Teaching Tips: Oh, Yes, It Can!

Engage in discussions along the lines of the tale: If our chairs in the class could talk, what would they say? What about the plants by the window?
For a text version of this tale, teachers can find copies of the storybook Too Much Talk by Angela Shelf Medearis.
See if you can tell or write a story with your students in which the characters have different voices. Be creative: try hamming up your storytelling techniques, displaying props, and introducing catchy refrains.
Reinforce vocabulary learning by using words from the story in different contexts. Invite volunteers to say something as a command, or to gasp or yap as they tell the class something. Demonstrate as you go.