story, try to discuss the content afterward with your child.
Feedback: Was This Article Helpful?
Thank You For Your Feedback!
Thank You For Your Feedback!
What Did You Like?
What Went Wrong?
15 Benefits of Reading to Children: Reasons to Read!
One of the most powerful things you can do for your child is to read with them.
Reading has numerous benefits for children, including a positive effect on development, communication, and school performance.
We’ve put together why reading is so important for children, and some great book ideas to get started.
Table of Contents
- When Should You Start Reading To Children?
- The Benefits of Reading to Children
- Book Recommendations for Kids
When Should You Start Reading To Children?
Even when your baby is a newborn, it’s a great time to introduce reading. Here are some of the reasons why (1):
- It gives you another bonding opportunity for snuggles and interaction.
- Your child will be preparing, even when they don’t know it, for reading on their own someday.
- It can help your baby develop language skills.
- They’ll pick up on a variety of emotions.
The Benefits of Reading to Children
Here are some of the ways your child can benefit from reading.
1. Language Neural Connections
The neural connections in the brain are fueled by listening to someone reading so your child will get a vocab boost just by hearing you read. Listening to reading is shown to increase a baby’s receptive vocabulary (2).
Receptive vocabulary means the words they understand.
2. Cognitive Development
When you’re reading to them, your child will pick up on the cognitive perks — they’ll start to take in what you’re saying and they’ll learn things about numbers, colors, shapes, animals, or anything else you’re reading about.
They’ll start to understand cause and effects, and their logical thinking ability will be more developed.
3. Fosters a Strong Relationship
The family that reads together stays together. It gives you two one more way to spend time bonding. You’ll have a lot of ways already, but there’s something especially relaxing about reading time.
Because you’re actively doing something, you won’t be able to concentrate on anything else but you and your baby. When you’re reading, there’s no way you’ll be able to surf your phone — you’ll be totally engaged in the moment.
That’s good news for both you and your baby in terms of bonding.
4. Simply Fun
Having fun can be a benefit all on its own. It can cut down on the stress a child feels — and yes, children can have stress too, just like adults can.
Time spent having fun can lead to better sleep, more positive feelings, and even stronger relationships (3).
5. Calming Influence
Young children aren’t exactly known for being calm — especially when you want them to be. It seems they have a knack for getting wound up right when you most want them to wind down, like at bedtime.
Reading can help them calm down so you can both get some sleep. You may want to start a half-hour before bedtime. Tuck them in, dim the lights a bit, and read to them in a softer soothing voice.
6. Improves Communication
If you want to have a close relationship with your children where you can talk about anything that’s on your mind, reading is a good place to start.
When you read to your children, you do more than just say the words printed on the page.
You interact — you ask them questions, they ask you some. You discuss how the people in the book are feeling and anything else that crosses your mind or your child’s mind.
That’s how communication grows — by sharing those little moments and building trust and conversation so eventually, you’ll be able to broach those bigger subjects.
7. Better Performance in School
Even the act of reading to your child can set them up for better grades in school. It doesn’t matter if they don’t understand the words you’re telling them yet. Early learning experiences like reading to your child will enhance their school performance (4).
They’ll learn to love reading or at least realize it’s important, and reading is a skill they’ll use in every subject they tackle in school.
8. Lengths Attention Span
So much of today’s world is working against our desire to help our children develop their attention spans. With video games, cell phones, and tablets, it can be hard to get a child to stick with something that takes a little more attention and dedication than they’re used to.
Reading is something that’s slower-paced than what your child is used to. And that’s a good thing in today’s click-bait world.
Pro Tip
If they are introduced at an earlier age to books and reading, it won’t be as much of a shock to their system. They’ll be used to the process and their attention spans will benefit from it.
9. Better Listeners
When your child doesn’t know how to read yet, their only clues about what’s happening in a book are the pictures they see and the words they hear you say.
You’re opening up a whole new world to them with the tale you’re spinning and they will be listening carefully, even when you don’t think they are. You’ll realize just how observant kids are someday when you’re trying to have a private conversation with your spouse or friend and suddenly realize your child is eavesdropping on every word you say!
