Introducing Comparing and Contrasting Stories

Comparing and contrasting can be a tricky skill. It seems so simple, but it trips up a lot of kids. Often, kids understand what same and different mean, but they just can’t apply those concepts to stories yet.

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Kids just learning to compare and contrast may have trouble moving beyond obvious answers. I’m sure you’ve gotten answers like, “Both stories have boys,” and you’ve probably had to prompt the kids to tell you what was the same or different about the boys.

Books To Introduce Comparing And Contrasting

Using the right books is so important. It helps to find two books with strong similarities and clear differences. The right pair of books can lead the kids in the direction you want them to go.

My favorite book combination for teaching comparing and contrasting is Chewy Louie and Harry Hungry. The pair provides the right balance of similarities and differences.

Chewy Louie

Chewy Louie is a children’s book written by Howie Schneider. It’s a cute picture book about a very hungry puppy who is always hungry. He who chews up everything. He even eats part of the house!

Harry Hungry

Steven Salerno wrote the children’s book Harry Hungry. It’s a fun and silly picture book about an exceptionally hungry baby named Harry. Harry is so hungry that he eats his dad’s car, and causes havoc with his chomping.

In both books, the adults are desperate to stop the destruction. Eventually, Chewy Louie outgrows his teething stage, and Harry Hungry falls asleep. The similarities and differences between the two stories are obvious and supported by the illustrations, making it easy for kids to compare and contrast the two books.

Introduce Comparing And Contrasting With A Video

If your students are new to comparing and contrasting, check out this video introducing the concept.

Using Venn Diagrams

It’s also important to help kids organize their thoughts. Using a graphic organizer helps, especially as students transition from talking about their books to writing about them. Venn diagrams are a classic tool for comparing and contrasting.

Venn diagrams can help students organize their thoughts. My favorite way to introduce them is with a hands-on activity. Use two Hula Hoops to create a giant Venn diagram on the floor.

Then, put each book inside of each hoop. Use sentence strips or index cards to record the similarities and differences between the books. Finally, have your students sort the statements into the correct sections of the diagram. It’s easy to move the cars around as needed.

How do you teach comparing and contrasting? What are your favorite books to use? Leave a comment and share your ideas.