JANG HO: It is good. Apples are good for you, too. Would you like one?
ANNIE: Yes! Do you have one for me?
JANG HO: Take one from my apple tree.
ANNIE: Thanks!
A Cold Day
It was a cold day, but there was no snow. Greg sat by the window. He was tired of playing inside. Then he saw a bit of white. It was starting to snow! Greg jumped up. He put on his coat. He went outside. The ground was all white.
A Talking Bird
Do you want your pet bird to talk? Just say a word like “hello.” Say “hello, hello, hello.” Say it in the morning. Say it in the afternoon. Say it every night. One day, the bird will talk. The bird will say “hello” to you.
A Word Game
Here is a word game to play with a friend. If you say, “Up,” your friend should say, “Down.” If you say, “Night,” your friend should say, “Day.” You can think of words like these to say. To end the game, say, “Hello.” Your friend will know what to say.
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Some plants are good to eat. Some plants are put into gum and candy. One plant like this is mint. Mint grows tall. It smells good. Some mint plants grow in water. Some do not. Mint plants are yummy. They are used in many things.
Brett and Willy
Brett was petting his dog. “Good dog,” he said. His dog’s name was Willy. Willy lay down. Brett rubbed Willy’s tummy. Willy wagged his tail. Then Brett’s mother put food in Willy’s dish. Willy jumped up. Willy ran away from Brett. Willy ran to the dish. Willy ate the food.
Cat and Mouse
Through the streetsWatch them run.The cat and mouseAre having fun.
The mouse goes fast.The cat is slow.They are playing tag.Where will they go?
The mouse jumps up.The cat stays down.They run and raceAll through the town.
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People who work on farms are called farmers. Some farms have lots of cows. The farmers get up before the sun comes up. They milk the cows early in the morning. They milk the cows again before night. Farmers take good care of the cows all day long.
Eat Rocks!
You eat rocks. The rocks are good with food. The rocks are salt! Salt is a rock. People eat salt. Salt tastes good!
Long ago, salt was hard to find. People found it in the ground. They would dig it up. Salt is a rock we can eat!
Fishing at the River
“Grandma, will you go fishing with me?” asked Shawn.
“Yes,” said Grandma. “We can fish at the river.” They walked to the river. A big fish jumped out of the water.
“Look!” said Shawn. “I hope I get that fish!” They fished all day. That night they ate fish for dinner.
Flying a Kite
Kites fly high in the air. They fly in the wind. What makes the wind? Warm air tries to go up high in the sky. Cold air tries to come down from the sky. When the warm air and the cold air meet, they make wind. A kite flies on this wind.
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A fox looks like a dog. A fox can be red, white, or gray. It has a long nose and small ears. It can smell well and hear well. A fox has a bushy tail. The tail of a red fox has a white tip. The feet of a red fox are black.
Going to See Grandpa
EMMA: Are we almost there?
MOM: We are almost there.
EMMA: Where are we going?
MOM: We are going to see Grandpa.
EMMA: Will the birds be there?
MOM: What birds do you mean?
EMMA: I saw birds on the pond at Grandpa’s house.
MOM: Yes, the ducks will be there too.
Help from a Tree
Claire took her paints and paper out of the desk in her room. She wanted to paint a tree. She painted the trunk of the tree. She painted grass around the trunk. She did not know how to paint a leaf. Claire went outside. She looked at a tree. She looked at a leaf. Claire went back inside. She finished her painting.
Hot Day
The grass is soft and coolRight here beside the pool.
It is such a hot day,In the pool I will play.
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I will play that I am a boat.Or I will be a fish in a moat.
Then when I am done,I will sit in the sun.
Hot Springs
In some places hot water comes out of the ground. These places are called hot springs.
First, water goes down deep. It is hot down there. The hot water comes back up. When it comes out it might make a pool. Some of these pools feel good to sit in.
Ice Cream Rabbit
A black rabbit wanted ice cream. It hopped into the garden. It went to the ice cream tree. The rabbit ate some blue ice cream. A dog heard the rabbit. The dog barked. The rabbit ran away. The rabbit wished the dog would go away!
Ice Cubes
How can an ice cube stick to another ice cube? Try this at home. Put an ice cube on a dish. Put some salt on top of the ice cube. Put another ice cube on top. The salt starts to melt the ice. The ice cubes will stick together.
I Sang
I sang a short song.A dog sang along.But the dog’s barkWas loud in the park.The people said, “No!We want you to go!We do not want to hearThat loud barking here!”Now I want to knowJust where we should go!
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Beth was jumping on her bed. Her mother came into Beth’s room. She said, “No more jumping on your bed, Beth. You could fall and get hurt.” Beth’s mother left the room. Beth was sad. She liked jumping on the bed. Beth stopped jumping and played a game.
Jumping Rope
Have you ever jumped rope? First get a rope. Put one end of the rope in each hand. Stand in front of the rope. Swing the rope up over your head. As the rope comes down, get ready to jump. When it is by your feet, jump over it!
