Sweetgrass

A walking bridge cuts between the tall grasses that grow in the shallow edges of a lake

Learning Goals

In this chapter, you will learn to:

Print the alphabet in upper case letters
Hear, read, and write words with a short /a/ and a short /i/
Copy short sentences
Read common sight words in a paragraph
Answer questions about a story
Complete sentences with original ideas
Begin a sentence with an upper case letter

Talk About It

What are some ways that plants help people?

Picture Dictionary
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

hurt	street	braid

house	grass	break

feelings	bend	walk

roots

Practice reading the words without the pictures.
street	house	walk	bend	break
hurt	grass	roots	braid	feelings

Word Skills

Word Patterns

The letters a, e, i, o, and u are called vowels. The letter a says /a/ like in apple.

https://pixabay.com/en/apple-green-fruit-juicy-nature-33709/

The letter a says /a/ like in apple.

Match the word to the picture.

cap	sad	rat	sat
fat	map	mad	nap


1. ____________	2. ____________	3. ____________

4.____________	5.____________	6. ____________

7. ____________	8.____________

Word Patterns

The letter i says /i/ like in itch.

Match the word to the picture.

lip	wig	rip
hit	fin	dig


9. ____________	10. ____________	11. ____________

12. ____________	13. ____________	14. ____________

Pick the word that matches the picture.
15.	rit	rat
16.	fan	fin
17.	nap	nip
18.	wag	wig
19.	sad	sid
20.	fit	fat

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Read these sentences. Practice writing them.

The rat had a nap.

The map has a rip.

He has a fat lip.

She sat on the cap.

I am mad.

Ask your instructor to check your work.

You will see these words in the story. They all have the /a/ sound like apple.

Max	at	grass
asks	after	that
away	bad	happy

You will see these words in the story. They all have the /i/ sound like itch.

live	kids	in
is	pick	it
if	this	will

Use Your Reading Skills

Listen to the story Sweetgrass. Then read Sweetgrass in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/?p=5#audio-5-1

Check Your Understanding

Circle yes if the sentence is right. Circle no if the sentence is wrong.

1. Dan used to live on the street.	yes	no
2. Max and Dan are both Cree.	yes	no
3. Sweetgrass is tall.	yes	no
4. Sweetgrass breaks when you step on it.	yes	no
5. Max and Dan eat the sweetgrass.	yes	no
6. Dan says sweetgrass takes away bad feelings.	yes	no

Writing

Below are all the letters of the alphabet. They are in lower case. Write each letter in upper case. The first one is done for you.

a ___A___	b _______	c _______	d _______
e _______	f _______	g _______	h _______
i _______	j _______	k _______	l _______
m _______	n _______	o _______	p _______
q _______	r _______	s _______	t _______
u _______	v _______	w _______	x _______
y _______	z _______

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Grammar Rule

Always use an upper case letter at the beginning of a sentence.

She has a red wig. – YES

she has a red wig. – NO

Writing Task

What makes you feel better when you feel bad? Fill in the blanks. Your instructor will help you spell.

Example: I feel better when I go for a walk.

1. I feel better when I ________________________________________.

2. I feel better when I ________________________________________.

3. I feel better when I ________________________________________.

Answer Key
Word Skills
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	map
2	rat
3	nap
4	mad
5	cap
6	sat
7	fat
8	sad
9	dig
10	hit
11	wig
12	rip
13	fin
14	lip
15	rat
16	fin
17	nap
18	wig
19	sad
20	fat
Check Your Understanding
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	no
2	yes
3	yes
4	no
5	no
6	yes
Writing
LOWER CASE	UPPER CASE
a	A
b	B
c	C
d	D
e	E
f	F
g	G
h	H
i	I
j	J
k	K
l	L
m	M
n	N
o	O
p	P
q	Q
r	R
s	S
t	T
u	U
v	V
w	W
x	X
y	Y
z	Z

2

A New Flower

Flowers in a garden

Learning Goals

In this chapter, you will learn to:

Print the alphabet in lower case letters
Hear, read, and write words with a short /o/ and a short /u/
Copy short sentences
Read common sight words in a paragraph
Answer questions about a story
State an opinion about a reading
End a sentence with a period or question mark

Talk About It

Do you have any grandparents? What will you always remember about them?

