A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams gives you the opportunity to promote:
- Importance of family and home
- Never giving up even during difficult times
- Community support and generosity
- Working towards a goal and saving money
- Patience, perseverance and determination
- Loss and starting over
- Resilience and self-sacrifice
- Identifying changing emotions
You can also use the book to teach:
- Making connections
- Sequencing
- 1st person narration
- Character traits
Three generations of a hard-working family are left devastated when their home is destroyed by fire. Rosa, her mother and grandmother lose all their belongings and have to start over. They move into a new apartment but have no furniture. Their neighbours, friends and family help the family by donating furniture and household items, but they still needed a comfy chair.
They have their hearts set on a “wonderful, beautiful, fat, soft armchair . . . covered in velvet with roses all over it.” The family set about saving up for this chair. Mama brings home the biggest jar she could find. With perseverance and patience, their coins slowly fill the jar. As soon as the jar is full they visit different stores until they find their dream chair where Rosa’s mama can rest after a busy day’s work.
Book Series
A Chair for My Mother, Something Special for Me, Music, Music for Everyone, A Chair for Always
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
Illustrator: Vera B. Williams
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 9780688009144
A Chair for My Mother Resources
These resources relate to the book, author and illustrator. The number of resources varies book to book. Please check they are appropriate for your specific needs before using them with children. If you have any suggestions please get in touch!
I have created a bundle of literacy graphic organizers for A Chair For My Mother. You can find them at my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Click on the image to go directly to the pack.
- Bright Hub Education: Read-Aloud Activities and Lesson Ideas
- Crayola: A Chair for my Mother Activities
- Harper Collins: Teachers’ Guide
- Learning to Give: A Chair For My Mother Literature Guide
- Read Works: A Chair for My Mother Lesson Plan
- Reading is Fundamental: Support Materials
- The Trustees of Purdue University: A Chair For My Mother – Understanding Words
A Chair for My Mother Graphic Organisers
I have created a literacy pack for A Chair For My Mother which includes over 300 NO PREP graphic organizers. There are many activities for each literacy area to differentiate depending on your student’s ability/age. They include activities for:
- Asking Questions
- Author’s Purpose
- Cause & Effect
- Character Traits and Analysis
- Compare & Contrast
- Comprehension Questions and Writing Prompts
- Inferring and Predicting
- Main Idea and Theme
- Making Connections
- Point of View
- Problem and Solution
- Retelling, Sequencing and Summarizing
- Story Maps
- Visualizing
- Vocabulary
*Click on these links to discover book recommendations on these topics.
A Chair for My Mother Read-Aloud Questions
Read aloud sessions are a wonderful way for children to understand the connection between written text and spoken language. You can model reading habits and strategies, reading fluency, tone and eye contact. You can also introduce different genres, authors and illustrators.
- What did you learn from reading A Chair for My Mother? How could you use this in your own life?
- Describe the problem faced by Rosa and her family and how was it solved.
- How does Vera Williams make it clear the women in the family are hardworking and determined?
- Do you think it would be difficult to start all over again like Rosa and her family? Why or why not? What would be the most difficult part?
- Why was the chair so important to the family?
- Is there something you would like to have that is too expensive? Would you be willing to save up for it?
- How did the neighbours, family and friends work together to help Rosa and her family?
- What sacrifices did the family have to make to get their dream chair?
- How would the story be different if mama, Grandma or a neighbour was telling the story?
- What do you think the family will save up for next?
You can find a full set of 68 comprehension questions for A Chair For My Mother available in my TPT Store.
A Chair for My Mother Videos
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