Chief Fran Story Slides Early Kindergarten Storytime
Community Helpers
Picture Book Spotlight
Fire Chief Fran
By Linda Ashman • Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
1. Listen
2. Move
3. Chant
Our Brave Helper
Meet Fire Chief Fran!
Station 34 Leader
Chief Fran
She leads the crew!
She drives big red trucks!
She keeps us safe!
Fire Station
Firefighters eat and sleep here!
They slide the tall brass pole!
Bell rings: Clang! Clang!
All together: What sound does the fire bell make? “CLANG!”
WORD 1
GRIT
Try Hard!
What Does It Mean?
Never give up — even when things are hard!
Chief Fran has grit when she climbs tall ladders!
Move Your Body!
Make strong arm muscles and chant:
“I have GRIT!”
You show grit when you keep trying hard things!
WORD 2
HAZE
Smoky Air!
What Does It Mean?
Air full of smoke that makes it hard to see!
Flashlights shine bright through the dark gray haze !
Move Your Body!
Squint your eyes like goggles and chant:
“Through the HAZE!”
Firefighters wear masks so they can breathe safely in a haze !
WORD 3
INSPECT
Look Close!
What Does It Mean?
To look very, very closely and carefully!
Fran will inspect the truck, hoses, and helmets!
Move Your Body!
Make magnifying glass fingers and chant:
“INSPECT it close!”
We inspect our backpacks and books every day!
Story Retell
First • Next • Last
3 Quick Steps
1
FIRST
The alarm bell clangs! Slide the pole!
2
NEXT
Spray water and stop the fire with grit!
3
LAST
Town is safe! Inspect gear and rest!
Can you tell your partner: 1, 2, 3!
Community Helpers
Firefighters Protect Us!
Call 9-1-1
Stop Fires Fast
Spraying giant water hoses to keep homes safe!
Rescue People & Pets
Carrying kids and animals to fresh outdoor air!
Firefighters are our friends and brave community heroes!
Badge Ceremony
We Are Station 34 Helpers!
Join Chief Fran in our Crew Chant:
1. “We have GRIT!” (Flex muscles!)
2. “See through the HAZE!” (Squint eyes!)
3. “We INSPECT!” (Look close!)
Ready for Our Badge Mission Sheets!
Junior Fire Chief!
Word Heroes Vocabulary Cards Chief Fran’s 3 Power Words
Cut out cards for circle time, pocket charts, and movement games
Cut 3 Cards
1
GRIT
Power Word • Trying Hard!
Movement
Flex Muscles!
What It Means
“Never give up, even when it is hard!”
We Say Together:
“I have GRIT!”
Cut here
2
HAZE
Seeing Word • Smoky Air!
Movement
Squint Eyes!
What It Means
“Smoky air that makes it hard to see!”
We Say Together:
“Through the HAZE!”
Cut here
3
INSPECT
Detective Word • Look Close!
Movement
Magnifying Glass!
What It Means
“Look very, very closely and carefully!”
We Say Together:
“Check it close!”
Circle Time Tip: Practice with quiet mouse voices, then loud firefighter voices! Station 34 Words
Word Heroes Sheet
Match • Draw • Chant
Name:
Date:
A
Draw a line from each word to its picture clue!
GRIT Never give up!
Strong muscles →
HAZE Smoky air!
Squint eyes →
INSPECT Look close!
Magnifying glass →
B
Draw yourself showing GRIT! (Trying hard without quitting!)
Ideas: Tying shoes, riding a scooter, drawing letters, or carrying big toys!
Teacher dictation: “I showed grit when I: ”
Power Word Chant
Color or dab each circle when you say the word!
GRIT
HAZE
LOOK
Chief Fran Mission Worksheet Chief Fran Story Mission
Beginning • Middle • End
Name:
Date:
1
Story Order: Trace the numbers 1, 2, and 3!
First • Next • Last
1
1. Bell Rings!
Clang! Grab gear!
2
2. Stop the Fire!
Hoses & bravery!
3
3. Safe at Home!
Inspect tools & rest.
2
Circle the right picture!
A. Circle our brave leader, Chief Fran:
Chief Fran
Firefighter helmet
Doctor
Hospital helper
B. Circle where Chief Fran works:
Fire Station
Engines & pole
Supermarket
Food carts
Great job! Turn the page to make your Junior Fire Chief Badge!
Junior Firefighter Badge
Community Helper Art
Station 34 Crew
3
Firefighters are helpers! Color or circle both ways they protect us:
Put Out Fires
Big water hoses!
Rescue People & Pets
Keeping everyone safe!
4
Draw yourself wearing a firefighter helmet!
Draw & Color
Add your fire hat, red boots, or a hose spraying water!
Firefighter helper name:
Emergency Number: Dial 9-1-1
Crew Helper!
Chief Fran Teacher Guide Chief Fran Teacher Guide
Early Kindergarten Read-Aloud • Linda Ashman
Early Kinder Edition
Early Learning Objectives
Children will verbally retell the 3-step story sequence (First, Next, Last), identify Chief Fran and the Fire Station, practice 3 power words (grit , haze , inspect ) through whole-body gestures and chants, and celebrate firefighters as helpful community heroes.
Skills Emphasized
• Oral Language & Echo Chants
• Whole-Body Kinesthetic TPR
• Picture-Based Comprehension
3 Power Words Routine (Chant • Move • Echo)
Pre-Teach (6 Mins)
1. GRIT Action
“Try hard and never give up!”
Action Gesture:
Flex bicep muscles like strong firefighters.
Chant: “I have GRIT!”
2. HAZE Seeing
“Smoky air that is hard to see!”
Action Gesture:
Squint eyes and cup hands like face mask.
Chant: “Through the HAZE!”
3. INSPECT Detective
“Look very, very closely!”
