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Over and Under
Reading level 4 · First sentencesFirst wordsAges 3–5

Over and Under

by ReadRead · 90 sec

Over the fence goes the ball. Under the fence goes Pup! A very first book for very new readers: one short sentence on every page, and the picture always shows the word.

10pop-up spreads
23things to tap
2new words
Words in this book
overunderballbridgebutterflyfencegoeslooks
Peek inside

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Inside the book

Pup is a little puppy in a sunny garden. He looks over the fence. Over the fence goes his blue ball, so under the fence goes Pup! The ball floats under a little bridge, and Pup runs over the bridge to catch it. A butterfly flies over Pup, and Pup goes under the table. At the end of the day, Pup naps under the table.

Pup the puppy runs over the little wooden bridge in Over and Under.
Pup the puppy runs over the little wooden bridge in Over and Under.
Pup stands up tall and looks over the garden fence.
Pup stands up tall and looks over the garden fence.
The blue ball floats under the bridge while Pup watches.
The blue ball floats under the bridge while Pup watches.
At sunset, Pup naps under the garden table.
At sunset, Pup naps under the garden table.

The new words in this book

over

Up and across the top of something. It comes up 6 times, and every time something on the page really goes over: Pup peeks over the fence, the ball flies over it, Pup runs over the bridge, the butterfly flies over Pup, and Pup leaps over his ball.

under

Down below something, with it on top. It comes up 6 times: Pup crawls under the fence, the ball floats under the bridge, Pup crawls under the table, the duckling swims under the bridge, and Pup naps under the table.

Made for children just starting kindergarten. Each page has one short sentence (3 to 6 words) in one pattern: “Over the fence goes the ball.” / “Under the fence goes Pup.” Only a word or two changes, so a child can say the page with you by the third spread. Every other word is one a 4-year-old already knows or can see in the picture, like ball, fence, bridge, table and butterfly.

Questions to ask while you read

Pause after each spread and ask one question. There are no right answers; the point is to get your child talking.

  1. 1What can Pup see over the fence?
  2. 2Where did the ball go? Point to it!
  3. 3How does Pup get to the ball? Is he going over or under?
  4. 4Can you see the ball under the bridge?
  5. 5Is Pup going over the bridge or under it?
  6. 6The butterfly flies over Pup. Can you wave your hand over your head?
  7. 7Where is Pup hiding now?
  8. 8Jump over, then crawl under, like Pup!
  9. 9Tap a friend. Is it going over or under?
  10. 10Where does Pup sleep? What is on top of the table?

How hard is this book?

4
Reading level · KFirst sentences

About 50 words, one short sentence at a time, one pattern that repeats.

56words in all
16different words
5.1words per sentence
6longest sentence
More books at this level
Words a child can sound out, by phonics step
Step 1 · short a, i, o45%
Step 2 · all short vowels45%
Step 3 · blends61%
Step 4 · magic e, ee/ai71%
Step 5 · ar/or, oo/ou86%
Step 6 · longer words100%
Words that may stop a reader
fencebridgetablebutterflygoeslooks
All 15 words, most used first

the 10 · goes 7 · over 6 · under 6 · fence 3 · and 2 · ball 2 · bridge 2 · go 2 · table 2 · tap 2 · they 2 · butterfly · looks · naps

Names don’t count: the picture shows who it is.

Tips for parents

  • First time: use Read to me and just enjoy the pictures together. It takes about a minute and a half.
  • Act the words: hold one hand flat like a fence, and hop your other hand over it and slide it under it.
  • Read it again and pause before “over” or “under”, so your child can say the word.
  • On the game page, let your child say “Over!” or “Under!” before each tap.
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