Lisa and the Moon
Lisa wanted to walk on the moon. She wanted to make a ship to fly there. She waited until the moon was very big. Then she went to work. Her dad helped her. They made a large ship. That night she dreamed she walked on the moon!
Miguel Makes Cookies
Miguel likes cookies. He asked his dad for a cookie. His dad said, “We do not have any cookies. Would you like to help make some?”
Miguel helped make the cookies. Miguel and his dad added nuts to the cookies. Making cookies was fun. Miguel ate one. It was very good.
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Molly and Max were twins. They wanted to fly in an airplane. Molly and Max liked fast airplanes. “Can Molly and I get a fast airplane, Dad?” Max asked.
“No,” Dad said. “Airplanes cost a lot of money. We can go to the airport and look at the airplanes. Maybe we can ride on one.”
Mouse House
Mark Mouse lived in an old pile of brown wood. He ate seeds from green grass. He ate seeds from red flowers. He took eight seeds into the pile of wood. In the pile of wood was a pile of seeds. Mark Mouse was happy there.
My Birthday
It was my birthday. I was nine! My friends came over to play games. They came to eat cake. They said, “Happy Birthday, Sue!”
My sister Kim was four. She wanted it to be her day. She was crying in her room. I did not want her to cry. I asked her to come and play.
On Top
It was morning. The yellow and orange leaves on the trees looked pretty. Alex walked up the hill. It was hard work. He did not know if he would make it to the top. But he kept going. At noon he was on top of the hill. He was tired but happy.
Painting a Stone
You can paint a sea picture on a stone. Find a flat stone. Wash it and let it dry. Paint it blue. Let it dry again. Then draw a picture of a fish. Paint it red and yellow. Use white paint to put in waves and air bubbles.
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Why are there pictures in your books? They show the things that you are reading about. Look at the pictures before you start to read. They will help you learn new words. They will show you what things look like. They will help you be a better reader.
Piglets Grow Up
Baby pigs are called piglets. Piglets are very small. The piglets do not stay small for long. The mother pig feeds the piglets. The farmer feeds the piglets, too. The piglets eat a lot of food. They grow very fast. They soon are big pigs.
Plants
There are many kinds of plants to grow. You can grow plants to eat. You can grow plants that are pretty. Then you can bring them in the house. They smell good. There are plants that grow big. There are plants that stay small. What kind of plant do you want to grow?
Playing Ball
Jamal wanted to play ball. He walked to Jared’s house. Jared was not home. Jamal felt sad. Then Jamal saw his dad. “Do you want to play ball, Dad?” Jamal asked.
“That would be fun,” said his dad. “We can play catch. When we are done, we can eat lunch.”
Playing in the Snow
Snow was falling outside. I went outside. I made a face in the snow. I made the face by walking in the snow. My feet made lines in the snow. The face was big! It was a smiling face. Mom looked out the window. She smiled at my snow face and at me.
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Ramona looked for a book. She knew which one she wanted. It was the one about the girl and the airplane. She wondered how the girl flew the airplane. One day Ramona was going to fly an airplane. That was her dream. She opened the book.
Sam on the Sand
Sam on the sandUses his hand.Tap! Tap!Sam pats the pail.Scratch! Scratch!Goes Sam’s little nail.Ow! Ow!Sand in Sam’s eyes.Wah! Wah!Hear Sam’s cries.
Sleeping at Camp
Come, come to sleep.The night is here.We will count the stars.We will listen to the wind.There is nothing to fear.Come, come to sleep.There are stories to tell.The campfire will warm us.Come, come to sleep.All will be well.
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Sue woke up. It was night. She was on the grass. Her friend was with her. Then something moved. It got closer. Sue wanted to wake up her friend. She was scared. Then she saw what had moved. It was only her cat. She laughed.
Spiders
You may know that spiders have eight legs. Do you know that spiders also have eight eyes? You may know that spiders spin webs. Do you know why they make webs? Spiders catch their food in their webs. They catch flies and other bugs.
Suki’s Smile
Suki smiled.She smiled and smiled.Her smile was wide.She had nothing to hide.What did Suki see?What made her grin?Was it her cat?Or her new red hat?Did she see something funny?Like a silly old bunny?Only Suki could knowWhat made her smile grow.
Taking a Trip
MARCUS: Where are we going, Dad?
DAD: We are going to a mountain lake.
MARCUS: When will we be there, Dad?
DAD: We will be there in fifteen minutes.
MARCUS: Will there be other people there?
Page 12 of 18Renaissance Learning™ | P.O. Box 8036 | Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495-8036 | (800) 338-4204 | www.renaissance.com
People like to tell stories. Today, many stories are in books. Long ago, many stories were not in books. The stories were songs. People sang songs to tell their stories. People sang stories about many things. Do you like to sing? Do you like to tell stories? You can sing a story.
The Baby
“Please do not make any noise, Jon,” said Dad.
“Please do not jump up and down,” said Mom.
