The Reluctant Dragon: read-along
The Reluctant Dragon as a read-along for the projector: 22 pages, 2133 words, level 11, grade 6.
Page 1 of 22
Long ago, in a cottage on the edge of the Downs, there lived a shepherd with his wife and their little son. The Boy spent most of his days with his nose in a book, borrowed from the gentry and the parsons for miles around. His parents, who were proud of him although they never said so, let him read as much as he pleased. What he liked best was natural history and fairy tales. He read them both together, without ever stopping to ask which was which.
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 11, Grade 6
- 22 pages, 2133 words, about 16 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, gentle
Related
About The Reluctant Dragon
A shepherd's son finds a dragon in the cave on the hills, and the dragon turns out to be lazy, polite and fond of poetry. Then Saint George rides into the village, and everyone expects a fight.
Words to preview
- scourge (SKERJ)
- a great pest
- peaceable (PEE-suh-bul)
- fond of quiet
- reluctant (rih-LUK-tunt)
- not wanting to
- conceited (kun-SEE-tid)
- too proud
- banquet (BANG-kwit)
- a big feast
- ramping (RAM-ping)
- prancing about
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 Reluctant Dragon take to read aloud?
It has 22 pages and 2133 words, so about 16 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 Reluctant Dragon?
Level 11, Grade 6. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; level 11 sits at grade 6. 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.