Otto and the Spell That Counted Backwards: read-along
Otto and the Spell That Counted Backwards as a read-along for the projector: 13 pages, 1129 words, level 10, grade 5.
Page 1 of 13
At ten past four on a Thursday afternoon, the tea in the wizard's study began to climb out of the carpet and back into the cup. It rose slowly and with great dignity, like a very small brown waterfall running uphill. The cup, which had been lying on its side by the fireplace, sat up and settled on its saucer. Otto stood in the doorway with his mouth open. He had cast a great many spells as an apprentice, and not one of them had ever tidied anything.
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, three questions come up to talk about.
About this book
- Level 10, Grade 5
- 13 pages, 1129 words, about 8 minutes aloud
- A story, gentle
Related
About Otto and the Spell That Counted Backwards
Otto lights the lamp with one sneeze-scrambled word, and the study begins to run backwards: tea climbs out of the carpet and the clock unwinds. Madame Vesper is back at five, and the room is still getting younger.
Words to preview
- dignity (DIG-nih-tee)
- calm pride
- counterclockwise (KOWN-ter-KLOK-wyz)
- opposite way round
- moorings (MOOR-ingz)
- anchor ropes
- sampler (SAM-pler)
- stitched saying
- tinny (TIN-ee)
- thin and metallic
Questions that fit any book
- What happened at the beginning, in the middle and at the end?
- Which page was your favorite? Why?
- How did the main character feel at the end? What tells you?
Questions
How long does Otto and the Spell That Counted Backwards take to read aloud?
It has 13 pages and 1129 words, so about 8 minutes 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 Otto and the Spell That Counted Backwards?
Level 10, Grade 5. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; level 10 sits at grade 5. 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.
Where does this book come from?
It was written for Peabody's library. It is not copied from a published book.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. The voice is your browser's own. No sign-in, no ads.