There’s something magical about reading Stellaluna aloud in the fall. 🍂
Maybe it’s the bats. 🦇 Maybe it’s the cozy artwork and heartwarming story. Whatever it is, this picture book by Janell Cannon is one of our favorite books to when October arrives.
But if you’re like many homeschool parents I’ve talked to, you might be wondering: How do I turn a great read-aloud into something more without spending hours planning it? Let’s dive into some Stellaluna activities for first grade in your homeschool.
First grade is such a sweet spot for read alouds. Around ages 5 to 8, children are developing their listening and language skills, and books like Stellaluna help stretch their thinking. Here’s why I always recommend it:
Title: Stellaluna
Author: Janell Cannon
Reading Level: DRA 30 / Guided Reading Level N
Interest Level: Great for Kindergarten Students, 1st grade and 2nd graders (ages 4-9)
Stellaluna is a beautifully illustrated children’s book that tells the heartwarming story of a young bat who becomes separated from her mother bat after an owl attacks during a nighttime flight. Lost and alone, Stellaluna finds herself in the nest of a family of baby birds, where she learns to sleep upright, eat bugs, and follow their unusual rules—even though it all feels very strange. Over time, she is joyfully reunited with her bat family and discovers that even though bats and birds are very different, they can still love, accept, and care for one another.
Why We Love It:
🖋️ Beautiful words and rich descriptions
🎨 Soft, gorgeous illustrations
🧡 Sweet themes about family, fitting in, and kindness
🗣️ Great conversations about being different
Things to Know:
⏳ A little slower-paced
🧸 Best for ages 5–8 (may be a stretch for toddlers)
💬 Some big words you might want to explain
🎭 Gentle, thoughtful tone (not a silly, fast read)
Save it for a rainy afternoon when you can cozy up, take your time, and really enjoy the beautiful language and illustrations.
Narration is one of my favorite ways to check for understanding—without turning it into a worksheet or quiz. Inspired by the Charlotte Mason approach, it simply means asking your child to retell what they heard in their own words.
Narration strengthens attention, memory, and language skills—and it’s a sweet way to hear how much your child absorbed from the story. Plus, it requires zero prep!
After reading Stellaluna, try asking:
“What did she learn by the end?”
“Can you tell me what happened in the story?”
“What do you remember most about Stellaluna?”
Example Narration (First Grade)
“Stellaluna is a bat. She got lost when an owl attacked. She fell into a bird’s nest and had to live like a bird. She didn’t like eating bugs! But she made friends with the bird family. Later, she found her mom and other bats. They were happy to see her. She still liked the birds and stayed friends with them.”
You can write down your child’s narration as copywork, or invite them to draw a favorite scene as they retell it. This turns your read-aloud into a full language arts moment—without adding extra work.
Want to make your read-aloud even more meaningful? Try pairing a story like Stellaluna with a short nonfiction text on the same topic. This simple pairing is often called a “twin text,” and it’s one of my favorite tools to use in Stellaluna Activities for First Grade.
With Stellaluna, you can follow the fictional story of a fruit bat with a real article or book about actual bats. This helps your child:
It doesn’t have to be complicated. Read the story one day, the nonfiction the next, and keep referring back to both throughout the week with writing, discussion, a fun bat activity or mini science investigation. It’s a fun way to blend literature, learning, and curiosity—one page at a time.
It’s easy to think that once our kids learn how to sound out words, comprehension will just fall into place. But in reality, understanding what we read—especially what we hear read aloud—takes practice.
That’s why I love using comprehension lessons that feel natural and spark great conversations.
Here are two of my favorites to use with Stellaluna activities for first grade:
This strategy is simple—and it turns reading time into a meaningful back-and-forth between you and your child.
As you read, pause and wonder out loud. Say things like:
“I wonder how Stellaluna feels being so different from the birds?”
“I wonder if real bats really do sleep upside down?”
“I wonder why the mama bird let her stay?”
You’re not testing your child—you’re modeling curiosity. These aren’t quiz questions. They’re invitations to think, connect, and explore.
Here’s the secret: just be curious out loud. Start reading Stellaluna, and when something makes you pause, say:
“Hmm… I wonder where fruit bats really live. Do they sleep in trees? Or caves?”
When kids see you wonder, they start doing it too. And before you know it, they’re noticing more, asking better questions, and thinking more deeply about what they read.
