Three Important Lessons from Cinderella for Girls:

A printable version of an oral story guide (as retold by Judy Lubin) demonstrates that the tale of Cinderella signifies personal growth and transformation. As Cinderella learns to differentiate between good and bad, her new dress reflects that change, since inner change correlates with outside alteration as well.

Cinderella is an orphan. She has lost her father, so is yearning for love and a sense of belonging.

• Be Courageous and Kind. First and foremost, Ella’s (Cinderella’s) mother taught her from the youngest of ages to “have courage and be kind”.
• Be Positive, Not Negative. It also instructs young girls to see the world not as it might be.
• Be Proud of Yourself.

A theme is the message, or lesson, that the reader learns by reading the story. Sometimes a story has a particular kind of message, known as a moral. A moral is a type of message that teaches a reader a life lesson, such as what is right or wrong, how to make decisions, or how to treat other people.

The central message of a story is basically the main idea, or the point that the author wants the reader to take away from the story.

Theme is the main or central idea in a literary work. It is the unifying element of a story.

In this post, I’ll share some of the activities and strategies I use to help students master finding the central message:

1. Start with an Anchor Chart.
2. Use Posters to Chart Central Messages.
3. Read Mentor Text.
4. Use Fables and Fairy Tales.
5. Use Biographies.
6. Find the Central Message in Movies.
7. Use Task Cards or Games.

The Central Theme is what the story is fundamentally about. Also compare Motif, a more general term for a recurring symbol or idea throughout a work, different from Central Theme in that it is not the story’s main focus. An album with a Central Theme will usually be considered a Concept Album.

Message is a specific example of that theme in action. Theme is big stuff. Theme is joy, peace, and love. Message, on the other hand, is found in the specific story situations that illustrate the thematic principles. Your message is your story’s theme in action.