Systematic & Engaging Early Literacy
A Cellar For Cinderella
Objective
Students will read the letter C as the /s/ sound when it is followed by a letter e, i, or y (e.g., cellar).
Target words and phrases
cellar, certain, certainly, ceiling, Cinderella, cement, cell, celery, cinnamon, cereal, cinders, center, cent, cinch,
celebrate
Materials
 A New Story of Cinderella text
 Cinderella dress up clothes and props (optional)
State and model the objective
Say, “Remember the story of Cinderella?” Briefly review the story of Cinderella. “Cinderella wasn’t treated well
by her stepmother. I made up a story about Cinderella that has lots of soft C words in it. The soft C makes the
/s/ sound. Cinderella is a soft C word because the first letter is C but it sounds like the /s/ sound. Listen for
more soft C words in the Cinderella story I tell you.”
Identify and emphasize target words and phrases within an activity
 Read the story of Cinderella out loud to the class. Point out that this isn’t the real Cinderella story. It is just
a made up version with many soft C words in it.
 Optional: After reading through the story once, pass out dress up clothes and props to the students that
correspond to the story. Retell it as the students act it out. Emphasize words that begin with the soft C.
Give the students dialogue from the story with soft C words in it (e.g., Cinderella says, “I’m in the cement
cellar, I could certainly use some help.”)
Read target words/patterns introduced in the activity (see text/s below)
 Give each student a copy of the New Story of Cinderella text.
 Instruct the students to find and circle each word in the text that begins with a soft C.
Write about the activity using target words/patterns
 Instruct the students to list the soft C words from the story.
 Let the students write their own story about Cinderella using soft C words. Provide support as needed.
1
BYU David O. McKay School of Education
© 2013 SEEL, McKay School of Education, Brigham Young University
Systematic & Engaging Early Literacy
A Cellar For Cinderella
A New Story of Cinderella Story: Class Activity
Cinderella stayed in a cellar.
It was a cement cellar with a cement ceiling.
She only ate celery and cinnamon cereal.
In the center of the cellar was a pile of cinders.
Cinderella didn’t own a cent.
She only had cinders.
Cinderella didn’t like the cement cellar.
But Cinderella can get help getting out of the cellar.
It will certainly be a cinch for a fairy godmother to
get Cinderella out of the cellar.
The godmother gets Cinderella out the cellar.
Now Cinderella can find her prince.
And we can celebrate with Cinderella!
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BYU David O. McKay School of Education
© 2013 SEEL, McKay School of Education, Brigham Young University