Reading
Reading passages by level
Pick a level that fits your reader. Every passage comes with a couple of quick questions to get them started and several written-response prompts — do them on screen, or print the whole thing as a worksheet.
Build a printable worksheet packet →Grades K-2
Early readers· 16 passagesAt this level: Read a short story together, name who is in it and what happens, put the events in order, and say how the story made you feel.
The Cow
A friendly poem about the cow who gives us cream.
Rain
Four short lines about rain falling all around.
Time to Rise
A little bird tells a sleepy-head it is time to get up.
The Old Woman and her Pig
A cumulative tale: an old woman needs a lot of help to get her pig over the stile.
Henny-Penny
Henny-penny is sure the sky is falling, and she gathers friends to tell the king.
Johnny-Cake
A rolling johnny-cake outruns everyone, until it meets a sly fox.
The Story of the Three Little Pigs
Straw, sticks, and bricks: three pigs meet a huffing, puffing wolf.
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat
A nonsense love story: an owl and a cat set sail and are married by a turkey.
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
A dreamy lullaby about three fishermen who sail off in a wooden shoe.
The Story of the Three Bears
Someone has been tasting the porridge, sitting in the chairs, and lying in the beds.
Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse
A cumulative nursery tale where one small mishap tumbles into the next.
The Cat and the Mouse
A chain of favors: the mouse must fetch milk to get her tail back from the cat.
Lazy Jack
Jack follows his mother's advice exactly, but always one job too late.
The Three Sillies
A suitor sets out to find three people sillier than his sweetheart's family.
How Jack Went to Seek His Fortune
Jack and his animal friends give a band of robbers the fright of their lives.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Naughty Peter squeezes into Mr. McGregor's garden and must find his way out.
Grades 3-5
Building readers· 24 passagesAt this level: Retell what happened in order, explain why a character acts, make a simple inference, and connect the story to your own life.
The Swing
A short poem about the joy of swinging, from A Child's Garden of Verses.
The Wolf and the Lamb
An Aesop fable about excuses and unfairness.
Bed in Summer
A Stevenson poem about going to bed while it is still light out.
My Shadow
A playful Stevenson poem about a child's shadow.
The Land of Counterpane
A Stevenson poem about playing in bed while sick.
The Moon
The moon shines on all the creatures of the night.
The Wind
A child talks to the wind that tosses kites on high.
At the Sea-Side
Digging holes in the sand beside the sea.
The Land of Nod
Every night a child travels alone to the land of Nod.
A Good Play
Two children build a ship of chairs and pillows.
The Hare and the Tortoise
Slow and steady wins the race in this famous fable.
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
Two mouse cousins compare fine dining with peace and quiet.
The Milkmaid and her Pail
Counting your chickens before they hatch, with a pail of milk.
The Bundle of Sticks
A father teaches his sons the strength of standing together.
The Frog and the Ox
A frog puffs himself up to match an ox.
The Two Crabs
A young crab is told to walk straight. Can mother show how?
The Wolf and the Crane
A crane helps a wolf and learns about wolfish gratitude.
The Tree and the Reed
A mighty tree and a bending reed face the same storm.
The Miser and his Gold
A buried treasure teaches what unused gold is worth.
The Old Man and Death
Be careful what you call for. It may answer.
The Farmer and the Stork
A stork pleads innocence when caught among the cranes.
The Boy Bathing
A drowning boy asks for help first and lectures later.
The Boy and the Nettles
Grasp a nettle boldly, a mother tells her son.
Mr. Vinegar
A comic tale of one bad trade after another, starting with a door on his back.
Grades 6-8
Middle grades· 18 passagesAt this level: Infer from evidence, look at the author's word choices, compare two moments in the text, and work out a word from context.
The Fox and the Grapes
The Aesop fable that gave us "sour grapes."
The Ant and the Grasshopper
A summer of song meets a winter of want.
The Dog and the Shadow
A greedy dog loses what he has chasing a reflection.
The Fox and the Crow
A flattering fox talks a crow out of her breakfast.
The Wind and the Sun
The wind and the sun hold a contest to move a traveler.
The Goose with the Golden Eggs
Greed kills the goose that laid the golden eggs.
Belling the Cat
The mice have a brilliant plan. Who will carry it out?
Androcles
A runaway slave pulls a thorn from a lion's paw.
The Fox and the Stork
Dinner-party tricks between a fox and a stork.
The Hares and the Frogs
The hares discover someone is more timid than they are.
The Two Fellows and the Bear
A bear's whisper reveals who your real friends are.
The Oak and the Reeds
Stiff strength and bending grace meet the same wind.
The Ant and the Dove
One good turn deserves another between an ant and a dove.
The Bear and the Two Travellers
A close call with a bear puts a friendship to the test.
The Cat and the Mice
The mice adopt a high-ground policy against a crafty cat.
The Bee and Jupiter
A bee asks Jupiter for a sting and gets more than she asked.
The Tyger
Blake's awestruck questions to a burning-bright tiger in the forests of the night.
Ain't I a Woman?
Sojourner Truth's short, powerful speech on the rights and strength of women.
Grades 9-12
High school· 13 passagesAt this level: Analyze theme and craft, build an argument from the text, evaluate the author's choices, and defend or challenge a claim with evidence.
The Lion and the Mouse
A classic Aesop fable about how even the smallest friend can help.
The Crow and the Pitcher
An Aesop fable about cleverness and persistence.
The Shepherd's Boy
The boy who cried wolf learns the cost of false alarms.
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
A disguise works too well in this cautionary tale.
The Dog in the Manger
A dog keeps others from what he cannot use himself.
The Miser
A miser learns that hoarded gold might as well be stone.
The Fisherman Piping
A fisherman learns that music will not make fish dance.
The Ass in the Lion's Skin
A donkey in a lion's skin is betrayed by his own voice.
The Belly and the Members
The body's members go on strike against the belly.
The Buffoon and the Countryman
A crowd judges a squeal by the performer, not the sound.
The Astronomer
An astronomer studies the sky and misses the well at his feet.
The Boasting Traveller
A braggart is invited to repeat his famous leap on the spot.
The Gettysburg Address
Lincoln's brief address at the dedication of the Gettysburg cemetery.