Books
Year group
Kind Words
Meg draws a horse with wobbly legs and a tail that is much too long, and she is proud of it. Then Bill laughs and says it looks like a dog, and Meg folds her paper up small and does not draw for three whole days. The new word is proud.
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May I?
Anne has twelve new felt pens that smell like fruit, kept in a neat row. Ken wants the green one, Anne is at the sink, so he just takes it and presses too hard, and the soft tip goes squash. Anne is cross, and Ken has to find the two small words he forgot. The new word is borrow.
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May's Promise
Gran has two goldfish, Fin and Flip, and she has to go away for a week. May promises to feed them. Monday is fine and Tuesday is fine, and then on Wednesday her friends come to play. The new word is promise.
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Ted's Turn
Mum works all day at her job and then comes home and works some more, while Ted watches TV. One night she sits down and shuts her eyes, and Ted sees her tired face and the pile of plates in the sink. He cannot cook and he cannot reach the line, but he can carry plates. The new word is chores.
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Thank You, Mr. Tan
Mr. Tan drives the school bus every morning, in the hot sun and the pouring rain, and always says good morning. The children run on and run off and nobody says thank you, not once, not ever. Then one day Anne stays behind. The new word is cheerful.
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FreeThe New Girl
Kim is new. She stands by the door holding her bag with both hands and does not know a single person. At break she sits on the low wall and wishes she could join in, but she is too shy to ask. Then Lily walks over with a skipping rope and asks one question. The new word is nervous.
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The Park Bag
Ken's class has lunch on the grass in the park. When the teacher calls, everybody runs for the bus and leaves the bags, cups and straws behind, and the wind spreads them. Ken looks back, sees a duck pecking at a paper cup, and runs back. The new word is litter.
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The Swing
There is one swing in the park and Dan got there first. Meg comes and waits by the tree, and waits, and counts all the way to one hundred while Dan does not look at her once. Then her mum calls her home, and Dan sees her face. The new word is fair.
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Too Much Change
Bob goes to the shop for milk with a ten dollar note. The shop is busy and the lady is in a hurry. On the path home Bob counts his coins and there are too many. Nobody would ever know, and he thinks about sweets and a comic book. Then he turns around. The new word is mistake.
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Toys in the Rain
Sam gets a yellow truck for his birthday and drives it up and down the path all day. When Mum calls him for dinner he runs inside and leaves it on the grass. In the night the rain comes. The new word is ruined.
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