The stories contained in Read & Understand, Fairy Tales and Folktales have been handed down through many generations, sometimes by word of mouth and other times in writing. Peopled by talking animals, witches, giants, trolls, and other fantastic creatures, the appeal they hold for young readers makes them ideal focal points for learning and discussion. This volume features 23 one-to-three-page stories, each followed by three to four pages of activities that build reading skills. These stories, borrowed from diverse cultures, vary in reading difficulty from first through beginning third grade to meet a range of needs. Many familiar fairy tales are included: The Ugly Duckling, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Chicken Licken, Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, the Pied Piper of Hamlin, and others. Less familiar, but equally valuable Folk tales from all over the world include: The Three Sticks (Native American), An Ant's Voice (East African) The Stars in the Sky (English), The Hungry Troll (Danish), Slops (Welsh), Two Goats on the Bridge (Russian), and The Biggest Pumpkin (African). Practice activities for every story include: a comprehension page, two or three pages for practice of skills such as: word meaning, phonetic elements—blends, vowel sounds, word families, rhyming, sequence of events, adding ed, ing, er, characterization & personification. These exercises challenge students to recall details, draw conclusions, make inferences, make comparisons, and consider word meanings. Each story is delightfully illustrated in a cheery, cartoon-like style children will warm to. Complete answer key included. All 144 pages are reproducible for classroom use and perforated for easy removal.