English PopTalk Steady — Reading and Fluency ← All stories
Teacher Edition
Abena

The Broken Sandal

A broken strap, a borrowed needle, and five minutes before the bell.

PT-1 · 4 minute read-aloud

📚 Teacher Edition

Designed for reading aloud to a class. Includes facilitator guidance, pause points, discussion questions, vocabulary support, and optional participation activities.

Estimated read-aloud: Approximately 4 minutes

Abena sitting on a low wall beside a colorful market while repairing one sandal before school.
Facilitator Guide

Facilitator Guide

1

Before Reading

Say: “This is a story about a girl who has a small problem on her way to school. Listen for what she does first.”

2

Read Together

Pause after each short paragraph. Invite learners to predict what the character will do next.

Use the marked facilitator notes and natural pause point in the story below.

3

During Reading

After “the strap on her left sandal snapped”:
Ask: “What do you think Abena will do?”
After the seller offers the needle and thread:
Ask: “Who is helping Abena?”
After “It held”:
Ask: “How did Abena repair the sandal?”
4

After Reading

Ask: “What does Abena do that shows she stays calm?” Different answers can be correct.

5

Optional Activity

Three-step retell: retell the story using the problem, the repair, and the ending. Learners can also make two gentle pulling motions before the line “She tugged the strap once. Then twice.”

6

Teaching Focus

Abena is capable before the problem appears. The seller provides a tool, but Abena performs the repair herself.

Read the Story

Abena was almost through the market when the strap on her left sandal snapped.

She stopped beside a low wall. Around her, traders arranged tomatoes, folded bright cloth, and called good morning to people hurrying past.

The school bell would ring soon.

Facilitator note: Let the morning market settle into the room. Read these opening lines steadily rather than rushing toward the problem.

Abena looked at the broken sandal in her hand. Her right sandal was still firmly on her foot. Her left foot wore only its white school sock.

“I only need a few minutes,” she said.

A fabric seller nearby heard her. She reached beneath her table and brought out a strong needle and a short piece of thread.

“Try this,” the woman said.

Abena thanked her and sat carefully on the wall. She pushed the needle through the loose strap, pulled the thread tight, and made another stitch. The first stitch looked uneven, but the second was better.

She tugged the strap once.

Then twice.

It held.

Facilitator note: Slow down through the repair. Pause briefly after “It held” so the success has time to land.
Natural pause point

Abena slipped the repaired sandal back onto her left foot. She returned the needle, thanked the woman again, and adjusted her backpack.

The bell began to ring in the distance.

“Just in time,” Abena said, and hurried toward school in both sandals.

Think About It

  • Why did Abena decide to repair the sandal herself?
  • Who helped her?
  • What does the story show about Abena?

Words to Discover

  • strap — a narrow piece that holds something in place
  • borrow — to use something that belongs to another person and return it
  • stitch — a loop of thread used to join or repair material