There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly!
There Was an Old Lady Series
What’s inside...
This book is a hilarious adaptation of the well-known rhyme where the Old Lady swallows increasingly ridiculous items, and the reason she swallows the fly is one of the funniest surprises! A hilarious twist on the classic song from the bestselling
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
2-6
Length
32 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What do you think the old lady will swallow next? Why?
How do you feel when the old lady swallows different things?
Can we think of a funny item that the old lady could swallow? What would happen if she did?
Why do you think the old lady keeps swallowing more and more items?
What is the most surprising thing the old lady swallowed? Why is it surprising?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child’s imagination by asking them to guess the next item the old lady might swallow. Use expressive gestures and funny voices to make the reading session more lively and engaging. Discuss the sequence of the story to help with understanding order and consequence. Allow your child to express their feelings about the story and relate it to experiences they might have had with eating or swallowing. Wrap up by encouraging your child to come up with their own silly version of the story using different objects.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Consequences of actions
Explanation: The story humorously illustrates the consequences of the old lady's actions as she progressively swallows larger animals.
Real-World Application: Children learn the importance of thinking through their actions and the potential outcomes they may lead to.
Example Lesson: Problem-solving
Explanation: Each animal the old lady swallows is meant to catch the previous one, showcasing a problem-solving, albeit absurd, process.
Real-World Application: This can encourage children to think creatively and sequence their thoughts to solve problems.
Example Lesson: Cause and effect
Explanation: The book clearly follows a cause-and-effect chain, where each swallow leads to increasingly bizarre situations.
Real-World Application: It helps children understand that actions have consequences, fostering early analytical thinking.
Example Lesson: Memory and recall
Explanation: As the book progresses, it repetitively goes through the list of animals swallowed, aiding in memory retention and recall.
Real-World Application: This repetition can boost children’s memory skills, helping them in academic learning and daily activities.
Example Lesson: Humor in storytelling
Explanation: Through its absurd and exaggerated narrative, the book introduces children to the use of humor in literature.
Real-World Application: Understanding humor aids in social interactions and personal enjoyment of various literary forms as they grow.