Picture Dictionary
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

grandma	plane	flowers

garden	club	know

long	time	home

smile

Practice reading these words without the pictures.
time	garden	smile	home	club
flowers	long	know	plane	grandma

Word Skills

Word Patterns

The letters a, e, i, o, and u are called vowels. The letter o makes an /o/ sound like in octopus.

The letter o says /o/ like in octopus.

Match each word to a picture.

log	mop	dot	jog	hot
cot	cop	pot	top	box


1. ____________	2. ____________	3. ____________

4. ____________	5. ____________	6. ____________

7. ____________	8. ____________	9. ____________

10. ____________

Word Patterns

The letter u says /u/ like in up.

The letter u says /u/ like in up.

Match each word to a picture.

sun	mud	rug	mug	pup
bug	cup	gum	nut


11. ____________	12. ____________	13. ____________

14. ____________	15. ____________	16. ____________

17. ____________	18.____________	19. ____________

Pick the word that matches the picture.
20.	mup	mop
21.	bug	bog
22.	gum	gom
23.	jog	jug
24.	cop	cup
25.	bux	box

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Read these sentences. Practice writing the words. Begin with an upper case letter.

The mug is hot.

Is this gum on the rug?

Can you mop up the mud?

The pup had a nap on the cot.

The cop sat on the log.

Ask your instructor to check your work.

You will see these words in the story. They all have the /o/ sound like octopus.

lot

not

on

You will see these words in the story. They all have the /u/ sound like up.

clubs

but

hunt

Use Your Reading Skills

Listen to A New Flower. Then read A New Flower in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/?p=52#audio-52-1

Check Your Understanding

1. Who goes on a plane for the first time?
________________ goes on a plane for the first time.

2. What does the grandma see that she has never seen before?
The grandma sees a ________________.

3. What three things do men do back home?
Back home, men ________________, ________________, and ________________.

4. What makes Dave different from the men back home?
Dave is different from the men back home because he knows about ________________.

5. Do you think the grandma likes Dave? Why or why not? Discuss with a classmate.

Writing

Below are all the letters of the alphabet. They are in upper case. Write each letter in lower case. The first one is done for you.

A ___a___	B _______	C _______	D _______
E _______	F _______	G _______	H _______
I _______	J _______	K _______	L _______
M _______	N _______	O _______	P _______
Q _______	R _______	S _______	T _______
U _______	V _______	W _______	X _______
Y _______	Z _______

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Grammar Rule

A sentence can be a question or a statement.

A question asks for information. It ends with a question mark.

What is your name? – YES

What is your name – NO

What is your name. – NO

A statement gives information. It ends with a period.

My name is Ted. – YES

My name is Ted – NO

Writing Task

Think of a time when you acted differently from how people expect a man or woman to act. Tell the story to your instructor. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.

When you are done, read your story.

Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
Are you missing any words?

Answer Key
Word Skills
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	cop
2	box
3	mop
4	dot
5	top
6	cot
7	jog
8	pot
9	log
10	hot
11	pup
12	nut
13	bug
14	mud
15	sun
16	gum
17	rug
18	mug
19	cup
20	mop
21	bug
22	gum
23	jog
24	cup
25	box
Check Your Understanding
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	The grandma
2	flower
3	hunt, fish, farm
4	flowers
Writing
UPPER CASE	LOWER CASE
A	a
B	b
C	c
D	d
E	e
F	f
G	g
H	h
I	i
J	j
K	k
L	l
M	m
N	n
O	o
P	p
Q	q
R	r
S	s
T	t
U	u
V	v
W	w
X	x
Y	y
Z	z

3

The Sack Garden

A small plant grows out of a sack

Learning Goals

In this chapter, you will learn to:

Print the alphabet in order using upper case letters
Hear, read, and write words with a short /e/
Hear, read, and write words with a long /e/ (spelled ee)
Copy short sentences
Read common sight words in a paragraph
Answer questions about a story
Describe the sequence of a story
State an opinion about a reading
Use an upper case letter to begin a person’s name

Talk About it

Have you ever had a garden? What did you grow?
What did you like about having a garden?
What was hard about having a garden?