Action Gesture:
Make magnifying glasses with fingers.
Chant: “INSPECT it close!”
Circle Time Warm-Up • Fire Bell Hook (4 Mins)
Sound & Movement Hook
Ring a small chime or clap rhythm: “Clang! Clang! Clang! What sound is that? It is the fire bell! Let’s slide the pole down to our rugs!”
Picture Walk
Show the cover of Fire Chief Fran : “Point to Chief Fran’s yellow hat! She is the boss of Station 34. What colors do you see on her engine?”
Materials: Fire Chief Fran book, Story Slides, Word Cards, Mission Worksheet, crayons Part 1: Setup
Active Reading & Scaffolds
Interactive Stops • Retell • Early Support
Part 2: Delivery
3 Child-Friendly Read-Aloud Stops
12–15 Mins
1
Station Chores • Inspecting Gear
Point to the hoses and engine: “Chief Fran is looking very closely. What power word means to look closely? (INSPECT! ) Let’s make our magnifying glasses!”
2
The Alarm Bells • Quick Action
“Slide the pole! Put on big heavy boots: Stomp, stomp! Chief Fran turns on the siren: Wee-woo, wee-woo! Everyone make the siren sound!”
3
At the Fire • Haze & Grit
“Look at the gray smoke in the air — that is the HAZE ! Fran climbs high without stopping because she has GRIT ! Flex your muscles!”
Choral 3-Step Retell (First, Next, Last)
1. FIRST
Bell rings & engine rolls
2. NEXT
Hoses spray with grit
3. LAST
Everyone safe & inspect
Early Kinder Adaptations & Motor Supports
Pre-Writers
Use chunky crayons or finger tracing for numbers 1, 2, 3. Adult scribes child’s dictation on badge line.
Emergent Bilinguals
Rely on physical TPR motions (flex arms for grit, squint for haze, magnifying glass for inspect) before English production.
Dramatic Play Center
Provide toy fire hats, cardboard ladder, and flashlights to reenact Chief Fran rescuing pets from the haze.
Quick Observation: Child joins in TPR motions and identifies Fire Chief Fran as a helper.
Ready
Safety Response Differentiation Guide Safety Response Differentiation Guide
Fire Chief Fran • Community Helpers & Oral Language
Teacher Coaching Tool
Target Comprehension & Helper Prompt
“Describe one thing Fire Chief Fran and her crew do to keep people safe.”
Focus: Community helper responsibilities, story evidence, and vocabulary application (grit , haze , inspect ).
Tiered Response Scaffolds (Levels 1–4)
Level 1 • Emerging Gestural / Visual
Student Profile: Non-verbal, pre-verbal, or ENL Entering; responds via pointing or acting.
Teacher Prompt:
“Point to the picture that shows Fran helping. Did she spray water or sleep?”
Scaffold:
Offer 2 Visual Action Cards (Water vs. Bed). Accept physical motion (spraying hose).
Benchmark: Points to correct action or demonstrates TPR motion.
Level 2 • Developing Single Words / Phrases
Student Profile: Uses 1–3 word phrases; needs sentence frames and visual vocabulary cues.
Teacher Prompt:
“What tool does Fran use to stop the fire? How does that keep us safe?”
Sentence Frame:
“Chief Fran sprays [water] to keep us safe.”
Benchmark: Completes a framed sentence orally with 1 helper action.
Level 3 • Target Complete Oral Sentence
Student Profile: Produces complete spoken sentences; connects helper duty to safety outcome.
Teacher Prompt:
“Describe one job Fran does and explain why it protects the neighborhood.”
Sentence Frame:
“Chief Fran and her crew [action] so that [result].”
Benchmark: States duty + consequence (e.g., “She inspects trucks so they work!”).
Level 4 • Extending Multi-Sentence + Vocab
Student Profile: Fluent speaker/emergent writer; incorporates target vocabulary independently.
Teacher Prompt:
“How did Fran show grit during the rescue? How does inspecting tools prevent danger?”
Sentence Frame:
“Fran showed grit when she went into the haze to...”
Benchmark: Integrates grit/haze/inspect into multi-clause explanation.
Responsive Teacher Moves (In-the-Moment Coaching)
If Child Freezes:
Model the physical gesture first: “Let’s hold the fire hose together! Whoosh! What are we doing?”
If Child Gives 1 Word:
Use recast and expand: “Water! Yes! Fran sprays cold water to put out the hot fire.”
If Off-Topic (e.g. “Sirens”):
Validate and refocus: “Sirens are loud! Why do they turn sirens on? To tell cars to move so they can save people!”
Flip to Page 2 for Student Visual Response Board & Sentence Strips Station 34 Differentiation
Point & Say Visual Response Board
Student Support • What Firefighters Do to Keep Us Safe
Visual Support
Step 1: Point to or choose one thing Chief Fran and her crew do:
3 Core Actions
Spray Water
Put out hot fires fast
Gesture:
“Whoosh! Spray hose!”
Rescue from Haze
Carry people & pets out
Gesture:
“Carry safely in arms!”
Inspect Gear
Check tools & alarms
Gesture:
“Magnifying glass look!”
Step 2: Choose a sentence frame for the child to speak or dictate:
Speaking Strips
1
Level 1–2 (Emerging Frame)
“Chief Fran sprays water to keep us safe.”
2
Level 3 (Target Kindergarten Frame)
“Chief Fran and her crew so everyone stays safe.”
3
Level 4 (Vocabulary Challenge Frame)
“Fran showed grit when she went into the haze to rescue...”
Quick Conference Tracker (Circle Level & Check Scaffold)
Student:
Level: 1 2 3 4
Scaffold used: [ ] Visual [ ] Stem [ ] Independent
Every child can explain how firefighters protect our community! Early Kinder Certified
