Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Corduroy

Use Corduroy by Don Freeman to strengthen your students' comprehension skills, build their vocabulary, and help them understand how words work.

Corduroy's heartwarming story about finding a friend of his own is a perfect pick for comprehension lessons in making connections and predictions. Students connect to prior knowledge to identify where in the department store Corduroy might find a new trouser button.

Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with Corduroy in the drop down below.

The first page of Asking Questions with A Bad Case of Stripes

Making Connections with Corduroy

Young students will be able to identify with the emotional experiences of both Corduroy and Lisa in this story. This makes it an ideal lesson for learning how to make text-to-self connections.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.2.2,RL.2.10,RF.2.3,RF.2.4,SL.2.1b,SL.2.2,SL.2.3,W.2.8,L.2.6
TEKS Alignment
2.1A,2.1C,2.1D,2.6A,2.6E,2.6I,2.7A,2.7B,2.7C,2.7D,2.7E,2.7F,2.8C,2.13C,2.13E,2.13G
The first page of Asking Questions with A Bad Case of Stripes

Making Predictions with Corduroy

Where will Corduroy find a new button? Watch your students learn to make predictions as they tap into prior knowledge and identify where in the department store Corduroy might find a new trouser button.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.2.1,RL.2.3,RL.2.10,RF.2.3,RF.2.4,SL.2.1b,SL.2.2,SL.2.3,W.2.8,L.2.6
TEKS Alignment
2.7B,2.13G,2.13E,2.13C,2.8C,2.7F,2.7E,2.7D,2.7C,2.1A,2.7A,2.6I,2.6E,2.6C,2.6B,2.6A,2.1D,2.1C
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Retelling & Summarizing with Corduroy

The events, characters, problem and solution in Corduroy's heartwarming story are clear and memorable, making this lesson plan a perfect pick for readers who are learning to retell and summarize basic stories.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.2.2,RL.2.3,RL.2.5,RL.2.7,RL.2.10,RF.2.3,RF.2.4,SL.2.1b,SL.2.2,SL.2.3,W.2.8,L.2.6
TEKS Alignment
2.7D,2.13G,2.13E,2.13C,2.9C,2.8D,2.8C,2.8A,2.7F,2.7E,2.1A,2.7C,2.7B,2.7A,2.6I,2.6G,2.6A,2.1D,2.1C
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Diphthongs with Corduroy

This word work lesson plan and set of teaching resources use Corduroy by Don Freeman as a springboard for instruction focused on diphthongs.

By anchoring word study to the text, students will benefit from seeing how diphthongs with-ighare used inside of the text before engaging in both guided and independent practice with -igh diphthongs.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RF.2.3,RF.2.4
TEKS Alignment
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Vocabulary Connections with Corduroy

This set of vocabulary development resources for Corduroy highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book.  Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions and pictures, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
L.2.4a,L.2.5a,L.2.6
TEKS Alignment
2.7E,2.7F,2.3A,2.3B,2.3D
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Comprehension Assessment with Corduroy

Use this Common Core aligned comprehension assessment to evaluate students' comprehension of Corduroy.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Running Record with Corduroy

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with Corduroy. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Cause and Effect Matching with Corduroy

Read Corduroy then have some fun matching cause and effect sentences from the book. By using these cause and effect cards, students will demonstrate both their comprehension of the text and their understanding of cause and effect relationships in hands-on and interactive way.

This resource includes matching/sorting cards and a sorting mat for four cause and effect sentences in Corduroy. Each cause card is marked with a square and each effect card is marked with a circle, making it easy to support students who struggle with matching cause and effect relationships.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Cause and Effect Sentence Stems with Corduroy

Understanding cause and effect is a key comprehension and language skill. The text structure of Corduroy includes several examples of cause and effect relationships, making it easy to use as a springboard for modeling or independent practice.

This simple resource includes four sentence stems. Each sentence stem presents an effect. Students will use what they know about the book to fill in the cause of the effect.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Letter Sounds with Corduroy

The BookPagez extension activities are a great way to push student engagement beyond the pages of the text. Try using this activity with early finishers, with students who show a deeper connection with the text, or as a center activity.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment

Making Connections with Corduroy (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer

Making Predictions with Corduroy (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer

Retelling & Summarizing with Corduroy (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer

Letter Sounds with Corduroy (Spanish)

Worksheet

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About the Book

The cover for the book Corduroy
Title: Corduroy
Author: Don Freeman
Genre: Fantasy
Themes: Perseverance, Adventure, Decision Making, Family, Friendship
ISBN: 9780140501735
Publisher's Summary:
Corduroy by Don Freeman is a timeless children's book that captures the magic of childhood longing and the universal search for belonging. The story centers on Corduroy, a teddy bear in green overalls, who lives on a toy department store shelf, hoping to be chosen by a child. One day, a girl named Lisa notices Corduroy and wants to take him home, but her mother points out that the bear is missing a button and declines to buy him. Left alone after the store closes, Corduroy embarks on a brave and curious quest through the store to find his lost button, determined to make himself worthy of a home.

Corduroy's journey across the store is filled with wonder and gentle humor as he explores escalators and furniture, guided by hope and innocent determination. Though he doesn't find his button that night, the story's real heart emerges when Lisa returns the next day with her own saved money to purchase Corduroy. She lovingly repairs his overalls and gives him a place beside her bed, offering him both a home and friendship.

Corduroy's gentle narrative and expressive illustrations make it ideal for classrooms exploring themes of empathy, perseverance, and unconditional love. The book's simple yet profound message—that everyone deserves to be loved and accepted just as they are—resonates with young readers and provides an inviting starting point for discussions about kindness, self-worth, and belonging.
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