You don't need a teaching degree to use these stories well. You don't even need to have taught before. If you can read out loud to a child and ask them a question afterward, you already have what you need. This page will show you the rest.
New here? Start in three steps.
Choose a level, open a story, and read aloud using the Teacher Edition.
Low-data mode is on. Photography is hidden, while the complete teaching guide remains available.
1
Choosing a Level
Choose by what a child can already do—not by age.
Every story on this site is written at one of four levels. The levels are based on what a child can already do, not on their age. A twelve-year-old and a seven-year-old might be at the same level, and that's completely normal here. Use these simple questions to find the right level for the child or group you're working with.
Follow the child’s reading journey
Foundation
Building
Bridging
Transition
Foundation
Listen · Look · Talk
Does the child know their letters yet? If not, or if you're not sure, start here. At this level, you do all the reading. The child listens and looks at pictures. There is nothing for them to read on their own, so there's no way to feel behind.
Building
Follow Along
Can the child recognize some words and sound out simple ones? This level uses short, simple sentences. You'll still read most of it aloud, but the child can start following along and recognizing familiar words.
Bridging
Short Stories
Can the child read a simple sentence on their own, even slowly? This level has full short stories. You can read aloud, or a stronger reader in the group can try reading a part themselves.
Transition
Independent Reading
Can the child read on their own without much help? This level has longer stories with more to talk about afterward.
If you're not sure: pick the lower level. A story that feels easy builds confidence. A story that feels too hard builds frustration. You can always move up.
One more thing: a child doesn't have to "graduate" through every level in order. If a story at Bridging looks right for your group, use it, even if you haven't done every Foundation story first. These levels are a starting point for you, not a ladder the child has to climb one rung at a time.
2
Why Read Aloud
Of everything on this page, this is the part worth slowing down for.
Reading out loud to a child, even a child who is old enough to read alone, does something reading silently can't do. When you read out loud, the child hears words they don't know yet, used the right way, in a story that makes sense. They pick up new words just from hearing them, without anyone stopping to explain every one. Over time, this builds a much bigger vocabulary than a workbook of definitions ever could.
Reading out loud also builds something you can't easily test for: a feeling that stories are worth listening to. A child who has been read to with warmth and attention grows into someone who wants to read for themselves. A child who has only ever been quizzed on a passage often grows into someone who dreads the sight of a book.
You need your voice, a little time, and a willingness to slow down.
How Often Should You Read Aloud?
Every day, if you can manage it. Short sessions done daily help more than long sessions done once in a while.
5–15 minutesA day is enough to build a steady reading habit.
You don't need a full class period, and a short story from this site fits easily inside that window. Daily reading builds three things at once, and it's worth knowing what they are so you can see the payoff even when it's not obvious day to day:
Language
Kids pick up new words just from hearing them used correctly in a story, faster than almost any other way of teaching vocabulary.
Fluency
Hearing a story read well, with the right pacing and expression, teaches a child what reading is supposed to sound like, which helps them read that way themselves over time.
Thinking skills
Stopping to guess what happens next, remember what just happened, or talk about how a character might be feeling builds real thinking skills, not just listening skills.
If daily isn't realistic for your schedule, don't skip it entirely. A few times a week, done consistently, still adds up. The goal is a steady habit, not a perfect one.
3
Running a Session
Every story comes with the story, a short guide, and downloadable audio.
Every story on this site comes with three things: the story itself, a short guide just for you, and a downloadable recording of the story being read aloud. Here's how to use all three.
1
Before You Start
Look at the short guide that comes with the story. It tells you how long the story takes to read, what the story teaches, and a few questions to ask while you're reading—and when to ask them.
You don't need to memorize anything. Just glance at it once before you start.
2
While You Read
Go slower than feels natural. This is the single most common mistake anyone makes reading out loud: rushing. If a moment in the story feels important, slow down even more right there. Let the words land before you move to the next sentence.
Use your voice. You don't have to perform. Just let your voice change a little for a piece of dialogue, or get quieter for a tense moment.
Stop and ask the questions in the guide right where they're marked. These aren't a test. They're a chance for the group to guess, remember, or talk about what a character may be feeling. If nobody answers right away, wait a few seconds, then keep going.
Don't explain the story as you go. Let it speak for itself. A quick, honest answer to a child's question is fine, but kids understand more than we usually give them credit for.
3
After You Read
Ask the one open question at the end of the guide. This is not a quiz. There's no grade and no single right answer you're looking for. If nobody wants to talk, that's completely fine too.
Then, if you have time, try the game or activity in the guide. These are simple and do not require special materials.
4
Good to Know
A few things nobody tells new teachers.
✓
You will not read it perfectly, and that's fine. Nobody reads a story perfectly out loud the first time, or the tenth time. What matters is that you're there, reading, with attention. That's what a child actually remembers.
✓
A big group is harder than a small one, and that's normal too. If you're reading to many children at once, some won't answer questions, some will look away, and some will fidget. This doesn't mean it isn't working. Keep going.
✓
You don't have to force anyone to talk. Some children answer every question. Some never say a word out loud and are still listening closely the whole time. Both are fine. Never make a child feel like they have to share something personal to take part.
✓
It's okay to read the same story more than once. Children often like hearing a story again, and they notice new things the second or third time. There's no rule that says you have to move to a new story every session.
✓
If a child asks you something you don't know how to answer, it's okay to say so. "That's a good question, let's think about that together" is a completely honest and useful thing to say.
A Last Word
These stories were written so that a child can look at the character and think, "She does what I do."
Your job isn't to explain that to them. Your job is just to read the story well, ask the questions, and let the child find that recognition on their own. That's the whole job. You can do it.