“You may not play here,” said Dad.
“You may go outside and play,” said Mom.
“Or you may read a book,” said Dad.
“Why?” I asked.
“Your baby sister is napping!” said Mom.
The Color of Water
Look at water in a glass. The water has no color. If you look at water in a lake, it may look blue. Why does water in a lake look blue? It looks blue because the blue sky gives it color.
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A bird had a berry in its mouth. A fox wanted to get the berry. The fox said to the bird, “Please sing for me. Your songs are nice.” The bird was happy. The bird sang for the fox. The berry fell out of its mouth. The fox ate the berry!
The Lion and the Mouse
A lion was about to eat a mouse. “Do not eat me,” said the mouse. “Someday, I will help you.”
The lion laughed, but it let the mouse go. One day, the lion got stuck in a net. The mouse came and bit the ropes. The mouse saved the lion!
The Little Fish
Jill and Maddie were at the beach. They were looking around. “Maddie, come over here!” called Jill.
Maddie walked across the wet sand. “What is it?” she asked.
“Look at the little fish in this pool.” A fish swam across the pool of water.
“That is a very small fish,” said Maddie.
The Little Green Bird
Sam was a little green bird. Sam drank from sweet flowers. Sam liked the flowers in Mr. Chen’s yard. Then Mr. Chen cut his grass. The flowers were cut, too. Sam went to Mr. Martin’s yard. Sam drank from Mr. Martin’s flowers. Mr. Martin liked to watch Sam.
The Morning Job
The park was empty. The sun was about to come up. The air was cold. Mark sat down on a swing. This was his morning job. He called for Sally. Sally ran over to him. He rubbed Sally’s head. Then Mark grabbed the leash and they walked back home.
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Calvin went into his yard. There was a new bird in the tree. The bird was singing a song. Calvin wanted to make a house for the new bird. He took out his hammer and saw. He went to work. Soon the new bird would have a new house!
The Noisy Night
Roy was sleeping. A cat walked into his yard. Roy’s dog barked at the cat. Roy woke up. He yelled at his dog to be quiet. When Roy yelled, his mother woke up. Roy’s mother came into his room. She told him not to yell at night.
The Petting Zoo
When I go to the petting zoo,I am as happy as can be.I give the ducks bread to eat.I pet a lamb named Pete.I play tag with Sam the bunny.I watch the pigs that are funny.I like the petting zoo!The animals are happy to be with me.
The Picture Book
James has an old, blue picture book. In one picture, a cloud is in a blue sky. Blue birds fly above the ground. A girl with blue eyes sits on a blue blanket. Behind the girl there are three blue flowers. Next to the flowers are three blue eggs.
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GRANDMA: Oh, the toy store. Do you want to walk there?
JILL: Yes! I want to see the train.
GRANDMA: Do you just want to see it?
JILL: I would like to play with it too!
The White Box
Mom got into the car. She went to the store. When she came back, she had a white box. I asked what was in the box. She said that it was a surprise. Then Mom and Dad made dinner. After supper Mom opened the box. The surprise was a cake!
Three Wishes
Ellen was walking. She saw something on the ground. It was shiny and yellow. Ellen picked it up. It was a gold ring. She put the ring on her finger. Ellen wondered about who had dropped the ring. She did not know that she had three wishes now.
Time for Tea
Each day my family makes tea. First we make the water hot. Then we put the tea into the water. The tea is black. The tea turns the water dark. Sometimes we add a little milk. Sometimes we add a little honey. Then we drink the tea.
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There are many kinds of trees. Some trees are green. Some are brown. Some trees grow when it is cold. Some grow when it is hot.
Some trees get very tall. Trees can grow much taller than a house. Most trees have leaves. Some trees lose their leaves in the winter. Some trees do not. There are many kinds of trees.
Turtles and Birds
Turtles are like birds in some ways. Turtles come from eggs. Birds come from eggs. Turtles and birds are small when they come out of their eggs.
Turtles are not like birds in other ways. Turtles have four legs. Birds have two legs. Turtles cannot fly. Birds use wings to fly. Birds can go much faster than turtles.
Using a Word Book
What does “autumn” mean? Look in a word book to find out. Look for “autumn” near the start of the book.
Autumn is the same as “fall.” They both mean the same thing. Autumn is the time when leaves change color. It is the time when school starts.
Walking Shoes
The red shoes stood by the door. They started to tap. They started to dance. They sang a soft song. They jumped up. They jumped down. Today was their day. They were going for a walk. They only had to wait for the feet to come.
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Do you know how to wash dishes? Just put the dishes in the sink. Add some dish soap. Add some hot water. Wash the dishes with a cloth. Wash the soap off with hot water. Dry the dishes with a dry cloth. The dishes will be clean.
What Is Fog?
On a foggy morning, you cannot see very far. The fog makes it hard to see. The fog is like a cloud on the ground. Fog is made of small drops of water. The drops are so small that they do not fall. The drops stay in the air close to the ground.
