Dinosaurs

 Dinosaurs

    Brandon likes dinosaurs. He is a five year old boy who has lots of toys and books about dinosaurs. He often watches television programs about dinosaurs, and is even starting to look for information about dinosaurs using the internet. Lots of kids and adults are fascinated with dinosaurs. People who are interested in dinosaurs want to learn the names of the dinosaurs, what they look like, what they ate, and when they lived.

    Dinosaurs are creatures that have names like tyrannosaurus, stegosaurus, brontosaurus, and pterodactyl. That last one is really hard to spell because the ‘p’ at the beginning is silent. Some dinosaurs are very large, but some are small. Some can swim, and some, like the pterodactyl, can fly. A large number of dinosaurs walked the earth. Some dinosaurs were carnivores, which means they ate meat, others were herbivores, which means they ate mostly plants, and still others were omnivores, which means they ate both plants and animals in their diets.

    Even after more than one hundred years of study, there are still differences in the theories about how dinosaurs became extinct. Most paleontologists, which are experts on dinosaurs, believe dinosaurs died out because of a change in climate which killed them quickly, or affected the food supply available to them, which led to their starvation and death. Even though dinosaurs have been extinct for tens of millions of years, people continue to be fascinated by them.

Maria Gets Better

 Maria Gets Better

    Maria is as smart as anyone. She can do most of her school work by herself. She can learn a song by heart really fast. Maria also keeps her backpack clean and her desk organized. Once in a while, she will even help other students in her class with their math.

    Reading is Maria’s harder subject. She knows all her letter sounds, but sometimes gets mixed up when reading a word like “read” out loud, which sometimes can sound like the tall grass plant called a “reed”, and other times sounds like the color ‘red’. There are many other examples of tough words like that in English.

    English is not the first language Maria learned to speak. Before she came to the United States when she was seven, Maria lived in Mexico with her family. Her Spanish was perfect, but now she had to learn a whole new language. Maria was nervous coming to a new school, and sometimes she didn’t understand what her teacher was saying, but she didn’t give up. She tries hard in class and does all of her homework.

    Maria goes to the library at night to study with her sister Elena, who is in high school. Little by little, Maria is learning to read bigger words, understand what they mean, and is able to handle words like “to”, “too”, and “two”, even when they all sound the same. She now knows that each has a different meaning. Maria is proud of herself for being patient and trying her best.

Ants

 Ants

    What do you know about ants? Did you say that ants are small? You are right. Are there different kinds of ants? Yes. You might know about red and black ants. There are thousands of other types of ants all over the world.

    Ants have large heads and six legs. Ants are very strong. Ants can carry things that are much heavier than they are. An ant can carry a leaf, a crumb of food, a small piece of wood, or another ant. Together, many ants can lift a dead insect that is much larger than they are. Later, they can eat it.

    Ants live in groups called colonies. Like bees, the leader of the colony is the queen ant. Ants can live in lots of different places. They can live under the ground, in what is called an ant hill. They can live in tree stumps, in cracks in the sidewalks, under large stones, or in the garden.

At the Park

 At the Park

    I like to go up and down. Can you do that? It is fun to play that way. At the park, I can go on the swings. At first, I could not swing by myself, but now I can.

    My mom said, “Please do not go too high!” She is afraid I will get hurt. After I stop, my mom said I can play for two more minutes.

    I really don’t know how long two minutes it, so I just play until she says it’s time to go.

I do not own or write any of the stories on this blog. I copy the stories from passages I find on the internet.

The Farm

     Let us take a trip to a country farm. What things will we see? Look over there in that field. Mice play in the tall grass. The Farmer’s barn is bright red. The doors are white. Inside the hay is stacked up high. The sheep sleep in the shade under the tree. Soon they will wake and take a drink in the pond. There is a duck swimming in the pond. Her babies stay close behind. Hello duck! Say quack, quack, quack. The pig is in his pen. He is muddy. He is happy. The pig enjoys rolling in the dirt. Chickens peck the ground looking for seeds. The rooster struts on by. Past the fence do you see that horse? He is saddled and ready to ride. Will he gallop over the hill? Will he trot nice and slow? The farm is full of life!