Having that quiet time with you now will get them accustomed to listening instead of just being silent.
10.
Builds ImaginationHave you ever watched a movie version of a book you’ve read and been disappointed because it wasn’t quite how you’d envisioned it when you were reading the book? That’s your imagination at work.
Your child’s imagination can be unlocked by activities such as unsupervised play and reading. They get sucked into a make-believe world and they feel like they are part of the action. They imagine how they would feel or act if they were thrust into the situations the main characters find themselves in.
And for some children, reading a book makes them imagine their own tales. Most writers were first hardcore readers before they wrote a word of their own (5).
11. Raises IQ
Reading comprehension is kind of like having a superpower. It gives you the ability to understand complicated questions.
Remember those dreaded word problems in school when you were doing math? Those ones you had to use all your concentration on just to figure out how to compute what they were asking you for? Reading comprehension made solving those possible.
The way to answer a problem correctly is to first fully understand what it’s asking, and that’s what reading comprehension can do for you.
12. Improves Critical-Thinking Skills
It’s not enough just to listen to the words of a book to improve this skill though. You and your child will have to put in more effort than that.
The key isn’t just to actively listen to the tale, your child has to attempt to understand what they are reading or hearing to get the most out of the book. Encouraging your young child to do that may seem difficult, but all you have to do to get them started is to ask questions. One of the questions, for instance, can be what the main character should do to get themselves out of the jam they might find themselves in.
13. Helps Develop Empathy
If there is one thing this world needs more of, and one thing experts say children are losing, it’s empathy (6). Empathy is how well your child can understand someone else’s feelings.
To help develop their empathy, you can get books that will aid their ability to relate to other people and what they might be going through. There are a lot of books geared toward inclusion and how being bullied can make someone feel.
To assist with their empathy, you can ask questions while you are reading the book about how your child would feel if they were the main character. If they had a potty training accident, for instance, you can ask them if they would be sad or embarrassed.
14. Builds Coping Skills
Seeing how other people deal with their emotions can help your child learn to handle their own. They can learn important coping skills from reading or being read to.
Point out when a character is mad, sad, or disappointed. Show them the picture in the book that allows them to see that expression on the character’s face. That will help them recognize the emotion as well as figure out ways to deal with it.
15. Helps Through Life Stages
Life stages like potty training or transitioning to kindergarten is scary stuff for a young kid.
I still remember being terrified to attend kindergarten. Books can help children who are going through these stages feel braver and ready to tackle a new challenge.
Book Recommendations for Kids
When you’re looking for books for your child, you need to not just consider the type of interests they have, but also their reading level. If you find books that are too hard for them to tackle, they’ll lose interest quickly and it will add to their frustration.
Here is how you can determine if the level will be good for your child:
- Most children’s books have the reading level listed on the front or back cover.
- Look at how difficult the words are. If you’ve been listening to your child read, you should be able to tell if they’ll be able to handle it.
- Use an app to help you determine the level. With apps, like Literacy Leveler, you just scan in the ISBN code on the book, and you can look up the reading level online.
- Ask for recommendations from teachers, fellow parents, and librarians.
- Use the Accelerated Reader website to find out the difficulty level of a book.
Good Ideas for Babies
- Books Ideas for 1-Year-Olds
- Book Ideas for 2-Year Olds
Book Ideas for Toddlers
Looking for more ideas for your toddler? Read our in-depth guides:
- Interactive Books Recommendations
- Books Ideas for 3-Year-Olds
- Book Ideas for 4-Year Olds
Book Ideas for Preschoolers
Want more ideas for preschoolers? Check out these great reads by age group:
- Books Ideas for 4-Year-Olds
- Book Ideas for 5-Year Olds
- Book Ideas for 6-Year Olds
Book Ideas for Elementary School Children
Want more ideas for elementary school kids? Check out our guides!
- Books Ideas for 7-Year-Olds
- Book Ideas for 8-Year Olds
- Book Ideas for 9-Year Olds
- Book Ideas for 10-Year Olds
- Book Ideas for 11-Year Olds
- Book Ideas for 12-Year Olds
- Book Ideas about Friendship
Feedback: Was This Article Helpful?
