Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle | 3rd Grade Literature | Kolbe Academy Catholic Classical Curriculum

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle introduces young readers to one of children’s literature’s most memorable problem-solvers. Living in an upside-down house and known for her warm kitchen and unusual past, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has a remarkable gift: she understands children and their habits better than anyone.

When Mary becomes an Answer-Backer, Dick refuses to share, or Allen stretches every meal into endless tiny bites, desperate parents turn to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for help. Her imaginative “cures” gently expose selfishness, laziness, and poor manners for what they are, leading children to reform themselves with humor and insight.

Told in lively, episodic chapters, the stories are especially well-suited to primary readers developing fluency and narrative recall. The clear moral contrasts and lighthearted tone invite discussion about virtue, self-control, and responsibility while strengthening comprehension and expressive retelling. Selected for classical primary literature study, this enduring favorite combines laughter with meaningful character formation.

Course Information

Kolbe Academy's Literature 3 course strengthens reading comprehension and expression through a structured sequence of engaging novels and regular poetry study. Poems are included. Students read titles such as Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Brighty of the Grand Canyon, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle, supported by guided oral discussion, narration, vocabulary work, and periodic reading checks.

Poetry lessons are woven throughout the year and include close reading, simple activities, and memorization and recitation to build fluency, attention, and confidence. Poems are included. Each lesson provides clear daily assignments with a balanced mix of teacher-led instruction and independent student work. Optional pacing pathways allow instructors to adjust reading load while maintaining steady progress and consistent skill development. Teacher keys and structured lesson plans make the course straightforward to implement in a variety of instructional settings.

Courses this book is used in:

• Literature 3:
  • Homeschool - This course includes multiple reading tracks to support different reading levels. Please use the Course Plan to choose your books and weekly assignments, since the titles and pacing vary by track. Families may change tracks if needed, but we recommend switching only at a unit/quarter break so you can continue smoothly without repeating the same content. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is used in Advanced Reading Plans 1 & 2.

Courses this book was previously used in:

• Discontinued: Primary Literature
• Materials for the discontinued Primary Literature course may still be purchased while supplies last. To find available Primary Literature course materials, click here.