Learning About Cause and Effect

Retelling a story in sequence is a good way for us to learn about cause and effect.  When we talk about events that occur in the book we're reading, we want to know why that event happened.  What caused it?

One of the texts we read is Sofia and the Sunflower.  While reading the story, we noticed a lot of similarities to the classic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk.  One of the main events that happened in Sofia and the Sunflower was that it started to rain after a drought.  What caused it to rain?  What happened because it rained?  Check out our thinking below:

Ask your child why it started to rain when the giant fell down.  Ask your child what happened, or what was the effect, after the plants started to grow?  Ask your child to retell the story of Sofia and the Sunflower.  

We read other books to talk about cause and effect, too.  One of our favorites was Pete the Cat:  I Love My White Shoes.  After retelling the story, we made another chart to help us understand cause and effect:

Using real-world examples to teach cause and effect is great, too!  With your child, talk about what effect would happen if teeth weren't brushed?  What might happen if vegetables weren't eaten? What effect would there be if no one cleaned up? What would cause someone to get a time out at home? Things to think about!

Since Sofia and the Sunflower reminded us of Jack and the Beanstalk, we spent time reading that story, too.  Check out our comparison thinking map for the two stories below.  (J stands for Jack and S stands for Sofia).