Goats on a Plank
Two goats lived by a stream, one brown, one gray.
Both goats wanted the grass on the far side.
A thin plank lay across the stream.
Brown Goat stepped on one end. Gray Goat stepped on the other.
They met in the middle. Nose to nose!
"Go back!" said Brown Goat. "No, you go back!" said Gray Goat.
Neither one would move. They stamped and pushed.
The plank shook. Splash! In they fell.
The water was cold. They swam to the bank.
Brown Goat was wet. Gray Goat was wet. Both were cross.
The plank was still there. Gray Goat said, "You go first."
Brown Goat went. Then Gray Goat went. Nobody fell in.
They ate the grass, and it was good.
Questions
- A boat
- A plank
- A log
- At the end
- In the grass
- In the middle
- "You go back!"
- "Let us nap!"
- "I am sad."
- They got lost
- They got lunch
- They got wet
- Goats can swim
- Give way and stay dry
- Grass is good
Words to know
- plank: a long board
- stream: a small river
- cross: in a bad mood
Answer key: Goats on a Plank
- B. A plank
- C. In the middle
- A. "You go back!"
- C. They got wet
- B. Give way and stay dry
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“Goats on a Plank” is a reading level 5 story. Every Peabody story at this level is written and checked to keep sentences to 10 words or fewer, to aim at an average of 5 words a sentence, and to show 1 to 12 words on a screen. At most 6% of its words may be off the familiar-word list. Children in 2nd grade start at this level.
| This passage | 122 words, 13 screens, 5 multiple-choice questions with an answer key, and 3 vocabulary words with kid-sized meanings |
|---|---|
| Longest sentence at this level | 10 words |
| Words on a screen | 1 to 12 |
| Skills practised at this level | phonics (sounding words out), first sounds, sight words |
Reading level 5: the limits, a real sample and the free games. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: use the questions to talk about the story, not to grade a child.