Thank You For Your Feedback!
Thank You For Your Feedback!
What Did You Like?
What Went Wrong?
with translation and work tips
Greetings, my wonderful readers.
I remember I mentioned more than once that fairy tales for children in English are one of my favorite and very effective teaching methods. Once I already made a selection of the best audio fairy tales, and also recently designed a selection of video fairy tales, but today I want to give you a text version that you can start using with your kids today.
I have for you a few short and well-known fairy tales, as well as advice on how best to build a child's education.
If you're ready, let's start with some tips:
- For beginners, try adapted fairy tales . These are stories that use vocabulary of a certain level.
- Work with stories playfully . Memorize words from the text, show the baby pictures with characters, while reading, play with intonations and arouse the baby's interest. After reading, repeat the words with your child, try to build dialogues and use new vocabulary.
- Look for fairy tales with translation .
The entry level simply will not allow your kid to take on complex texts without translation. - Grab Russian fairy tales in English . After all, what could be easier than reading in English what you have already heard in Russian?
- Try audiobooks . With the development of the lexical base, it is useful to develop the skills of listening to English speech. Find stories that you can listen to online or download for free if needed. I have a small selection here - listen and learn directly online.
Well, are you ready to start the main thing? Then catch.
- The round little bun. Kolobok. An old man and an old woman lived poorly.
The man asked the woman to make a bun. —“We have no flour. What do I need to make it?” She found some flour, made a bun and placed it on the open window to cool. The little bun suddenly rolled off.
The hare said: “I will eat you!” The little bun asked not to eat him and sang a song for the hare. While the little bun was singing, the hare distracted and didn't get when the bun ran away.
The little bun rolled on and faced a wolf. And everything happened as with the hare. He sang a song and rolled away. The same happened with the bear. The little bun ran from everyone until he met a fox. She wasn't as stupid as other animals. She asked the bun to sing.
When he finished she said: “What a beautiful song. But sweet bun, I am so old, so can you sit closer on my nose and sing to me one more time?” The bun did as he was asked and - bump - the fox ate him!
The old man and the old woman lived in poverty. The old man asked his wife to make a bun. “We don’t have flour. What do I need to make it from?” She found flour, made a bun and put it on the open window to cool.
The little bun suddenly rolled down.
Gingerbread man rolled through the forest and collided with a hare. The hare said: "I'll eat you!" Kolobok asked not to eat him and sang a song for the hare. While the bun was singing, the hare was distracted and did not understand when the bun ran away.
Kolobok rolled further and collided with a wolf. And everything happened just like with a hare. He sang a song and drove off. The same thing happened with the bear. Kolobok ran away from everyone until he met a fox. She was not as stupid as other animals. She asked him to sing.
When he finished, she said: "What a beautiful song. But my sweetie, I'm so old, so can you sit closer on my toe and sing me one more time?" Kolobok did as he was asked, and - booms - the fox ate it!
I can't help but share my next discovery with you, dear parents and teachers! If you want to give your child an original gift, then personalized fairy tale is what he needs! I won't say much, you better see for yourself.
I recently discovered such an exclusive offer on the Internet, there is now a good discount, so if you like this idea, then you should take it, as they say :-).
- The Turnip. Turnip. Grandmother grew a very big turnip.
The grandfather came to pick it out, he tried so hard but couldn't pull it out. He called the grandmother.
She pulled the grandfather, and he pulled the turnip but they didn't manage anyway.
They tried but still - no success.
They tried to do it but the story happened again.
And finally they pulled the turnip out!
My grandmother grew a very large turnip.
Grandfather came to pick her up, he tried so hard, but he couldn't pull out the turnip.
He called his grandmother. She took hold of her grandfather, the grandfather of a turnip, but they did not succeed in pulling her out.
Then they called their granddaughter. They tried, but still no success.
The granddaughter called the dog. They tried to pull out the turnip, but history repeated itself again.
Then the dog called the cat, but they never pulled out the turnip.
Then they called the mouse. And then they pulled out a turnip!
