This paper deals with systems of methods in contemporary Croatian fairy tales, in the frame of Croatian language teaching in primary school. The fairy tale has been present in it since the beginning of the introduction of general education in Croatia, as a regular reading in textbooks and reading books, mainly in the lower grades of primary school. In addition to classical fairy tales, modern fairy tales also play an important role in Croatian language teaching, which dates back to the post-World War II period in Croatian literature and which has its importance and role in the modern curriculum of Croatian language teaching. The survey data point to the conclusion that a fairy tale is an indispensable tool in the educational process and that a modern fairy tale must be represented in it. When it comes to methodical approaches in teaching fairy tales, it was concluded that teachers often apply a number of them, most often the problematization and the creative methodical approach. The paper also presents a pair of two-hours lessons held at the school, during which the fairy tales Stribor's Forest by Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, as well as Three Foxes and the Forest Emperor by Anđelka Martić were analyzed with the students. Their impressions of classical and modern fairy tales were presented and interpreted. Students affirmatively accept the fairy tale in class and besides they are happy to read fairy tales outside the teaching curriculum and process, either on the instructions of the elders (parents, teachers), or on their own initiative.