The Swiss Family Robinson: read-along
The Swiss Family Robinson as a read-along for the projector: 17 pages, 2120 words, level 14, beyond grade 8.
Page 1 of 17
For six days and nights a terrible tempest had driven our ship across the ocean, and on the seventh day the storm increased until every hope was lost. The masts had snapped, the hull was leaking in a dozen places, and the exhausted sailors were praying aloud. My wife and our four sons, Fritz, Ernest, Jack and little Franz, clung together in the cabin, and I told them that whatever happened, we would meet it together. Suddenly the ship struck a rock with a tremendous shock. When I hurried onto the deck, I saw the crew crowding into the last boat, and I watched it vanish into the spray without us. The captain and his sailors had abandoned the vessel, and we were alone.
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
- 17 pages, 2120 words, about 16 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, gentle
Related
About The Swiss Family Robinson
A storm wrecks a ship and its crew sails off without a Swiss family of six, who are left alone on a wild shore. With tubs, tools, and a magic bag of seeds, they turn the island into a home.
Words to preview
- tempest (TEM-pist)
- great storm
- lever (LEV-er)
- lifting bar
- calabash (KAL-uh-bash)
- gourd tree
- onager (ON-uh-jer)
- wild donkey
- pinnace (PIN-is)
- small boat
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 Swiss Family Robinson take to read aloud?
It has 17 pages and 2120 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 Swiss Family Robinson?
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.