Many stories and videos in English for children and adults can be found at LinguaLeo . After free registration you need to go to the "For children" section. I wrote more about how to use this service in teaching children English in one of my articles. By the way, there you can also purchase and take an interesting cognitive online course 9 with your child.0012 "English for the little ones" .
My daughter and I have already gone through it. We liked!
- Chicken-Licken. Chicken Chick Chick. One day Chicken-Licken was walking under the nut tree. Bang - the nut fell on his head. “Oh. No! The sky is falling!” — screamed Chicken-Licken.
He ran and ran and met a Hen-Len. He told her that the sky was falling and they ran together.
They told him that the sky was falling and they ran together.
They ran and ran and met a Duck-Luck. They screamed: “The sky is falling! Run!" The Duck-Luck said to them: “No, sky is not falling! Take a look!” They looked up the sky. The sky wasn't falling. She showed them the nuts and explained that was the nut but not the sky.
“Oh, no!” said the Chicken-Licken.
One day Chicken Little Chicken was walking under a walnut tree.
Booms - a nut fell on his head. "Oh. No! The sky is falling!" shouted Chicken Chicken. He ran and ran and met Ryabushka Hen. He told her that the sky was falling and they ran together.
They ran and ran and met
They ran and ran and met the Lucky Duck. They called out to her: "The sky is falling!" The duck said to them: "No, the sky is not falling! Look ! "They looked up at the sky. The sky didn't fall. She showed them the nuts and explained that they were them, not the sky.
"Oh no!" Chicken chick said.
On the eve of the New Year (Chinese, I mean!) here's a New Year's fairy tale for you.
- 12 Months . The stepdaughter for the forest was sent to the forest. As she came back home with the brushwoods her stepmother sent her to the wood again to get the snowdrops. IN DECEMBER! Where could she get the snowdrops in December?
She spends hours in the forest but still no snowdrops.
Then she finds a fireplace with 12 men sitting around. They invite her to join and get warm. As she tells them the story why she is here, the Brother April asks the Brother January to allow him to take his place for some minutes. When they do it the whole place becomes full of snowdrops. The girl takes some, thanks the brothers and goes home. That is how some wishes can be fulfilled for the New Year.
The stepdaughter was sent to the forest for firewood. When she returned home with brushwood, her stepmother sent her to the forest again to get snowdrops. IN DECEMBER! Where could she get snowdrops in December?
She spends hours in the forest, but still can't find the snowdrops. She then finds a campfire with 12 men sitting around. They invite her to join in and keep warm. As she tells them the story of why she is here, Brother April asks Brother January to let him take his place for a few minutes.
When they do this, everything around becomes full of snowdrops.
The girl collects them, thanks her brothers and goes home. This is how some wishes can be fulfilled for the New Year.
Well, my dears, I'm sure you can go and read these little stories right now. If this is not enough, then subscribe to my newsletter - I am constantly replenishing stocks with new materials.
In addition, you can buy a collection of fairy tales in English without leaving your home. For this there are ozon is my favorite online store for healthy products for the whole family.
My favorite collection is Disney fairy tales ! With him, it's great to start immersing yourself in English with your child.
Or this is a wonderful guide with 5 famous Russian fairy tales in English. In addition to fairy tales, there is a dictionary and interesting tasks!
See you soon!
English fairy tales for children | Examples of fairy tales in English
Content of the article:
- English folk tales
- An example of a fairy tale in English
- Text of a children's fairy tale in English
- Translation of a fairy tale from English
- Where to read British fairy tales in English 9014 9014
Other ways to practice reading Other methods of learning English for children
- 12 Months . The stepdaughter for the forest was sent to the forest. As she came back home with the brushwoods her stepmother sent her to the wood again to get the snowdrops. IN DECEMBER! Where could she get the snowdrops in December?
Today we will analyze English fairy tales for children.
There will be both examples of popular fairy tales for reading, and one short fairy tale, which we will analyze in its entirety with translation. You've almost certainly never heard this tale before. We hope you are intrigued :)
English Folk Tales
Jack and the Beanstalk (Jack and the Beanstalk). The mother sent the boy to the market to sell the cow. The family was poor, and the proceeds from the sale of the cow could help them feed themselves. However, at the market, the boy meets an old man who offers to exchange the cow for magic grains, from which a tree will grow up to the sky. Jack agrees. At home, his mother scolds him for his naivete, and allegedly throws magic beans out the window. Later it turns out that the old man was telling the truth, and a magic tree grew out of the beans, leading to the world of giants...