We love keeping a little whiteboard nearby to jot down our wonderings. You could also create a journal page or draw pictures with speech bubbles as you chat over snacks. We recorded them in this reader’s response sheet.
Wondering slows down the reading process in the best way. It helps kids notice details, make connections, and stay engaged. And best of all, it feels like conversation—not schoolwork.
This is one of those small, doable strategies that quietly builds big skills—one page at a time.
Another simple way to build reading comprehension is by helping your child make personal connections to the story.
When children connect what they’re reading to their own lives, their memories, or even other books, they understand the text more deeply—and it sticks with them longer.
It’s like telling their brain, “This story matters to me.”
How to Introduce It
Before or after reading, say something like:
“Let’s see if we can find parts of the story that remind you of something you’ve done or felt.”
Then try questions like:
These kinds of questions open the door to thoughtful conversations—often the kind that spill into lunch or bedtime chats.
Your child can write or draw in each column—or you can do it for them as they narrate.
This is especially great for visual learners or kids who prefer pictures to writing.
Then let your child use a simple chart or printable worksheet to draw or write:
This type of activity also supports story elements, reflection, and perspective-taking—all important parts of understanding a character’s point of view, too. See-you are knocking out so many english language arts skills as you go!
These open-ended questions are great for extending Stellaluna Activities for First Grade and developing deeper thinking. You don’t have to ask them all—just pick one or two during your cuddle-up reading time, or even over dinner.
Follow up with:
“Why do you think that?” or “What would you have done?”
2. How Are These Things the Same or Different? Great for comparing.
You can also create a simple Venn diagram if your child enjoys visuals.
3. Who Was ___ in This Story? This one is great for character traits.
Follow up with “Can you think of a time when you were like that too?”
4. What Does This Story Remind You Of?
5. What Is Something You Don’t Want to Forget? A sweet way to close your read-aloud:
These questions are great conversation starters, or you can use them to guide written responses on these reader’s response sheets.
If your child is working on writing complete thoughts, expressing ideas clearly, or just needs extra support with sentence structure, these quick activities are a great way to build those skills—without turning it into a grammar lesson.
Inspired by The Writing Revolution approach, these sentence starters work beautifully with first graders and can be adapted for older or younger siblings too.
All of these support the development of complete sentences and help children think through major events and story structure.
Ask your child to complete each sentence using the words because, but, and so. This helps them understand cause and effect, contrast, and sequence.
Starter Sentences:
This activity helps your child recognize complete thoughts.
Try These Examples:
Ask: “Does this feel finished? Could it stand alone?” Then work together to rewrite any fragments into full sentences.
Cut the words apart or just read them aloud for your child to rearrange.
Scramble Examples:
These are great for hands-on learners and fun to do with magnetic words or index cards!
Start with a simple sentence and invite your child to add who, what, where, when, or how to make it more interesting.
Examples to Expand:Stellaluna flew.
The birds helped.
She learned.
This helps kids build descriptive language naturally—especially when you model one out loud first.
Have your child complete these with a full thought that shows why or what happened next.
Finish the Thought:
You can write their answers down for copywork or let them draw and dictate if writing feels overwhelming.
At the end of the week, I love adding something hands-on to wrap up our Stellaluna book activities. This simple craft is a fun way to revisit the story. Your child can use it to act out parts of the story or narrate from the different characters points of view.
This makes a great Friday wrap-up and reinforces sequencing, retelling, and fine motor skills—all while feeling like play.
Use your Stellaluna Activities for First Grade Homeschool Fun to cover:
Want to know what this could look like in real life? Here’s how we’ve stretched Stellaluna into a joyful, relaxed week of learning:
Monday: Read Stellaluna, ask “I wonder…” questions, and start a whiteboard list of curious thoughts.
Tuesday: Read the nonfiction article + compare bats and birds
Wednesday: Practice narration. Let your child draw and retell the story. Try a few “making connections” questions.
Thursday: Use sentence starters for writing.
Friday: Make your Stellaluna bat puppet and act out the story.
These flexible lesson plans help build confidence, independence, and fluency—all through one fun book.
Sometimes the best conversations happen after the book is closed. So pour another cup of coffee, let your child draw a scene or retell the story again at lunch, and know this:
Reading doesn’t have to be complicated.
You’re building comprehension, connection, and confidence—one page at a time
Your child can learn reading comprehension skills, explore new vocabulary, and reflect on story elements—without a single boring worksheet.
If you’d like everything planned out for you, my Stellaluna Book Companion includes:
