Lion and Mouse: read-aloud with discussion questions
Read Lion and Mouse aloud on the projector: 16 pages of big type with each word lit as it is said, 56 words (about a minute), level 4, grade 1, and 4 questions to talk about.
Page 1 of 16
A lion naps.
Keys: ← → or Page Up and Page Down turn the page, Space starts and pauses the voice, Home and End jump, F fills the screen. Tapping the right side of a page goes on; the left side goes back.
How to use it
- Press Full screen (F) to put the book on the projector.
- Press Read to me (Space), or read it yourself and turn pages with the arrow keys or a tap. Pick the Pace that suits the class.
- After the last page the questions come up on the screen. The same questions are below, with what to listen for.
About this book
- Level 4, Grade 1
- 16 pages, 56 words, about a minute aloud
- A classic tale, gentle
- A picture on every page
Related
About Lion and Mouse
An old fable in 56 words, told in the shortest sentences. The mouse's promise, the lion's laugh and the net give it a clear beginning, middle and end, and the last line states the lesson in four words.
A big lion lets a small mouse go. Later, the mouse gets to help. An old fable in the fewest words.
Before you read
Ask the class if a small animal could ever help a large one. Tell them the book ends with a four-word lesson and ask them to listen for it.
Words to preview
- lion (LY-un)
- a big cat
- mouse (MOWSS)
- a tiny pet
- net
- string trap
- stuck (STUK)
- cannot move
- nibble (NIB-ul)
- small bites
Questions to talk about
- Why does the lion laugh when the mouse says "I can help you"?Listen for: The mouse is small and the lion is big, so he thinks it cannot help. The text says "You? So small!"
- What goes wrong for the lion, and how does the mouse help?Listen for: A net traps him. The mouse nibbles the net until it falls. Ask the class to say "nibble" three times, as the book does.
- What do you think made the lion let the mouse go, even though he laughed?Listen for: He was kind, or he was curious, or he was too sleepy to bother. The book does not say, so any reason with a clue from the text counts.
- What do the last words, "Small can help big," mean? When has it been true?Listen for: Even someone small or young can do something a big person cannot. Take real examples from the class.
Questions
How long does Lion and Mouse take to read aloud?
It has 16 pages and 56 words, so about a minute at the Steady pace and a little less at Quick. If you stop to talk on the way, plan for more.
What reading level is Lion and Mouse?
Level 4, Grade 1. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; level 4 sits at grade 1. A level is a guide for choosing, so look at the pages yourself.
Whose voice is it?
Your browser's own. Read to me uses a speaking voice already on the computer, so it sounds like that computer and works without a sign-in. Voices differ: some light each word as it is spoken, and some do not, in which case the highlight follows a steady pace instead. Some browsers use an online voice; if yours does, the browser, not us, sends the words of the page to its speech service. If no voice is installed, turn the pages and read it aloud yourself.
Do students need an account?
No. Nothing is asked of anyone and nothing is sent to us. Project the page, or share the link and let students open it on their own screens.
Is this the original text?
No. It is a retelling in Peabody's own words at this reading level, so it may differ from the edition you know.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. The voice is your browser's own. No sign-in, no ads.