LESSON 15 TEACHER’S GUIDE
Firedog!
by Bo Grayson
Fountas-Pinnell Level G
Humorous Fiction
Selection Summary
While the firefighters are on a call, someone is doing chores.
Mysteriously, the beds get made, and the hoses are put away.
One day, the firefighters get back in time to find Blaze, the firehouse
dog, cleaning the fire pole. The chief is so impressed with the dog’s
helpfulness that Blaze joins the team on fire calls from then on.
Number of Words: 217
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Humorous fiction
• Third-person narrative
• Organized chronologically
• Problem presented on first and second pages
• Life in a fire station
• Firedog does chores and gets rewarded for her work.
• Good work should be rewarded.
• Animals can be helpers, too.
• Conversational language
• Third-person narrator
• One line of dialogue
• Simple declarative and exclamatory sentences; a few sentences with introductory clauses:
Example: When the firefighters come back, the hoses are put away.
• Special words related to firefighting: firefighters, alarm bell, firedog, fire pole, fire chief
• Mostly words of one to two syllables, such as job and buckled, with the occasional threesyllable word, firefighters
• Realistic illustrations of people and a dog in a firehouse setting
• Illustrations support the text.
• Nine pages of text, with illustrations in same position on all pages
• Some labels for pictured content vocabulary
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
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Firedog!
by Bo Grayson
Build Background
Tap into children’s knowledge about firefighters. Build interest by asking questions such
as What do firefighters do? Where do they live when they are at work? How do firefighters
get to a fire? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Tell children
that the story is humorous fiction, so the story is meant to be funny.
Introduce the Text
Guide children through the text, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar
language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some
suggestions:
Page 2: Explain that this is a story about a dog named Blaze who lives at a fire
station.
Suggested language: Turn to page 2. Let’s read the first sentence: Something
funny is going on at the fire station. What does funny mean here? It can mean
“strange” or “odd.”
Page 3: Compare the pictures on pages 2 and 3. What’s different about the beds in
the picture on page 3? What do you think that has to do with the first sentence in
the story?
Pages 4-5: Repeat the process, comparing the pictures on pages 4 and 5. Again,
invite children to speculate on what is going on.
Page 9: Point out the picture and the label. Blaze is riding in the fire truck! She is
even buckled in for safety. How does buckling a dog into a seat belt help for safety
in a fire truck?
Now turn back to the beginning of the story and read to find out just what
happened at the fire station.
Target Vocabulary
attention – listening to what is
going on around you
obeys – follows orders or rules,
p. 9
buddy – close friend, p. 10
safety – not being in danger, p. 9
enormous – very big
shocked – very surprised
Grade 2
2
speech – a talk given to a group
station – a building where people
do a certain kind of work, p. 1
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Read
As the children read, observe them carefully. Guide them as needed, using language that
supports their problem solving ability.
Remind children to use the Monitor/Clarify Strategy
think about what happens and why.
as they read to
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite children to share their personal responses to the book.
Suggested language: Do you think Blaze, the firedog, will be happy going to the fires?
Why or why not?
Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, help children understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text
Thinking Beyond the Text
Thinking About the Text
• Some chores don’t get done
at the fire station because the
firefighters have to leave as soon
as the alarm rings.
• Blaze is an unusual dog. While
many dogs can be helpers, they
don’t usually make beds or clean
things with a cloth.
• The labels on the pictures help
the reader figure out some of the
harder words.
• It isn’t until they see Blaze
cleaning the fire pole that they
realize she is the one cleaning up
while they are gone.
• People—and animals—should
be recognized and rewarded for
their good deeds.
• The fire chief decides to let Blaze
ride with the firefighters because
he thinks she’s an important part
of the team.
• Teamwork almost always makes
things easier.
• The exclamation marks help
show the surprise the firefighters
feel.
• The way the text works with the
pictures helps the reader know
that this story is supposed to be
funny.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Further Support
• Fluency Invite children to choose a passage from the text to read aloud. Remind them
to pay attention to punctuation to help them know how to express what is happening.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the children’s reading and discussion,
revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind children to go
back to the text to support their ideas.
• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using
examples from the text. Remind children that longer words are often formed from
shorter, familiar words. For example, the word firefighters on page 2 is a compound
word combining the words fire and fighters. Shorter words can sometimes help with
the meaning of longer words.
