Reading Strategies

Prior Knowledge

Ask students before reading if they always tell the truth.  This can lead to a discussion about honesty (if they say, “No”) and telling “white lies” (if they say, “Yes”).  Ask students what they would do in a difficult situation where they wanted to tell the truth, but didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings (ex: they got a gift from an aunt they didn’t like, their friend’s mom made something to eat for dinner that they didn’t care for, etc.)

Vocabulary to preview:

• trudged
• commenced
• sashayed
• quivered
• flounced
• victim

Phrases to discuss

• I declare
• older than black pepper
• tell the truth and shame the devil
• old flea-bitten swayback
• “…the lie slid easily out of her mouth, like it was greased with warm butter”
• “Libby’s stomach felt like she’d swallowed a handful of chicken feathers.”
• "The truth is often hard to chew.  But if it is sweetened with love, then it is a whole lot easier to swallow.”

After discussion, have students use one of these phrases in a sentence and illustrate the phrase.  Discuss other
situations where they could use one of these phrases. 

Synthesizing

Have students take turns retelling the major events in the story in sequence.  Encourage them to go beyond just stating the event and tell more about it (ex: where the characters were (setting), how the characters in that scene were feeling and why, etc.) and to possibly extend into sharing background knowledge or extension of overall message (ex: Ruthie Mae was upset with Libby because she told everyone about the hole in her sock and that wasn’t nice because…/that reminds me of the time that…).

Inferring activity

• Discuss the “truths” Lucy is telling the next day at school.  Create a prediction chart with students.

                I predict that:                                      I think that because:

       ____________________                                        ____________________

        ____________________                                        ____________________

        ____________________                                        ____________________

        ____________________                                        ____________________ 

• Why are all of Libby’s friends upset with her?  (ask before you read page where Lucy’s mom is sewing)
• Why were Mama’s words suddenly clear to Libby after Virginia made fun of Ol’ Boss?

Create a prediction chart about what you think Lucy will do next:

                I predict that:                                      I think that because:

       ____________________                                        ____________________

        ____________________                                        ____________________

        ____________________                                        ____________________

        ____________________                                        ____________________ 

Readers’ Theater Activity

Divide students into small groups. Ask each group to re-write the story into a reader’s theater script. If your students are not familiar with reader’s theater, model for them the important pieces: simple, descriptive script, simple props if necessary and minimal or no scenery. 

Making Connections

Talk about when telling the truth helps & when it hurts.  Encourage students to make Text to Self Connections about a time when they told a lie or a time they told the truth and it hurt someone’s feelings. 

To help students make Text to Text Connections you can read other books about telling the truth or other titles by Patricia McKissack. 

Questioning

Thoughtful readers ask questions not only while they are reading, but before and after reading.

Create a questioning chart with students:

Asking Questions Before, During, and After Reading The Honest to Goodness Truth

Strategies That Work by Stephanie Harvey