Bedtime Tales

95

A week passed. This time it was the mouse who
felt a pang of hunger.

“The cat is napping,” he said to himself. “I
think I will visit the house and get myself a snack.
I will just have a bit of the jam. What’s the harm
in that? There will still be a lot left.”

The mouse ran to the house next door. When
he got there, what did he see? A jar with no jam!
The cat had tricked him. The mouse was mad. He
ran back and woke up the cat.

96

97

“You tricked me!” said the mouse.
“Did I?” said the cat.
“You ate the jam we said we would save for
winter! You had it for a snack!” the mouse yelled.
“Yes!” said the cat. “I could have you for a
snack!”
But the mouse was too mad to stop.

98

99

“You tricked me!” he shouted. “Now we have
no jam! Now we. . . .”

But he did not have time to finish his sentence.
The cat pounced on the mouse and made an end
of him.
Moral: Be careful who you trust.

100

101

“What do you think is the point of the tale?”
asked the dad. “Is there a point?”

Mike said, “I think that the point is that mice
should not keep house with cats.”

“I like that!” said the dad. “My dad used to tell
me that tale when I was a kid. He said the point
of it was: Be careful who you trust.”

Then the dad got up and tugged on the drapes.
“Look there!” he said. “It’s dark outside. The
street lamp is on. The tale is finished. It’s time for
bed.”

102

103

About This Book

This book has been created for use by students learning to read with the Core
Knowledge Language Arts Program. Readability levels are suitable for early readers.
The book has also been carefully leveled in terms of its “code load,” or the number of
spellings used in the stories.

The English writing system is complex. It uses more than 200 spellings to stand
for 40-odd sounds. Many sounds can be spelled several different ways, and many
spellings can be pronounced several different ways. This book has been designed
to make early reading experiences easier and more productive by using a subset of
the available spellings. It uses only spellings that students have been taught to sound
out as part of their phonics lessons, plus a handful of Tricky Words, which have also
been deliberately introduced in the lessons. This means that the stories will be 100%
decodable if they are assigned at the proper time.

As the students move through the program, they learn new spellings and the “code
load” in the decodable readers increases gradually. The code load graphics on this
page indicate the number of spellings students are expected to know in order to read
the first story of the book and the number of spellings students are expected to know
in order to read the final stories in the book. The columns on the inside back cover
list the specific spellings and Tricky Words students are expected to recognize at the
beginning of this Reader. The bullets at the bottom of the inside back cover identify
spellings, Tricky Words, and other topics that are introduced gradually in the unit this
Reader accompanies.

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CORE KNOWLEDGE LANGUAGE ARTS

SERIES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
E. D. Hirsch, Jr.

PRESIDENT
Linda Bevilacqua

EDITORIAL STAFF DESIGN AND GRAPHICS STAFF

Carolyn Gosse, Senior Editor - Preschool Scott Ritchie, Creative Director
Khara Turnbull, Materials Development Manager
Michelle L. Warner, Senior Editor - Listening & Learning Kim Berrall
Michael Donegan
Mick Anderson Liza Greene
Robin Blackshire Matt Leech
Maggie Buchanan Bridget Moriarty
Paula Coyner Lauren Pack
Sue Fulton
Sara Hunt CONSULTING PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Erin Kist
Robin Luecke ScribeConcepts.com
Rosie McCormick
Cynthia Peng ADDITIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES
Liz Pettit
Ellen Sadler Ang Blanchette
Deborah Samley Dorrit Green
Diane Auger Smith Carolyn Pinkerton
Sarah Zelinke

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

These materials are the result of the work, advice, and encouragement of numerous individuals over many years. Some of those singled out here already
know the depth of our gratitude; others may be surprised to find themselves thanked publicly for help they gave quietly and generously for the sake of
the enterprise alone. To helpers named and unnamed we are deeply grateful.

CONTRIBUTORS TO EARLIER VERSIONS OF THESE MATERIALS

Susan B. Albaugh, Kazuko Ashizawa, Nancy Braier, Kathryn M. Cummings, Michelle De Groot, Diana Espinal, Mary E. Forbes, Michael L. Ford,
Ted Hirsch, Danielle Knecht, James K. Lee, Diane Henry Leipzig, Martha G. Mack, Liana Mahoney, Isabel McLean, Steve Morrison, Juliane K. Munson,
Elizabeth B. Rasmussen, Laura Tortorelli, Rachael L. Shaw, Sivan B. Sherman, Miriam E. Vidaver, Catherine S. Whittington, Jeannette A. Williams

We would like to extend special recognition to Program Directors Matthew Davis and Souzanne Wright who were instrumental to the early
development of this program.

SCHOOLS

We are truly grateful to the teachers, students, and administrators of the following schools for their willingness to field test these materials and for
their invaluable advice: Capitol View Elementary, Challenge Foundation Academy (IN), Community Academy Public Charter School, Lake Lure Classical
Academy, Lepanto Elementary School, New Holland Core Knowledge Academy, Paramount School of Excellence, Pioneer Challenge Foundation
Academy, New York City PS 26R (The Carteret School), PS 30X (Wilton School), PS 50X (Clara Barton School), PS 96Q, PS 102X (Joseph O. Loretan),
PS 104Q (The Bays Water), PS 214K (Michael Friedsam), PS 223Q (Lyndon B. Johnson School), PS 308K (Clara Cardwell), PS 333Q (Goldie Maple Academy),
Sequoyah Elementary School, South Shore Charter Public School, Spartanburg Charter School, Steed Elementary School, Thomas Jefferson Classical
Academy, Three Oaks Elementary, West Manor Elementary.