Picture Dictionary
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

South Africa	three	white

farm	money	land

sack	rock	middle

dirt	one	hole

Practice reading these words without the pictures.
one	sack	land	dirt
South Africa	hole	money	three
white	middle	farm	rock

Word Skills

The letters a, e, i, o, and u are called vowels. Vowels have short sounds and long sounds. So far, you have looked at short vowel sounds:

A short /a/ says /a/ like in apple.
A short /i/ says /i/ like in itch. A short /o/ says /o/ like in octopus.
A short /u/ says /u/ like in up.

Word Patterns

A short /e/ makes an /e/ sound like in Expo.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Expo86logo.svg

A short /e/ says /e/ like in Expo.

Match each word to a picture.

bed	pet	net	red
web	pen	wet	vet


1. ____________	2. ____________	3. ____________

4. ____________	5. ____________	6. ____________

7. ____________	8. ____________

Word Patterns

Vowels can also make a long sound. The letters ee make a long /e/ sound like in jeep.

https://pixabay.com/en/jeep-green-automobile-38022/

The letters ee make a long /e/ sound like in jeep.

Match each word to a picture.

see	bee	green	weed
tree	feet	three	feed


9. __________	10. __________	11. __________

12. __________	13. __________	14. __________

15. __________	16. __________

Pick the word that matches the picture.
17.	wet	weet
18.	neet	net
19.	weed	wed
20.	se	see
21.	web	weeb
22.	peet	pet

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Read these sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters correctly. Use periods and question marks correctly.

My pet is at the vet.

I did not see the bee.

I got my feet wet.

This is a red pen.

She is not in bed.

Ask your instructor to check your work.

You will see these words in the reading. They have the short /e/ sound like Expo.

Meg

rest

eggplant

You will see these words in the reading. They have the long /e/ sound like jeep.

three	feed	weeds
green	need

Use Your Reading Skills

Listen to The Sack Garden. Then read The Sack Garden in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/?p=55#audio-55-1

Check Your Understanding

1. Where does Meg live?
Meg lives in _____________________.

2. Who owns most of the farmland in South Africa?
_____________________ own most of the farmland in South Africa.

3. What does Meg use to grow a garden?
Meg uses a _____________________ to grow a garden.

Are these sentences true? Circle yes or no.

4. A sack garden costs a lot of money.	yes	no
5. A sack garden takes up a lot of room.	yes	no
6. A sack garden does not have many weeds.	yes	no

7. How do you make a sack garden? Put these steps in the right order (1, 2, 3).

_____ Make little holes in the side of the sack.

_____ Put dirt and rocks in the sack.

_____ Put plants in the holes.

Writing

Write all the letters of the alphabet in order. Use upper case letters.

__________________________________________________________________

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Grammar Rule

Use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name.

This is Meg. – YES

This is meg. – NO

Write your full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.

_______________________________________________________

Find a classmate. Write their full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.

_______________________________________________________

Find another classmate. Write their full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.

_______________________________________________________

Writing Task

Have you ever had a garden?

If so, tell your instructor about your garden. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.

If not, imagine you were going to plant a garden. Think about what you would want to grow. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.

When you are done, read your story.

Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
Are you missing any words?

Answer Key
Word Skills
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	web
2	net
3	red
4	vet
5	pen
6	bed
7	pet
8	wet
9	green
10	bee
11	feet
12	see
13	feed
14	tree
15	three
16	weed
17	wet
18	net
19	weed
20	see
21	web
22	pet
Check Your Understanding
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	South Africa
2	white people
3	sack
4	no
5	no
6	yes
7	2, 1, 3
Writing
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y

4

Val's Garden

A box of vegetables

Learning Goals

In this chapter, you will learn to:

Print the alphabet in order using lower case letters
Read and write words with the endings -s, -ing, and -ed
Copy short sentences
Read common sight words in a paragraph
Answer questions about a story
Complete sentences by adding a missing word
Use an upper case letter to begin a person’s name

Talk About It

Do you like to get to know the people who live near you? Why or why not?

