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Knowledge and Fluency Passages

Life in the Forest: Who Eats Whom?

This resource is part of our The Gruffalo collection.

This Knowledge and Fluency Passage introduces students to the forest setting and the roles of animals like foxes, owls, and snakes, helping them understand predator-prey relationships key to The Gruffalo’s story. By practicing with this passage, students gain background knowledge and fluency, making the mouse’s cleverness and the story’s tension clearer. Use this passage before reading the book to build background knowledge and prepare students to better comprehend the text.

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Themes

Animals & Habitats, Nature & Environment, Wild Animals, Animal Adaptations & Survival, Landforms & Ecosystems

Teacher Guide

Knowledge and Fluency Passages

Connect Background Knowldge to the Book

Reading doesn’t stop when the book is finished!

Use this resource to help students connect ideas from the background knowledge passage to what they read. It’s a quick way to show how learning more about the world helps them as readers.

Includes both K–2 and 3–5 versions for easy differentiation.

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Fill Knowledge Gaps and Build Fluency for Better Comprehension

What’s Included in the Knowledge and Fluency Passages

Every package comes with:

A paired background passage connected to one of the books in the BookPagez library
A grade-level set of Fry high-frequency words
Fluency practice opportunities (model reading, partner/choral/independent rereads)
Comprehension questions (literal, inferential, vocabulary)
Teacher tools for progress monitoring (Words Correct Per Minute and prosody notes)

Why It Matters

Strong comprehension depends on more than decoding. Students also need background knowledge, smooth and expressive reading, and automatic recognition of high-frequency words. Knowledge & Fluency Passages bring all of that together in one resource. The passages fill in common knowledge gaps that can block understanding, give students repeated practice with fluency, and reinforce the words they’ll see most often in print. The result: more confident readers who are ready to dive into the books you teach.

Why You’ll Love Using Them

Think of these passages as a Swiss Army Knife for your literacy block. They prepare students for your read-alouds and small-group work, build fluency skills in meaningful ways, and give you quick assessment data—all without extra planning. Instead of stopping mid-story to explain tricky concepts, you’ll launch into texts knowing your students are already equipped to engage, notice, and think more deeply.

Explore Other Resources to Pair with The Gruffalo

The cover for The Gruffalo Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources

Use The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson to strengthen your students' comprehension skills, build their vocabulary, and help them understand how words work.

Take a walk through the forest with a clever little mouse on a fun and adventurous journey. Along the way, he meets some very scary animals—but instead of being afraid, he uses his imagination and clever words to stay safe. When he invents a big, scary creature called the Gruffalo, he's in for a surprise of his own!

This engaging story teaches readers that being smart and brave can help us face our fears. The included lesson plans and activities guide students in practicing key comprehension strategies as they explore the mouse's cleverness, courage, and problem-solving skills.

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Knowledge and Fluency Passages

Life in the Forest: Who Eats Whom?

Themes

Teacher Guide

Connect Background Knowldge to the Book

Fill Knowledge Gaps and Build Fluency for Better Comprehension

What’s Included in the Knowledge and Fluency Passages

Why It Matters

Why You’ll Love Using Them

Explore Other Resources to Pair with The Gruffalo

Get Full Access to the Entire Library of Resources when You Join Today!

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