Jack the Giant Killer This tale is also about Jack, and also about giants. Only now it was a completely different Jack, and completely different giants.
The boy was a strong and dexterous son of a wealthy English peasant. He lived in places where the owner of the mountain was a giant, who from time to time went out to feast on cows, sheep and other peasant livestock. Once the people got tired of it, and an important mission was entrusted to Jack - to defeat the giant.
The Blue Hat (Blue hat). A Scottish fisherman named Ein Macrae went to the forest to collect wood to build a boat. A thick fog descended, and the fisherman got lost. After some time, he stumbles upon a house in the middle of the forest. You and I know that usually in fairy tales such houses do not bode well. However, McRae was tired and wet, besides, it was already night, and it was necessary to spend the night somehow. What happened next?
Dick Whittington and His Cat (Dick Whittington and his cat). Dick was an orphan who lived in an ordinary English village. The locals liked to talk about the big city of London, where everything is wonderful for everyone, and people do nothing but party and bathe in luxury all day long.
Dick liked these stories very much, and he wanted to see it with his own eyes. One day Dick saw a wagon passing by and asked the driver where he was going. He replied that in London. Word for word - and the driver took Dick with him, agreeing that on the way back he would take the boy back to the village. But the most interesting is yet to come. By the way, what about the cat?
The Well at the World's End The stepmother sent the girl to the well, which is at the end of the world, to bring water from it in a sieve. Already from the first sentence there is no optimism. What other well at the end of the world, and how can you draw water from there with a sieve? To the surprise of readers, the girl still finds the same well. The difficulties do not end there, but by a happy coincidence, a talking frog comes to the aid of the girl.
Molly Whuppie (Molly Wuppie). A large family could not feed all the children, and the parents decided to get rid of their three daughters.
They took them to the forest and told them to stay there. Three girls began to wander through the forest until they came across a house. The woman let them eat, but then her husband returns - a cannibal giant. The husband did not immediately attack the sisters, but allowed them to stay overnight - and put them to bed with his three daughters. Everyone fell asleep, and only the younger sister, Molly, decided to be careful. And not in vain ...
The Old Witch (The Old Witch). The girl saw an oven with bread. The oven asked the girl to get bread. And so she did. Then the girl saw a cow. The cow asked her to be milked. The girl obeyed. After that, the girl stumbled upon an apple tree, which begged to be shaken from her apples. So the girl did. In the end, she came across the witch's house. If she is so obedient and trusting even in relation to stoves, trees and animals, what can the old witch do with her ...
Read also
It is enough to learn only five English tenses
An example of a fairy tale in English
Let's analyze one simple fairy tale.
Remember, at the beginning of the article, we promised you a fairy tale that you have almost certainly never heard. This is what she is.
This is one of the Philippine legends that is told to children. It is called The Legend of the Chrysanthemum - The Legend of the Chrysanthemum. Most likely, you have never heard it, so it will be doubly interesting to read.
Here is the video, below is the text, below we have prepared the translation.
Text of a children's story in English
Once upon a time, there was a little girl living with her mom in a small thatched hut in a deserted hamlet. Her father had passed away when she was still young. So her mom and she had to work very hard to make ends meet.
One day, the mother fell ill. She told her daughter, "My dear daughter, call a doctor for me!" The little girl quickly left home with worries filling up her heart. Suddenly, she came across a snowy-haired old man.
He asked her, "Why are you so much in a hurry?" "I am looking for a doctor. My mother is very sick!" she cried.
The old man then told her, "I am a doctor! Take me to your home, I will cure your mother." When the old man arrived, after examining the mother, he told the girl, "Your mother's sickness is serious. I will try my best to cure her. Now, get to banyan tree by the woods. You'll find a daisy. Pick it up and bring it back to me!" It was bitterly cold outside, while the girl was only wearing a thin layer of clothes. She kept on walking and it was not until her feet felt worn that she reached the banyan tree. In front of her was a bush with a beautiful daisy. She picked it up and cherished it in her hands. All of a sudden, the old man's voice echoed in her ears, "Each petal represents a day your mother continues to live."
