Tom’s Map
Tom’s Map
by ReadRead · 90 secHop, hop to the log! Is it at the log? No! A Level 1 book a child can read by themself: short words like map, cap, hop, dig and box, a pattern that repeats, and a treasure box at the X.
Free to read
This book is free for every family.
Start readingInside the book
Tom has a map. Tom has a cap. His little dog looks at the map with him, and off they go around the sunny garden. Hop, hop to the log! Is it at the log? No! Hop, hop to the pot! No! The map has a big X, so they hop to the sandpit and dig, dig, dig. It is a box! Pop! Inside is a blue cap, just the right size for Dog. And at sunset, look: inside Dog’s cap is a new map. Hop, hop, hop!
The new words in this book
A picture that shows the way to a place. It comes up 6 times, and every time the map is on the page: in Tom’s hands, open on the grass with its dotted path and red X, and the new map that pops out of Dog’s cap.
A soft hat with a peak at the front. It comes up 8 times: Tom’s red pirate cap, the blue cap in the treasure box, and the same blue cap on Dog’s head. Map and cap rhyme and differ by just one letter.
Made for children who are just starting to sound out words. On our reading ladder this is a Level 1 book: a child who knows short-vowel words with a, i and o (map, hop, dig) and ten first sight words (a, I, the, see, is, to, go, my, can, and) can read 96% of the words alone. The only harder words are “no”, “for” and “look”. Each sentence has 3 to 6 words, and the pattern repeats: “Hop, hop to the log! Is it at the log? No!” / “Hop, hop to the pot! Is it at the pot? No!”, so after one read with you, many children can read it back to you. The two new words, map and cap, only differ in the first letter, which makes them a good first pair to sound out.
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.
- 1What does Tom have? Can you find his map and his cap?
- 2What can Tom and Dog see on the map?
- 3Is it at the log? Where do they go next?
- 4Is it at the pot? Say “No!” with Tom.
- 5Where is the big X?
- 6Can you dig like Tom? Dig, dig, dig!
- 7What is in the box?
- 8Who is the cap for?
- 9Tap a cap! Tap a map! How many can you find?
- 10What is inside Dog’s cap? Where will they hop next?
How hard is this book?
Short a, i, o words (cat, sit, hop) and ten sight words. A decodable book: 9 words in 10 can be sounded out at this phonics step.
- Questions × 2Is it at the log? No!
- Commands × 5Hop, hop to the X!
- Not / no × 2Is it at the log? No!
All 24 words, most used first
a 13 · hop 9 · the 9 · cap 8 · has 6 · is 6 · map 6 · it 4 · dig 3 · to 3 · at 2 · big 2 · box 2 · in 2 · log 2 · no 2 · pot 2 · tap 2 · and · can · for · look · pop · see
Names don’t count: the picture shows who it is.
Tips for parents
- First time: use Read to me and enjoy the treasure hunt together. It takes about a minute and a half.
- Second time: switch to I can read and let your child sound out each word: m-a-p, map; c-a-p, cap. Almost every word works this way.
- Play the one-letter game: cover the first letter of map and cap and ask which letter turns one word into the other.
- Draw your own map at home with a big X, hide a small toy there and let your child hop to find it.