Wordly 3000 book K lesson 1
Read Aloud Help children find pages 2-3 in their books. Invite them to listen and to look at the
pictures as you read the story.
Dandelion Wishes
Say: Put your finger in picture number 1.
It was their first morning in the new house. David and Caroline ran out to the backyard. Mom
followed behind, walking carefully. It had been a really rainy spring, and the backyard was
muddy.
"Just look at this garden!" said Mom, smiling. "There are rows of daffodils and tulips coming
up. And the peonies are gorgeous! Even the dandelions look pretty." The garden was the
reason Mom had wanted to buy this house. The dew glistened on the leaves and flowers.
The soil was rich and brown and good for growing plants.
"But Mom, look at all these holes in the ground. Is that good for the soil?" asked Caroline.
Caroline liked helping her mother in the garden, so she knew about things like soil.
"Those holes were made by ants and worms," said Mom. "They help water and air get to the
roots of the plants-even weeds. Did you know dandelions are weeds?"
"But they look like flowers," said David.
"They do," said Mom. "When the yellow part is gone, I love to blow away the fluffy white part
and make a wish!"
"I wish the yellow part was gone now, so I could make a wish," said Caroline.
"What would you wish for?" asked Mom.
"I'd wish for some friends in the neighbourhood," Caroline said.
Caroline's mom gave her a hug and said, "I'd make just the same wish, honey. Well, I'm
going inside to start unpacking. Try not to get too muddy."
Why does Caroline wish she had a fluffy dandelion? (She wants to make a wish for
new friends.)
Say: Put your finger in picture number 2.
Neither Caroline nor David nor their mother saw the boy staring out of the window next door.
But Jordan was watching everything. He had been wondering for weeks about who his new
neighbours were going to be.
"It's a boy and a girl," he said to himself, "just like Tiana and me." Jordan yelled, "Tiana,
come here and see the new neighbours!" .•
Tiana had been really curious, too. She ran into Jordan's room to join him at the window.
They both watched their new neighbours walk around the muddy yard.
"Uh, oh, they're going toward the super muddy spot!" said Jordan. "We'd better go warn
them." By then, Caroline had sunk up to her ankles in mud! She tried to pull her feet out of
the mud, but she slipped and-oops! She landed smack on the seat of her pants. David took
her by the hands to pull her up. But as he pulled, David slipped in the mud, lost his balance,
and landed next to his sister.
"Let's go help them!" said Jordan.
"Good idea," said Tiana. "I'm sure we're strong enough to pull them out!" So the two of them
ran outside to see what they could do. "Hi," Tiana shouted to Caroline and David. "I'm Tiana
and this is my brother, Jordan. We live right next door, and we want to help you get out of
this mud." Tiana gave Caroline her left hand, and Jordan took her right.
Jordan took David's hand, too. The four of them formed a ring.
How did Jordan and Tiana try to help David and Caroline? (They formed a ring to.
help pull them out of the mud.)
Say: Put your finger in picture number 3.
Jordan and Tiana pulled and pulled but-oops! They slipped into the mud, too! At first all four
children just stared at each other in surprise. But then they laughed and laughed. What a
messy, dirty, funny way to meet the new neighbours!
Mom heard the noise and looked out the window. When she saw the four children laughing
and having fun, she smiled. Caroline hadn't found a fluffy dandelion to wish on, but it
seemed like her wish for new friends was coming true anyway.
But Mom wasn't the only one looking out the window. Maggie, the girl who lived on the other
side of Caroline and David's new house, was watching too, and wondering about these new
neighbours of hers.
