The Little Red Hen: read-aloud with discussion questions
Read The Little Red Hen aloud on the projector: 24 pages of big type with each word lit as it is said, 96 words (about a minute), level 4, grade 1, and 4 questions to talk about.
Page 1 of 24
Meet Little Red Hen.
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
- 24 pages, 96 words, about a minute aloud
- A classic tale, gentle
- A picture on every page
Related
About The Little Red Hen
A classic tale in 96 words, built on a refrain: "Who will ...?" and "Not I," said Dog, Cat and Pig, three times over. Children join in by the second round, and the ending, where the bread goes to the hen's chicks, is one the class can argue about.
A little red hen finds a seed. Who will help her plant it, cut it and bake the bread? "Not I," said Dog, Cat and Pig.
Before you read
Ask who has helped make something, and who helped eat it. Tell the class to say "Not I" with you every time they hear the animals say it.
Words to preview
- hen
- mother chicken
- seed
- tiny plant start
- plant
- put in dirt
- bake (BAYK)
- cook in oven
- chicks (CHIKS)
- baby hens
Questions to talk about
- What jobs does Hen ask for help with?Listen for: Planting the seed, cutting it, baking it, and eating it. Put the jobs in order on the board.
- What do Dog, Cat and Pig answer for the work, and what do they say when she asks who will eat it?Listen for: "Not I" for the work and "I will" for the eating. The change is the heart of the story.
- Is it fair that Hen says no at the end? Why or why not?Listen for: Hen did all the work and the others said no every time. Accept a kinder view too, with a reason, and ask what the three could have done.
- Who gets the bread instead?Listen for: Hen's chicks. Hen still shares, just not with the ones who refused to help.
Questions
How long does The Little Red Hen take to read aloud?
It has 24 pages and 96 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 The Little Red Hen?
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.