Lesson Plan: Hard to Say

Essential Questions

• How can we communicate without using language? 
• What does it mean to belong?
• What role does family play in our lives?

Literature Connection

• Novel: Listen, Slowly by Thanhhà Lại 
• Novel: Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram 
• Graphic memoir: Mexikid by Pedro Martín  
• Graphic novel: Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo  

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the story. Then preview text features with the following prompts.

• Look at the illustration on the title page. Describe what you see in detail. What can you tell about the main character of the story based on this illustration? In the illustration, a girl is painting the words “Hard to Say.” Art supplies are scattered on the table. Parts of a plate of food and a palm tree painting can be seen in the background. Based on these clues, we can guess that the main character of the story is passionate about art.
• Skim through the story and notice the callout bubbles along the margins. Read the skills in each one, such as Build Knowledge, Inference, and Character. Are there any skills that are not familiar to you? Discuss with a partner. Answers will vary.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary box. Read the terms (intact, immigration, visas, translate, texture) aloud and discuss their definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow

Make a Plan for Reading

• Before students read the play, set a purpose for reading by telling them that they will make inferences about “Hard to Say” Explain that making an inference means using clues from the text to figure out something that isn’t directly stated. (You may also consider showing our “Skills in Action: What Is an Inference?” video.)

• Read the story (or visit Action Online and click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud). Then discuss the close-reading questions found in the margins (answers below) and the critical-thinking questions below.

Close-Reading Questions (30 minutes)

• Inference (p. 15) The conversation shows that Val and her mom have a close and loving relationship. Mom is playful and supportive, saying that she’ll continue making special pancakes for Val even though Val says it’s not necessary. This shows that Mom enjoys taking care of Val and wants to keep their traditions alive.
• Character (p. 16) Mom is cleaning surfaces that are already clean because she is nervous or worried. She’s thinking  about the situation with Val’s grandparents and is trying to stay busy to manage her emotions.
• Inference (p. 16) Val feels nervous and unsure about sharing a room with Clari. She knows they aren’t very close and worries that it will be awkward or uncomfortable.
• Inference (p. 16) Val’s grandmother seems to feel excited based on her squeal. She might also be feeling anxious, having left everything behind in Venezuela, but at this moment, as she sees her grandchildren, she is happy.
• Inference (p. 17) Val feels left out when her family jokes around in Spanish and she can’t keep up. She wishes she could understand and join in the fun, but instead she feels alone.
• Inference (p. 17) Val wishes she hadn’t asked her parents to stop using her nickname because it reminds her of her connection to her family and her past.
• Theme (p. 18) Food is important to Val’s family because it helps them stay connected to their culture and each other. Sharing meals and recipes brings the family closer.
• Compare and Contrast (p. 18) Val feels frustrated and left out when she sees Clari and Ita bonding so easily, while Clari thinks they are including her. Clari doesn’t understand how hard it is for Val to feel part of the family when she struggles with the language.
• Inference (p. 19) Ita shows Val old photographs to help her remember their life in Venezuela and feel more connected to her past. 
• Interpreting Text (p. 19) The last line shows that Val and Ita don’t need words to understand each other—they connect through art. This moment is important because it shows how Val starts to feel closer to her family despite the language barrier.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• This story is told from Val’s point of view and focuses on the challenges that Val experiences. But other people in this story are facing challenges too. What are they? Val’s grandparents have just left behind their whole lives—almost everyone they know and everything they own—and moved to a new country where the only people they know are Val, Clari, and the sisters’ parents, and where many people do not speak their language. Plus, they were in a difficult situation in Venezuela, where there was violence and a shortage of food and medicine, and they are surely still recovering from that experience. Having Ita and Ito move in is a big change for Val’s parents too, and it is likely stressful for them. Clari, meanwhile, no longer has her own room in her family’s house and is upset that Val isn’t happy.
• What do you think Val could do to continue strengthening her relationship with her grandmother and solve her problem of feeling left out? Answers will vary. Ideas might include continuing to have painting sessions with her grandma; doing other activities with her grandparents and the rest of her family that don’t require talking, such as listening to music, going to an art museum, or watching a sunset; reminding herself that she is loved when she feels left out; and continuing to work on speaking Spanish.

• Have students work in pairs to complete the Spotlight Skill Workout: Inference activity at the end of the play.
• Assign students to work independently on our Analyzing Character Skill Builder. (Click here to see all your Skill Builders for this feature.)
• Writing prompt: Imagine that you are Clari. As Clari, write a message to a close friend about how it feels to  share a room with Val and see her struggle with feeling left out. Write about how this experience has made you think differently about your family, your role as a sister, and what you could do to help Val feel more included.