And a special thanks to the CKLA Pilot Coordinators Anita Henderson, Yasmin Lugo-Hernandez, and Susan Smith, whose suggestions and day-to-day
support to teachers using these materials in their classrooms was critical.

CREDITS

Every effort has been taken to trace and acknowledge copyrights. The editors tender their apologies for any accidental infringement
where copyright has proved untraceable. They would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgment in any subsequent edition
of this publication. Trademarks and trade names are shown in this publication for illustrative purposes only and are the property of their
respective owners. The references to trademarks and trade names given herein do not affect their validity.

All photographs are used under license from Shutterstock, Inc. unless otherwise noted.

WRITERS ILLUSTRATORS AND IMAGE SOURCES

Matt Davis Cover: Kathryn M. Cummings, Dustin Mackay, Steve Morrison; Title
Page: Kathryn M. Cummings, Dustin Mackay, Steve Morrison; 1: Dustin
Mackay; 2: Dustin Mackay; 3: Dustin Mackay; 4–5: Dustin Mackay;
6–7: Dustin Mackay; 8–9: Dustin Mackay; 10: Kathryn M. Cummings;
11: Kathryn M. Cummings; 12: Kathryn M. Cummings; 13: Kathryn M.
Cummings; 14–15: Dustin Mackay; 16–17: Dustin Mackay; 19: Kathryn
M. Cummings; 21: Kathryn M. Cummings; 22–23: Dustin Mackay; 24–25:
Dustin Mackay; 27: Kathryn M. Cummings; 29: Kathryn M. Cummings;
31: Kathryn M. Cummings; 33: Kathryn M. Cummings; 34–35: Dustin
Mackay; 37: Steve Morrison; 39: Steve Morrison; 41: Steve Morrison; 42–
43: Dustin Mackay; 44–45: Dustin Mackay; 47: Steve Morrison; 48: Steve
Morrison; 49: Steve Morrison; 50: Steve Morrison; 51: Steve Morrison; 52:
Steve Morrison; 53: Steve Morrison; 54–55: Dustin Mackay; 57: Kathryn
M. Cummings; 58: Kathryn M. Cummings; 59: Kathryn M. Cummings;
60: Kathryn M. Cummings; 61: Kathryn M. Cummings; 62–63: Dustin
Mackay; 64–65: Dustin Mackay; 66: Kathryn M. Cummings; 67: Kathryn
M. Cummings; 68: Kathryn M. Cummings; 69: Kathryn M. Cummings;
71: Kathryn M. Cummings; 73: Kathryn M. Cummings; 75: Kathryn M.
Cummings; 76–77: Dustin Mackay; 78–79: Dustin Mackay; 81: Kathryn
M. Cummings; 83: Kathryn M. Cummings; 85: Kathryn M. Cummings;
86–87: Dustin Mackay; 88–89: Dustin Mackay; 91: Steve Morrison;
93: Steve Morrison; 94: Steve Morrison; 95: Steve Morrison; 97: Steve
Morrison; 99: Steve Morrison; 100: Steve Morrison; 101: Steve Morrison;
102–103: Dustin Mackay

Regarding the Shutterstock items listed above, please note: No
person or entity shall falsely represent, expressly or by way of
reasonable implication, that the content herein was created by that
person or entity, or any person other than the copyright holder(s) of
that content.

Code Knowledge assumed at the beginning of this reader:

Vowel Sounds and Consonant Sounds /m/ as in man,
Spellings: and Spellings: drumming

/i/ as in sit /p/ as in pot, sipping /n/ a s in not, grinning,
/e/ as in bed /b/ as in bat, rabbit knock
/a/ as in hat /t/ a s in top, nutty,
/u/ as in but /ng/ as in song, pink
/o/ as in hot marked /h/ as in hot
/d/ a s in dog, add, /w/ as in wet, when
Tricky Words: /l/ as in  lip, bell
hogged /r/ as in red, ferret, wrist
the, a, he, she, we, be, /k/ a s in cat, kid, hiccup, /y/ as in yes
me, was, from, of, to, /sh/ as in ship
do, down, how, what, back /x/ as in tax
where, why, once, one, /g/ as in get, egg /qu/ as in quit
two, could, would, /ch/ as in chop, itch
should, there, said, /j/ as in jet, gem, large
says, word /f/ as in fat, stuff
/v/ as in vet, twelve
/s/ a s in sit, dress, cent,

rinse, prince
/z/ as in zip, buzz, dogs
/th/ as in thin
/th/ as in them

Code Knowledge added gradually in the unit for this reader:

• Beginning with “Mike’s Bedtime”: /ae/ as in cake, /ie/ as in bite; tricky words I, you,
your, street

• Beginning with “The Milk”: /oe/ as in home, /ue/ as in cute; tricky words my, by,
have

• Beginning with “The Jumping Frog”: /ee/ as in bee, Pete, beach; tricky words all,
who

• Beginning with “The Frog Race”: /oo/ as in soon, /oo/ as in look; tricky words no, so,
go

• Beginning with “The Hare and the Hedgehog”: /ou/ as in shout, now; /oi/ as in oil,
toy; tricky words are, were, some

• Beginning with “How the Hedgehog Tricked the Hare”: /er/ as in her; tricky words
they, their

• Beginning with “The Pancake”: /or/ as in for, /ar/ as in car

Bedtime Tales
Unit 2 Reader
Skills Strand
grade 2

The Core Knowledge Foundation
www.coreknowledge.org