Picture Dictionary
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

new	city	vegetables

woman	sidewalk	carrots

tomatoes	beans	peas

talk	family	door

Practice reading these words without the pictures.
sidewalk	peas	carrots	family
door	city	woman	vegetables
talk	beans	new	tomatoes

Word Skills

Word Patterns

Words can have endings. Some common word endings are –s, –ing, and –ed.

	–s	–ing	–ed
look	looks	looking	looked
pull	pulls	pulling	pulled
talk	talks	talking	talked

1. Fill in this chart.

	–s	–ing	–ed
bill
fill
walk
pick
kick

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Word Patterns

The word ending –s can show there is more than one of something.

carrot	carrots

bean	beans

pea	peas

How many do you see?
2.		egg or eggs?
3.		rock or rocks?
4.		bug or bugs?
5.		pen or pens?
6.		tree or trees?
7.		rat or rats?

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, and question marks correctly.

The dog naps with the cats.

This log has bugs on it.

Tim jogs a lot.

The kids got on the bus.

Can you get the red cups?

Ask your instructor to check your work.

Use Your Reading Skills

Listen to Val’s Garden. Then read Val’s Garden in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/?p=57#audio-57-1

Check Your Understanding

garden	family	new	vegetables
box	passes on	Val	sidewalk

Fill in the blanks with the right word or words.

1. I am _______________ to the city.

2. A woman named _______________ lives next door.

3. She grows a vegetable garden by the _______________.

4. She gives me a _______________ of vegetables.

5. She _______________.

6. I take care of her _______________.

7. A _______________ moves next door.

8. I give them a box of _______________ from Val’s garden.

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Writing

Grammar Rule

You can use words from a question to make your own sentence.


Question:	Who has a garden?
Answer:	Val has a garden.

Question:	What vegetables are in Val’s garden?
Answer:	Carrots, tomatoes, beans, and peas are in Val’s garden.

Question:	Who moves next door when Val passes on?
Answer:	A family moves next door when Val passes on.

Question:	What is given to the family next door?
Answer:	A box of vegetables is given to the family next door.

Answer the questions. Use the underlined words to form your answer.

1. Who talks to plants?

____________________________________________________

2. What gets dry after Val passes on?

____________________________________________________

3. What looks sad after Val passes on?

____________________________________________________

4. Write all the letters of the alphabet in order. Use lower case letters.

__________________________________________________________________

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Writing Task

Think of a time when a neighbour was nice to you, or a time when you were nice to a neighbour. Tell the story to your instructor. Your instructor will write down what you say. Then copy the story into your notebook.

When you are done, read your story.

Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
Are you missing any words?

Answer Key

Word Skills

QUESTION

ANSWER

1

	–s	–ing	–ed
bill	bills	billing	billed
fill	fills	filling	filled
walk	walks	walking	walked
pick	picks	picking	picked
kick	kicks	kicking	kicked

2

eggs

3

rocks

4

bug

5

pens

6

tree

7

rat

Check Your Understanding

QUESTION

ANSWER

1

new

2

Val

3

sidewalk

4

box

5

passes on

6

garden

7

family

8

vegetables

Writing

QUESTION

ANSWER

1

Val talks to plants.

2

The dirt gets dry after Val passes on.

3

The plants looks sad after Val passes on.

4

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

5

GM Food

Scientists in a lab looking at plants

Learning Goals

In this chapter, you will learn to:

Hear, read, and write blends with r, l, and t
Copy short sentences
Read common sight words in a paragraph
Answer questions about a story
State an opinion about a reading
Give sentence answers to questions

Talk About It

Have you heard that people in labs make new kinds of fruits and vegetables?
Would you mind eating fruits and vegetables that were made by people in a lab?

Picture Dictionary
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

hard	cold	weather

crop	rain	fruits

sold	change	company

help	bird	test

Practice reading these words without the pictures.
sold	test	fruits	crop
hard	help	weather	rain
bird	change	company	cold

Word Skills

Word Patters

A consonant is any letter that is not a vowel. For example, the letters b, c, d, f, g, h, and j are consonants. A blend is when two consonants go together and each consonant makes a sound.

The letters dr in drip are a blend.

https://pixabay.com/en/water-drip-drop-blue-macro-90781/

The letters dr in drip are a blend.