The Farm Comprehension Questions

1. Fill in the blanks.
1. The _________ play in the tall grass.
2. The ___________ sleep in the shade under the tree.
3. The ____________ is in his pen.
2. What will the sheep do after they sleep under the tree?
1. Get a drink in the pond.
2. Go and eat dinner.
3. Go swimming in the pond.
3. Name 5 animals you could find on this farm.
1. _____________
2. ______________
3. ______________
4. ______________
5. _______________

Bruno's New Home

 Bruno's New Home

    Bruno shivered. A frosty wind blew through the forest. Bright red and orange leaves danced around the trees. His paws felt like blocks of ice. It was almost winter. Bruno needed a warm, safe place to hibernate, and he needed it now.
    Bruno moved slowly through the woods. He grumbled and growled to himself. Finding a new place to sleep was harder than he thought.
    Bruno climbed up a small hill. He hiked around a pond and walked on a path. No place was right. Finally he made an exciting discovery.
    Bruno spotted a cave in the side of a rocky hill. It was perfect except for one thing. He couldn't fit through the opening. It was blocked with a pile of dirt and tangled roots.
    Bruno sat down to think. "I'll just dig out some of this dirt and make the entrance bigger," he thought. "Then I can finally get to sleep.
    Bruno dug and dug with his huge paws, but the dirt was packed down hard. It took a lot of hard work and effort. He pulled and pulled at the tree roots.
    The roots were strong and too tough to rip out. Bruno stopped to rest. His paws ached. They were red and sore. Suddenly he heard a loud sound. "Crack!"
    Bruno turned quickly and saw a small squirrel eating a nut. He stopped eating and smiled at Bruno.
    "You look like you need help," said the squirrel.
    Bruno sighed. "I have been trying to fit into this cave, but it's hopeless. I've been digging and digging, but I haven't improved the opening at all."
    "I'm Jack, and I can help," said the squirrel.
    "But you are too small," said Bruno.
    Jack told Bruno to sit down and rest. Bruno sat and yawned as Jack scampered away. A few minutes later, he came back.
    "What you need is a book," said Jack. "Reading can help you become educated. Books are filled with knowledge." He handed Bruno a thick red book.
    Bruno moved to a bright, sunny spot. He put on his glasses and tried to concentrate on the story. He paid careful attention to the plot.
    The story was about a lion and a mouse. The lion thought the mouse was too small to help him. One day the lion got caught in a net. The mouse chewed the net's ropes and helped the lion escape.
    "Well, the lion in this story learned an important lesson," said Bruno. "I think I did too."
    The story inspired Bruno. The mouse had sharp teeth, and so did Jack. Jack could help.
    The new friends made a fine team. Jack chewed through the thick roots and Bruno dug out the dirt. They worked together all afternoon. Finally, Bruno could fit through the opening.
    "Are you satisfied and happy with your cozy new home?" asked Jack.
    "I sure am!" said Bruno. "And I learned something, too. Good friends come in small packages."

Talk about the story of the lion and the mouse. How did it help Bruno solve his problem?

Discuss how you and your friends help one another.

Why does Bruno need to find a new home?

How does Bruno make the cave's entrance bigger? Reread the story. Visualize what happens. Then answer the question.

Valentine's Day

 Valentine's Day

    Valentine's Day may have been named after Saint Valentine. He was a Christian Priest who lived during Roman times. In those days, many Christians were put in jail just because of their religion. Valentine was one of them. He would not change his religion. So he was killed on February 14 in the year A.D. 269. He left a note to a friend. He signed the note, "Your Valentine."
    Today, many countries celebrate this holiday on February 14. It is a day for people to show love. people send cards to their sweethearts. They also send cards to their friends and family.
    In the U.S., it is the custom for men to give presents to their sweethearts. The gifts are often candy or flowers. Children celebrate Valentine's Day, too. They have parties at school. They give cards to each other.
    In Japan, women are the gift-givers. They give gifts to men they like. If a Japanese man gets a gift, he must give a gift in return one month later, on March 14.
    In England, People bake treats for gifts. They make Valentine buns with raisins or plums baked inside.
    People all over the world enjoy Valentine's Day. No matter what their custom, that day is all about love.