Reading - Group 1

Foxes are a part of the dog family. A male fox is called a dog, and a female fox is called a vixen. Baby foxes are called kits. They drink milk from their mothers when they are young. Foxes are mammals. This means they have warm blood and fur.

Foxes are nocturnal. They can also be seen during the day because they like to lay in the sun. Foxes have very good hearing. They can run up to 30 miles per hour!

Foxes eat meat. They will also eat berries off of bushes and look in garbage cans for food. They live with other foxes in dens in the country. You can also sometimes find them in cities.

Answer the following questions:

1. What do baby foxes eat when they are young?

1. worms

2. milk

3. meat

4. food from the garbage

2. What is a female fox called?

1. Dog

2. kit

3. pup

4. vixen

3. Name two places that you could find a fox?

4. Foxes have very good hearing. True or False?

5. What do you call an animal that has warm blood and fur?

6. How fast can a fox run?

7. Find words that rhyme with:

1. fox ______________

2. eat _____________

3. dog ____________

The Tortoise and the Hare

Once, there was a hare who told everyone how fast he could run. The tortoise thought he was a show-off. He asked the hare for a race. The hare thought it would be easy.

All of the animals got together to watch the race. The hare set off. After a little while, he decided to stop for a rest. “You are so slow, you will never win!” he said to the tortoise. The hare sat down by a tree. “That tortoise will never beat me!” he thought. The hare soon fell asleep.

The tortoise kept going. He didn’t stop until he got to the end of the race. “Hooray!” the animals shouted. “Tortoise, you won!” The cheering woke up the hare. He ran as fast as he could, but it was too late. The tortoise had won.

“It’s not fair!” said the hare. “I was asleep! We have to do the race again!” But this time, no one listened to the hare.

The Lion and the Mouse

One day, a lion was asleep in the woods. A mouse came along. The mouse didn’t see the lion and ran across the lion’s nose. The lion woke up. He was cross with the mouse.

“You woke me up!” he roared. The mouse was scared. “Please let me go!” said the mouse. “If you let me go, I will repay you one day!” “You are funny!” said the lion. “How could a mouse help a lion?” But the lion laughed and let the mouse go home.

Some days later, the lion was caught in a hunter’s net. He couldn’t get out. The lion roared in anger. The mouse heard the lion and ran to the net. The mouse saw the lion and had an idea. She chewed on the net until it broke and the lion fell out. The lion was free.

“Even a tiny mouse can help a lion!” said the mouse. From that day on, the mouse and the lion became friends.

The Big Game

Jen is on a baseball team. There are ten kids on her team. They are called the West Cows. Their shirts and hats are green. Today is their big baseball game. They play the South Robins. Their shirts and hats are red. The Robins were the best team last year. The Cows want to be the best team this year. First, they have to beat the Robins. Jen feels happy and scared. She loves to play baseball. She is afraid the Cows will lose. The score is four to four. It is a tie game. It is Jen’s turn to hit. She steps up to the plate. The ball comes fast. Jen hits the ball far. She gets to third base. John was in front of her. He gets to home plate. The Cows win!

Willow’s Dream Rocket

Willow had always wanted to go to the Moon. It always looked so pretty in the sky at night. She would watch it from her bedroom window when she was meant to be asleep. Lots of people wondered if the Moon was really made out of cheese and Willow wanted to be the person who found out.

Willow had asked her grandma for a rocket for her birthday but Grandma said that rockets were very expensive so she bought her a toy car instead. That was no use. Willow knew that she would never get to the Moon in a toy car. “Hmmm, how else can I get there?” Willow wondered.

At last, she had a great idea. If she couldn’t buy a rocket, she would make one instead. Willow searched the house looking for all the things she would need. She gathered together three cardboard boxes, an empty toilet roll tube, an old egg box, two plastic bottles and an old cushion. She drew, folded, cut and glued all night long, until her rocket was complete. In the morning, she dragged it into the garden.