Read these words. Underline the blend. The first one is done for you.

1. clap	2. frog	3. step

4. plum	5. drum	6. stop

7. club	8. crib	9. star

10. flag	11. crab	12. stem

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Practice reading these words without the pictures.
crab	star	club
stem	plum	clap
step	flag	crib
frog	stop	drum

Your instructor will read these words to you. Underline the blend in each word. You will see these words in the story.
crop	fruit	grow
dry	stay	cold
sold	test

Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, and question marks correctly.

Stop the car.

Do not step on the bug.

We put up a flag.

He hit the drum.

Was she bitten by a crab?

Ask your instructor to check your work.

Use Your Reading Skills

Listen to GM Food. Then read GM Food in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/?p=59#audio-59-1

Check Your Understanding

Does each sentence say something good or bad about GM food?

1. GM food can grow in cold weather.	good	bad
2. GM food may kill bugs we need, like butterflies.	good	bad
3. GM food may make birds sick.	good	bad
4. GM food can stop bugs from eating it.	good	bad
5. GM food may make people sick.	good	bad
6. There have not been many tests on GM food.	good	bad
7. GM food may grow in dry land in Africa.	good	bad
8. GM food can stay good longer.	good	bad

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

9. Do you think farmers should grow GM food? Use the underlined words to help form your answer.

____________________________________________________

Ask your instructor to check your work.

Writing

Grammar Rule

You can use words from a question to form an answer.

Question: Why is farming a hard job?

Answer: Farming is a hard job because cold weather can kill your crops.

Two things changed from the question to the answer:

is farming changed to farming is
because was used

Answer this question in three more ways.

Why is farming a hard job?

1. _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Writing Task

Have you ever visited a farm? Or have you ever visited a farmers’ market? Tell your instructor about your visit. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.

When you are done, read your story.

Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
Are you missing any words?

Answer Key
Word Patterns
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	clap
2	frog
3	step
4	plum
5	drum
6	stop
7	club
8	crib
9	star
10	flag
11	crab
12	stem
Check Your Understanding
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	good
2	bad
3	bad
4	good
5	bad
6	bad
7	good
8	good
Writing
(Any three of the sentences below are correct.)
Farming is a hard job because bugs can eat your crops.
Farming is a hard job because weeds can hurt your crops.
Farming is a hard job because your crops may need more rain than they get.
Farming is a hard job because fruits and vegetables can go bad before they are sold.

6

Tomatoes

A handful of tomatoes

Learning Goals

In this chapter, you will learn to:

Hear, read, and write words with digraphs (sh, th, ch, and ck)
Copy short sentences
Read common sight words in a paragraph
Answer questions about a story
State an opinion about a reading
Name some common symbols

Talk About It

What foods can be made with tomatoes?
What is your favourite food that can be made with tomatoes?

Picture Dictionary
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

South America	Europe	doctor

world	sauce	soup

juice	salsa	ketchup

leaf	stem	space

fight	Spain	taste

Practice reading these words without the pictures.
doctor	sauce	leaf	taste	fight
juice	soup	world	stem	Europe
South America	Spain	space	ketchup	salsa

Word Skills

Word Patterns

A digraph is when two letters together make one sound. Here are some common digraphs.
sh like in ship
ch like in chin
th like in thumb
ck like in sock

Say what is in the picture. What digraph is in each word?

1	2	3
sh ch th ck	sh ch th ck	sh ch th ck
4	5	6
sh ch th ck	sh ch th ck	sh ch th ck
7	8	9
sh ch th ck	sh ch th ck	sh ch th ck

How many sounds do you hear in these words?
10	mop	3
11	sun	_______
12	web	_______
13	fish	_______
14	lock	_______
15	crab	_______
16	stop	_______

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, question marks, and exclamation marks correctly.

Get in the bath.

The fish is wet.

Do not lock me in!

I cut my chin.

Ask your instructor to check your work.

Use Your Reading Skills

Listen to Tomatoes. Then read Tomatoes in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/?p=61#audio-61-1

Check Your Understanding

Answer these questions. Use the underlined words from the question to form your answer.

