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'Twas the Night Before Christmas: read-along

'Twas the Night Before Christmas as a read-along for the projector: 15 pages, 676 words, level 8, grade 3.

Page 1 of 15

It was the night before Christmas. Snow lay deep and soft on the little town, and in one small house, everything was still. The fire had burned down to a red glow. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Pace (- and +)

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

  1. Press Full screen (F) to put the book on the projector.
  2. 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.
  3. After the last page, three questions come up to talk about.

About this book

  • Level 8, Grade 3
  • 15 pages, 676 words, about 5 minutes aloud
  • A classic tale, gentle

Related

About 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

On the night before Christmas, a small house is fast asleep, until a clatter out on the lawn sends the father to his window. What he sees in the moonlight is a tiny sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.

Words to preview

kerchief (KER-chif)
head scarf
clatter (KLAT-er)
loud noise
reindeer (RAYN-deer)
antlered deer
sleigh (SLAY)
snow carriage
soot (SUT)
chimney dust
thistledown (THIS-ul-down)
soft seed fluff

Questions that fit any book

  1. What happened at the beginning, in the middle and at the end?
  2. Which page was your favorite? Why?
  3. How did the main character feel at the end? What tells you?

Questions

How long does 'Twas the Night Before Christmas take to read aloud?

It has 15 pages and 676 words, so about 5 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 'Twas the Night Before Christmas?

Level 8, Grade 3. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; level 8 sits at grade 3. 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.