The Tale of Peter Rabbit: read-aloud with discussion questions
Read The Tale of Peter Rabbit aloud on the projector: 21 pages of big type with each word lit as it is said, 401 words (about 3 minutes), level 7, grade 2, and 5 questions to talk about.
Page 1 of 21
Once there were four little rabbits. Their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail and Peter. They lived with their mother under a big fir tree.
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 7, Grade 2
- 21 pages, 401 words, about 3 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, gentle
Related
About The Tale of Peter Rabbit
A 401-word telling of a rule broken and a day of trouble, with a long chase that has a new problem on nearly every page: shoes lost, a net, a sieve, a watering can. Children can retell it by following what Peter loses.
Mother Rabbit says one thing: do not go into Mr. McGregor's garden. Peter goes straight there, and soon he is lost among the cabbages with Mr. McGregor running after him.
Before you read
Ask the class about a rule they were given that they wish they had followed. Tell them the story starts with a rule and ask them to listen for what happens to it.
Words to preview
- naughty (NAW-tee)
- not good
- lettuce (LET-iss)
- leafy green
- radishes (RAD-ish-iz)
- small red roots
- parsley (PARS-lee)
- a green herb
- sparrows (SPAR-ohz)
- small brown birds
- sieve (SIV)
- a strainer
- scarecrow (SKAIR-kroh)
- pretend farmer
Questions to talk about
- What did Mother Rabbit tell her children not to do, and who obeyed?Listen for: Not to go into Mr. McGregor's garden. Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail went to pick blackberries, and Peter went to the garden.
- What does Peter lose while he is running, and where?Listen for: One shoe in the cabbages, the other in the potatoes, and his blue jacket in the net. Ask the class to put the losses in order.
- Who helps Peter, and how?Listen for: Some sparrows fly down and urge him to try hard when his buttons are caught in the net. Ask what that kind of help is worth.
- How does the day end for Peter, and how does it end for his sisters?Listen for: Peter feels ill and goes to bed with warm tea, one spoon at bedtime. His sisters have bread, milk and blackberries for supper.
- Do you think Peter will go back to the garden? What does the last line say?Listen for: It says that next time Peter would listen to his mother. Ask whether the class believes it, and why.
Questions
How long does The Tale of Peter Rabbit take to read aloud?
It has 21 pages and 401 words, so about 3 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 Tale of Peter Rabbit?
Level 7, Grade 2. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; level 7 sits at grade 2. 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.