“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
This a great quote that is often mistakenly attributed to Albert Einstein. He didn’t say this, but the quote is powerful, just the same.
This quote is the premise of the book Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt.
Why Teach Fish in a Tree?
Fish in a Tree is a high-interest novel that can generate thoughtful classroom conversations while helping students connect reading to real-life experiences.
The story follows Ally Nickerson, a bright student who has struggled in school because she has difficulty reading. Because she doesn’t understand why reading is so difficult for her, Ally develops strategies to hide her struggles from her teachers and classmates.
When a new teacher recognizes Ally’s strengths and begins looking at her abilities differently, Ally starts to see herself differently, too.
This makes Fish in a Tree particularly valuable for discussions about:
- Perseverance and resilience
- Learning differences
- Self-confidence
- Friendship
- Empathy
- Bullying and kindness
- Character growth
- Overcoming challenges
- The importance of supportive teachers
- Seeing strengths instead of weaknesses
These themes give students much more to think about than simply answering questions about what happened in each chapter.
Looking for a Fish in a Tree novel study that will help your students dig deeper into the story while making your life as a teacher easier?
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is an excellent choice for upper elementary and middle school readers. Through Ally’s experiences with reading, school, friendship, and learning differences, students have countless opportunities to explore character development, perseverance, empathy, identity, friendship, and overcoming challenges.
But teaching an entire novel can take a lot of planning.
That’s where a well-designed Fish in a Tree book unit can save you hours of preparation while giving students meaningful opportunities to practice reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, critical thinking, and more.
Fish in a Tree Reading Comprehension
One of the best ways to use Fish in a Tree in the classroom is to give students opportunities to think deeply about what they are reading.
Instead of asking students to simply recall facts from each chapter, use Fish in a Tree comprehension questions that require students to explain their thinking.
For example, students can be asked to consider:
- Why does Ally try so hard to hide her difficulties?
- How do Ally’s relationships with her classmates change throughout the novel?
- How does Mr. Daniels help Ally see herself differently?
- What evidence shows that Ally is more capable than she believes?
- How do the characters’ actions demonstrate empathy or a lack of empathy?
- How does Ally change from the beginning of the novel to the end?
Don’t Overload Students With Questions
A novel study doesn’t need to turn every chapter into a worksheet marathon.
When students are reading a great book, you want them to become immersed in the story. Too many questions can interrupt that experience.
That’s why I prefer using a smaller number of thoughtful questions that require students to explain, infer, analyze, and connect their ideas to the text.
The goal is to create thoughtful readers—not students who simply race through a checklist of questions.
Fish in a Tree Vocabulary Activities
Fish in a Tree also provides plenty of opportunities for vocabulary instruction.
Rather than teaching vocabulary words in isolation, students can encounter new words in the context of the novel and then apply them through activities that reinforce both vocabulary and language skills.
A Fish in a Tree vocabulary unit can include activities such as:
- Vocabulary definitions
- Context clues
- Spelling practice
- Vocabulary word walls
- Grammar activities
- Word searches
- Crossword puzzles
- Written responses
Teaching vocabulary alongside the novel allows students to see how words function within authentic text while building their overall language skills.
Fish in a Tree Writing Activities
The themes in Fish in a Tree naturally lend themselves to writing.
Students can write about characters, themes, personal connections, and the challenges presented throughout the story.
Consider incorporating writing prompts that ask students to:
- Explain how a character changes throughout the novel.
- Describe a time when a character demonstrates perseverance.
- Explain the importance of friendship in the story.
- Compare how different characters respond to challenges.
- Support an opinion with evidence from the novel.
- Explain an important theme and how it develops.
- Make connections between the novel and real-life experiences.
These types of Fish in a Tree writing activities help students move beyond basic comprehension and practice communicating their ideas clearly.
Go Beyond the Novel With STEM & Research
One of the things I love about using a complete novel for instruction is the opportunity to connect reading with other subject areas.
Fish in a Tree provides a natural opportunity to explore dyslexia and learning differences through nonfiction research.
Students can investigate what dyslexia is, learn more about how people with dyslexia experience reading, and consider how misconceptions about learning differences can affect students.
The novel can become the starting point for meaningful conversations about how people learn differently and why understanding and empathy matter.
A novel study can also incorporate STEM and other cross-curricular activities to keep students engaged while reinforcing the connections between reading and the world around them.
Fish in a Tree Lesson Plans That Save You Time
One of the biggest challenges of teaching a novel is simply figuring out what to do each day.
How many chapters should students read?
Which skills should you teach?
When should you assess comprehension?
What vocabulary should you focus on?
What activities should you add?
A complete Fish in a Tree lesson plan can take care of much of that planning for you.
Instead of starting from scratch, you can follow a structured pacing guide with daily objectives and activities and then adjust the schedule to fit your students.
This is especially helpful when using Fish in a Tree with:
- A whole-class novel study
- Small reading groups
- Literature circles
- Reading intervention
- Independent reading
- Homeschool language arts
- One-on-one instruction
Fish in a Tree Novel Study for Grades 5–8
Because Fish in a Tree works well with a range of upper-elementary and middle-school readers, it can be used with grades 5–8.
Of course, students within the same grade can have very different reading abilities. A good novel study should give you enough flexibility to adjust assignments and expectations for your particular students.
The same novel can be used for whole-class instruction, small groups, or independent study.
Printable + Digital Fish in a Tree Novel Study
If you’re looking for a no-prep Fish in a Tree novel study, I’ve created a complete unit that includes both printable and Google Drive™ formats.
That means you can use the materials in a traditional paper-based classroom or digitally with students using computers or tablets.
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What’s Included in the Fish in a Tree Novel Study
- Detailed lesson plans & pacing guide
- Common Core standards alignment for grades 5–8
- Chapter-by-chapter reading comprehension questions
- Vocabulary, spelling & grammar activities
- Critical-thinking & writing activities
- STEM activity
- Dyslexia nonfiction WebQuest
- Novel assessments with answer keys
- Story Elements Interactive Notebook activities
- End-of-book activities
- Printable & Google Drive™ formats
The goal is simple: give you everything you need to teach the novel without spending hours creating your own materials.
See what people are saying about the Fish in a Tree Novel Study by The Teaching Bank!
Try a FREE Fish in a Tree Novel Study Sample
Not sure if this novel study is right for your students?
You can try a FREE Fish in a Tree novel study sample before purchasing the complete unit.
The free sample includes the activities for Chapters 1–2, so you can see exactly how the novel study works with your students.
Get the Complete Fish in a Tree Novel Study
If you’re planning to teach Fish in a Tree this year, you don’t have to spend your evenings creating comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, assessments, lesson plans, and extension activities.
The complete Fish in a Tree Novel Study includes everything you need to turn the novel into a meaningful, standards-aligned reading unit.
It is designed for grades 5–8 and includes both printable and Google Drive™ formats, making it flexible enough for traditional classrooms, digital learning, small groups, or homeschool.
📚 Save Time. Teach the Novel. Build Stronger Readers.
Connect with Fellow Educators!
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Love this information. I can’t wait to use these sources with my classes.