The use of traditional stories in American Indian language programs connects students' reading to their lives and familiarizes learners with the rhythms of the oral language. Puppet performances are one way of connecting reading programs to the Native oral tradition. A high school reading lesson in a first-year Hupa language class uses many reading strategies in six stages. In the initial stage of setting the scene for the puppet play, the teacher may describe the sequence of learning and what to expect in each stage of the lesson. The use of flashcards, note cards, audiotapes, and other aids catches students' attention. In the second stage, comprehensible input, the teacher asks easy questions; students demonstrate comprehension but do not have to respond verbally. If they do respond verbally, they need only respond with "yes" or "no." In the guided practice stage, students respond with yes or nor by repeating what the teacher has said or by answering either-or questions. In the independent practice stage, students supply the vocabulary term in answering the teacher's questions. Students may formulate words, phrases, and sentences. In the challenge stage, students initiate activities by reading traditional stories, performing plays adapted from the stories, or by playing games designed from vocabulary in the lesson. Hupa elders are the source of the lesson material, and they help teach the class. The final stage is optional and involves attending a class taught in the Hoopa community by elders, where there is opportunity for spontaneous language use. (Contains 12 references.) (TD)