The Rock in the Road Level 17-18

The Rock in the Road is a simple and empowering play that shows how cooperation can overcome a challenge that individual effort cannot. This text follows a group of animals working together to remove a large rock blocking the path, reinforcing the value of teamwork and persistence. With a clear character list, increasing numbers, repetition, and expressive punctuation, the structure supports fluency and comprehension. High-frequency contractions such as œcan't, œyou're, and œit's make the dialogue accessible while helping students build familiarity with spoken forms of language. The use of parentheses and italics introduces stage direction reading, making it ideal for performance and group reading practice. This story aligns with themes of community and collaboration, encouraging students to explore what can be achieved by working together.

Educational Benefits:

• Develops fluency through repeated phrases and expressive punctuation
• Introduces drama conventions such as stage directions and character lists
• Reinforces understanding of contractions in everyday language
• Promotes values of teamwork and collective problem-solving

Classroom Ideas:

• Perform the play in small groups using props or puppets
• Rewrite the story using different animals or a new obstacle
• Highlight contractions and create a contraction word wall
• Discuss how problems can be solved by working together

Information:

• Age Group: 7-9 years
• Reading Level: 17-18 (Turquoise)
• Format: Paperback reader/play script
• Includes character list and punctuation for performance reading