Simple Stories in English

Brandon and Julia love dinosaurs. They have a bunch of plastic toy dinosaurs that they play with together. There is only one problem. Julia’s Tyrannosaurus Rex is always eating Brandon’s dinosaurs. Brandon and Julia both know a lot about dinosaurs. Will Brandon be able to find one that Julia’s T-Rex can’t eat?This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “grabs”, “eats”, “growls”, “carnivore” (meat eater), and “herbivore” (plant eater). No matter where you are in you...

Today’s story was originally written by Scott WyattWhy is the raven black? 7-year-old Agapita has created a series of drawings to explain the dark feathers of this intelligent bird who just wanted to get a glimpse of his creator.This simple story is told in the past tense and focuses on the words “crow”, “drawing”, “creator”, “world”, and the verbs “see/saw”, “made”, and “would be”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript ...

Hannah is a curious girl. When a butterfly lands in her back yard, she wants to learn all about it. After visiting the library, she learns that these butterflies are special and that they fly all the way to Mexico from Canada. What else will she learn about the monarch butterfly?This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “wants”, “book”, “wings”, and “insect”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a trans...

Dayana the alpaca is surprised to learn that her wooly coat is going to be sheared. She loves her wool, so she runs away. While she is away, she meets a graceful vicuña, an overgrown sheep, and a sheared llama. Dayana learns that it might not be so bad to have her coat cut after all.This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “cut”, “want”, “doesn’t”, and “wool”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a tra...

Jayden, Charley and Theo love fishing with their mom. One Saturday they grab their fishing poles and head to the lake. Find out what they catch in today’s story, “Let’s Go Fishing.”This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “want”, “pull”, “bait”, and “excited”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/05/21/simple-stories-in-english-lets-...

It is the end of the school year for Imani and many others. She shouts “See you later!” to those she meets in the hallway. But what about her friends and others who won’t be back in the fall? Will she have to say goodbye?This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “says”, “responds”, “likes”, “goes”, and “goodbye”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story at https://smalltownspanisht...

Victoria is feeling nervous and scared about leaving her small town and going to university in a big city. Her friend Piper doesn’t seem scared at all. Victoria learns that some of Piper’s confidence comes from her success in a martial arts class. Victoria decides to give it a try and she learns that small girls like her can be fierce opponents.This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “confidence”, “punch”, “kick”, “roll”, and “grab”. No matter where you are in ...

Ronaldo comes from a family obsessed with football (or soccer), so it is no surprise that he wants to be a famous football star like his “tocayo”, or namesake, Cristiano Ronaldo. But Ronaldo only wants to play front and center, hogging the ball and making all the goals. He needs to learn the importance of each position to truly become a great player. Transcript: https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/03/05/simple-stories-in-english-the-great-ronaldo/

Today’s story connects to episode 9. Perhaps you will remember “Miguel’s Little Lie”. Miguel wanted to go to a rock concert with his friend Wes, but, due to his lying, ended up going to a classical music concert with his mom and sister. Little did he know how much that concert would change his life. He thought rock music was the only sound worth listening to, but after hearing violins, flutes, trumpets, and tubas, he has a new appreciation for instruments.This simple story is told in the pres...

Luisa loves winter. She likes the cold because it means snow and ice. She skates on the ice and plays in the snow. There is only one problem: it hasn’t snowed yet!This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “snow”, “ice”, “cold”, “snowflake”, and “frost”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/12/30/simple-stories-in-english-a-winter-stor...

Life with a toddler can be fun and difficult. That is why routines are so important. When Lily doesn’t take her nap, the rest of the day is rough for her dad, Stephen. Perhaps a nighttime routine with soothing songs will be exactly what they both need to sleep.This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “sleep”, “throws”, “sings”, “reads”, and “doesn’t”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript o...

Some students feel that they just don’t know anything, so why even try? Perhaps they just need a little bit of motivation and confidence. Daniel is not the smartest student, but he finds inspiration through a magic notebook. Through his magic notebook, he finds a recipe for success. I hope you enjoy “The Magic Notebook.”This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “doesn’t”, “needs”, “listens”, “study”, and “solve”. No matter where you are in your language journey, ...

Mothers often need to have patience as children learn and grow. Nadia is mother to Luisa and Perla. Luisa loves her family and she loves to help. But sometimes her help causes problems for her mother. All is well, though, with Luisa hugs her mom and tells her, “I love you, mom.”This simple story is told in the past tense and focuses on the words “listened”, “ran”, “wanted”, “said”, “responded”, “surprised”, “pretty”, and “love”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will h...

We all get bored. Georgie has a room full of things, but he still gets bored. When he tells people he is bored, they just send him away to do something else. Will he just stay bored forever? Or will he find something to entertain the day away? Listen in to find out in “I’m Bored!”This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “thinks”, “grabs”, “takes”, and “What’s wrong?”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can fi...

Who doesn’t enjoy a day at the beach? Ramona certainly does. She goes to the beach every day and watches the tourists as they take pictures, play in the waves, and play in the sand. Ramona is not a tourist. She is a capuchin monkey. She is also a famous thief. Listen in to find out how Ramona steals from beachgoers in “Ramona on the beach”.This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “monkey”, “take/takes”, “tourist”, “steal”, “thief”, and “beach”. No matter where y...