In addition to the practical wisdom they can impart, the stories contained in Read & Understand, Folktales & Fables are filled with all-too-human creatures whose appeal for young readers makes them ideal focal points for learning and discussion. This volume features 21 one- and two-page stories of varied reading difficulty. They are designed to meet a range of reading levels from beginning second through beginning fourth grade. There are retellings of familiar folktales such as The Frog Prince, The Shoemaker and the Elves, and The Four Musicians. The are lesser-known folktales such as The Monkey and the Crocodile (Indian), The Tiger and the Big Wind (African), The Golden Fish (Russian), How the Princess Learned to Laugh (Polish), The Crow and the Peacock (Chinese), The Boy Who Went to the North Wind (Scandinavian), and two more. Seven Aesop's fables are included, among them The Sun and the Wind, A Bell for the Cat, The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs, The Grasshopper and the Ants, The Fox and the Stork, The Crow and the Pitcher, and The Boy Who Cried Wolf. There are African, Indian, and Native American fables as well. Practice activities for every story include: a comprehension page, a vocabulary page, two pages for practice of skills such as, phonetic elements—blends, vowel sounds, silent letters, sequence of events, parts of speech, prefixes and suffixes, contractions, compound words. 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.