She looked down on the flower and counted, "One, Two, Three… Twenty! Oh, no! There are only twenty days left for my mother!"
Thinking for a while, she gently tore the petals into many small pieces.
Each piece turned into a thin glossy petal. The twenty-petal daisy turned into a countless-petal flower. She rushed home with the strange flower. The old man was waiting for her at the door. He told her cheerfully, "Your mother has recovered. It is the reward for your pious heart." Ever since then, every year during the autumn, the flowers with many thin glossy petals blossom created a picturesque scenery. They are called the Chrysanthemum, the symbol of piety.
Translation of a fairy tale from English
Once upon a time there lived a little girl who lived with her mother in a small thatched hut in an abandoned village. Her father passed away when she was still young. So she and her mother had to work very hard to make ends meet.
One day the mother fell ill. She said to her daughter, "My dear daughter, call a doctor for me!" The little girl quickly left the house with worries filling her heart. Suddenly, she came across an old man with snowy hair.
He asked her, "Why are you in such a hurry?" "I'm looking for a doctor. My mother is very sick!" - she exclaimed.
Then the old man said to her: "I am a doctor! Take me to your house, I will cure your mother." When the old man arrived, having examined the mother, he said to the girl, "Your mother's illness is serious. I will do my best to cure her. Now go to the banyan tree by the forest. You will find a daisy there. Pick it up and bring it to me!" It was very cold outside, and the girl was wearing only a thin layer of clothing. She kept walking, and only when her legs were tired did she reach the banyan tree. In front of her was a bush with a beautiful daisy. She picked it up and held it carefully in her hands. Suddenly, an old man's voice was heard in her ears: "Each petal symbolizes the day your mother continues to live."
She looked down at the flower and counted, "One, two, three... Twenty! Oh no! My mother is only twenty days away!"
After some thought, she carefully tore the petals into many small pieces.
Each piece turned into a thin glossy petal. The twenty-petalled daisy turned into a flower with countless petals. She rushed home with a strange flower. The old man was waiting for her at the door. He cheerfully told her, "Your mother has recovered. This is the reward for your godly heart." Since then, every year in autumn, flowers with many thin glossy petals bloom, creating a picturesque landscape. They are called Chrysanthemums, a symbol of piety.
Where to read British fairy tales in English
Here are some good sites:
- Bedtime Short Stories
- Kidsgen (Children's gene)
- World of Tales
Or you can find any similar site in Google. It does not matter. As long as you are comfortable.
Other ways to practice reading in English
Reading children's stories is a good practice for beginners. Fairy tales usually have simple vocabulary and grammar.
And, importantly, a small amount of text. The tale from the example above can be read in just five minutes. Larger ones will take up to half an hour. Rarely does a children's story in English require more of your time.
But not only fairy tales are rich. For a comprehensive study of the language, it will be useful to combine different materials. Fairy tales have literary language. In news articles - journalistic. And so on.
See also:
- A selection of interesting magazines to read in English
- Reading books in English for different levels
- Top sites to read
Read also
How to stop being afraid to speak English
Other methods of learning English for children
The younger the child, the more receptive he is to foreign languages. If you are a parent and you decide to help your child learn an international language, this is commendable and timely.
Before the age of three, there is a good chance of raising a bilingual child if enough effort is put in. In particular, it is necessary that one of the parents or the nanny speaks only English to the child. You also need to watch movies and cartoons in this language together. We wrote more about the methods of educating a bilingual in this article .
Speaking of cartoons. Watching a cartoon in English is a good thing at any age. At least three years old, at least forty years old. Many begin to train to perceive English by ear precisely from cartoons for children, since there are simple phrases that are pronounced with extreme accuracy. Read our selection of cartoons for learning English for different levels.
We showed you English folk tales, Scottish tales, and even Filipino tales. Now we are ready to let you go. Then it's up to you. Find fairy tales on the Internet and read.
We recommend installing the extension ED Translator .