Grade 2
3
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Writing about Reading
Critical Thinking
Have children complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 15.7.
Responding
Have children complete the activities at the back of the book. Use the instruction below as
needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.
Target Comprehension Skill
Cause and Effect
Remind children that a cause is what makes something
else happen. The effect is what happens. Model the skill, using a “Think Aloud” like the
one below.
Think Aloud
The firefighters can’t figure out who is doing special jobs around the
firehouse while they’re out on calls. They leave to go put out a fire. When
they come back, chores are done. The beds are made. The hoses are put
away. What is causing these things to happen? The dog Blaze is always
left behind. I think Blaze is the cause. She makes these things happen.
Practice the Skill
At the end of the story, Blaze’s actions cause another effect. Have children write what they
think that effect is.
Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text
Have children write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they
think beyond the text, they use what they know and their own experience to think about
what happens in the story.
Assessment Prompts
• What seems hard to believe in this story. Why?
• Look at this sentence from the story: Now the firefighters take their buddy out on
every call. What does the author mean by the word buddy? What does it tell you about
how the firefighters feel about Blaze?
Grade 2
4
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English Language Development
Reading Support Check regularly on children’s oral reading to determine accuracy,
fluency, and comprehension. Then help children prepare and rehearse something they can
tell about the story.
Idioms The story includes some idioms that might be unfamiliar, as well as multiplemeaning words. Explain the meaning of the expressions make the beds (page 2) and
buckled in (page 9). Help children understand that the word call as used on page 10
means “going to help someone.”
Oral Language Development
Check children’s comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches their English
proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the child.
Beginning/Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: What is the story title?
Speaker 1: What surprises the
firefighters when they first come back
to the fire station?
Speaker 1: What kind of funny
things are going on at the fire
station?
Speaker 1: Point to a picture of the
firedog. Tell what she is doing.
Speaker 2: The beds are made.
Speaker 2: looking at the beds
Speaker 1: Why is this surprising to
them?
Speaker 2: The firefighters leave,
and someone does their chores.
Speaker 2: Firedog!
Speaker 1: Where are the beds?
Speaker 2: in the fire station
Speaker 1: How are the chores
getting done?
Speaker 2: The beds were not made
when they left.
Speaker 2: Blaze, the dog, is doing
them.
Lesson 15
Name
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 15.7
Think About It
Firedog!
Think About It
Read and answer the questions.
1. Why don’t the firefighters make their beds or put
away the hoses?
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2. Why do the firefighters do their own jobs now?
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3. Why do you think firefighters would want to have a
pet at the firehouse? Explain your answer.
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Making Connections What job would you want a dog to do
for you? Why?
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Read directions to children.
Think About It
Grade 2, Unit 3: Tell Me About It
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Grade 2
5
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Name
Date
Firedog!
Thinking Beyond the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two
paragraphs.
How is Blaze rewarded at the end of the story? Do you think it is a good
reward for Blaze? Tell why or why not. Use details from the story in your
answer.
Grade 2
6
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Lesson 15
Name
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 15.7
Think About It
Firedog!
Think About It
Read and answer the questions.
1. Why don’t the firefighters make their beds or put
away the hoses?
2. Why do the firefighters do their own jobs now?
3. Why do you think firefighters would want to have a
pet at the firehouse? Explain your answer.
Making Connections What job would you want a dog to do
for you? Why?
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Grade 2
7
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Student
Lesson 15
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 15.11
Firedog! • LEVEL G
page
4
Firedog!
Running Record Form
Selection Text
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Self-Correction
Rate
The next day, the alarm bell
rings again.
The firefighters go out in the truck.
There is no time to put away
the hoses.
5
When the firefighters come back,
the hoses are put away!
The firefighters don’t know
who put away the hoses.
6
Each time the firefighters go out,
a job gets done.
The firefighters don’t know
who is doing the jobs.
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/62 × 100)
(# errors + #
Self-Corrections/
Self-Corrections)
%
1:
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 2
Behavior
Error
0
0
1
8
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cut sc
cat
0
Insertion
the
1
Word told
T
cat
cat

Error
1413642
Behavior
1
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