Thumbelina: read-along
Thumbelina as a read-along for the projector: 17 pages, 1676 words, level 11, grade 6.
Page 1 of 17
There was once a woman who wanted a child more than anything in the world, but she had none. So she went to an old wise woman and asked for help. "That is easily done," said the wise woman. "Here is a barleycorn, but it is not the kind that grows in farmers' fields or that the hens eat. Plant it in a flowerpot, and watch what happens." The woman thanked her, paid her twelve pennies, and hurried home to plant the seed.
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
- 17 pages, 1676 words, about 12 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, gentle
Related
About Thumbelina
A woman plants a magic barleycorn, and out of the flower comes a girl no bigger than a thumb. Thumbelina is carried off by a toad, a beetle and a mole, until a swallow she once helped comes back for her.
Words to preview
- barleycorn (BAR-lee-korn)
- a grain seed
- stamens (STAY-menz)
- flower's middle parts
- stubble (STUB-ul)
- cut corn stalks
- numb (NUM)
- unable to feel
- feelers (FEE-lerz)
- insect antennae
- snug
- warm and cosy
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 Thumbelina take to read aloud?
It has 17 pages and 1676 words, so about 12 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 Thumbelina?
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.