The Moon Follows Me
Sam looked out the car window. The moon was big and round and bright.
The car went left. The moon went left, too. The car went right, and the moon did, too.
"Mom, the moon is following us," said Sam. "Is it going to our house?"
Mom smiled. "It looks that way," she said. "But the moon is just far away."
"Trees and signs go by fast," said Mom. "They are close. The moon is not close."
"How far is it?" asked Sam. "Very far," said Mom. "A rocket needs three days."
Sam looked at the moon again. It sat quiet in the dark, high above the road.
"So it is not following us?" he asked. "No," said Mom. "It just seems that way."
A tree went by, then a sign. The moon stayed in the same spot in the sky.
Sam waved at the moon. "Goodnight, moon," he said. "You are far, far away."
The car turned into the drive. The moon was there, high and bright, to say goodnight.
Questions
- Tom and Ruby
- Mia and Dad
- Sam and Mom
- It is very far away
- It is in the car
- It is tiny
- One hour
- Three days
- A year
- Hello, bird
- Stop, car
- Goodnight, moon
Words to know
- moon: a night light
- rocket: a space ship
- following: coming behind
Answer key: The Moon Follows Me
- C. Sam and Mom
- A. It is very far away
- B. Three days
- C. Goodnight, moon
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“The Moon Follows Me” is a reading level 6 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 6 words a sentence, and to show 12 to 20 words on a screen. At most 7% of its words may be off the familiar-word list. Readers reach this level by climbing, not by grade.
| This passage | 171 words, 11 screens, 4 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 | 12 to 20 |
| Skills practised at this level | phonics (sounding words out), first sounds, sight words |
Reading level 6: 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.