The Gift of the Magi: read-along
The Gift of the Magi as a read-along for the projector: 13 pages, 1936 words, level 14, beyond grade 8.
Page 1 of 13
One dollar and eighty-seven cents was the entire fortune, and sixty cents of it consisted of pennies, saved one and two at a time by negotiating with the grocer and the vegetable merchant and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent accusation of stinginess that such relentless bargaining inevitably implied. Three times Della counted the coins, and each time the total remained one dollar and eighty-seven cents, and the following day would be Christmas. There was obviously nothing to do except collapse onto the shabby little couch and weep, so Della did precisely that, which instigates the philosophical reflection that existence is composed of sobs, sniffles and smiles, with the sniffles predominating considerably. While the mistress of the household is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, we may take a respectful look at the home itself, a furnished apartment that rented for eight dollars a week.
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 14, beyond grade 8
- 13 pages, 1936 words, about 14 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, gentle
Related
About The Gift of the Magi
On Christmas Eve, Della Young has one dollar and eighty-seven cents with which to buy a present for her husband Jim, and the only treasures the couple own are her long hair and his gold watch. Each of them makes a decision that afternoon, and neither knows what the other has done.
Words to preview
- stinginess (STIN-jee-ness)
- not sharing money
- vestibule (VESS-tih-byool)
- entrance hall
- longitudinal (lon-jih-TOO-dih-nul)
- running lengthwise
- depreciated (dee-PREE-shee-ay-tid)
- made worth less
- fob
- watch chain
- meretricious (mer-ih-TRISH-us)
- showy but cheap
- ravages (RAV-uh-jiz)
- damage
- magi (MAY-jye)
- wise men
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 The Gift of the Magi take to read aloud?
It has 13 pages and 1936 words, so about 14 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 The Gift of the Magi?
Level 14, beyond grade 8. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; levels above 13 are beyond grade 8 and have no grade. 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.