1. Who used to tell people that tomatoes would make them sick?

____________________________________________

2. What part of the tomato plant will make people sick?

____________________________________________

3. What place has a big tomato fight every year?

____________________________________________

4. Why do farms pick tomatoes before they are ripe?

____________________________________________

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Writing

Grammar Rule

This is how to write an address:

639 Sun Street
Golden, British Columbia V0A 1H0

Write your address on the lines below.

_______________________________________

Ask your instructor to check your work.

Match the word with the correct symbol.

equals	dollars	and
at	plus

&	$	+	=	@
1. _____	2. _____	3. _____	4. _____	5. _____

Fill in the blank with the correct symbol.

6. The bill came to ___ 10.00.

7. My email is tim___gmail.com.

8. Kim ___ Sam got a cat.

9. One ___ one = two.

10. Two + two ___ 4.

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Writing Task

Think of a food you like to make using tomatoes. Tell your instructor how you make this food. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.

When you are done, read your story.

Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
Are you missing any words?

Answer Key
Word Skills
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	fish, sh
2	rock, ck
3	duck, ck
4	chip, ch
5	bath, th
6	cheese, ch
7	sheep, sh
8	three, th
9	lock, ck
10	3
11	3
12	3
13	3
14	3
15	4
16	4
Check Your Understanding
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	Doctors used to tell people that tomatoes would make them sick.
2	A tomato leaf or stem will make people sick.
3	Spain has a big tomato fight every year.
4	Farms pick tomatoes before they are ripe because they last longer this way.
Writing
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	and
2	dollars
3	plus
4	equals
5	at
6	$
7	@
8	&
9	+
10	=

7

Grow Your Own Tomatoes

Tomato plants growing in pots on an apartment balcony

Learning Goals

In this chapter, you will learn to:

Hear, read, and write words with short vowels
Copy short sentences
Read common sight words in a paragraph
Answer questions about a story
State an opinion about a reading
Complete sentences by adding a word

Talk About It

Do you have any plants? What kind?
What is good about growing your own food?

Picture Dictionary

Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.


potting soil	warm	window

hour	tie	stick

colour	bottom

Practice reading these words without the pictures.

hour	stick	bottom	colour
window	warm	potting soil	tie

Word Skills

Word Patterns

You have learned to read these vowel sounds:

a says /a/ like apple

e says /e/ like Expo

i says /i/ like itch

o says /o/ like octopus

u says /u/ like up

You will see these short vowel words in the story. Read each word. Listen to the short vowel sound. Sort it in the list below.

pot	big	sun	wet	bit
yet	top	add	pack	pick

/a/ like apple

/e/ like Expo

/i/ like itch

/o/ like octopus

/u/ like up

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Can you think of more short vowel words? Add your words to the chart.

Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, and question marks correctly.

Is the pot hot?

Did you pack yet?

The bug bit me.

Do not pop the zit.

We sat in the sun.

Ask your instructor to check your work.

Use Your Reading Skills

Listen to Grow Your Own Tomatoes. Then read Grow Your Own Tomatoes in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/?p=63#audio-63-1

Check Your Understanding

sun

ripe

pot

seed

wet

Fill the _____________ with soil.
Put a _____________ in the soil.
Add water. Keep the soil _____________.
Put the pot by a window with lots of _____________.
Pick the tomatoes when they are _____________.

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Writing Task

Have you ever picked fruit, such as berries, in a field, forest, or orchard? Tell the story to your instructor. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.

When you are done, read your story.

Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
Are you missing any words?

Answer Key

Word Skills

/a/ like apple

/e/ like Expo

/i/ like itch

/o/ like octopus

/u/ like up

add

pack

wet

yet

bit

big

pick

top

pot

sun

Check Your Understanding

QUESTION

ANSWER

1

pot

2

seed

3

wet

4

sun

5

ripe

8

Canada's Tallest Tree

A person stands in a forest surrounded by tall trees

Learning Goals

In this chapter, you will learn to:

Hear, read, and write words with long vowels
Copy short sentences
Read common sight words in a paragraph
Answer questions about a story
Give sentence answers to questions

Talk About It

Have you ever gone for a hike? Where?
Do you have a favourite forest to walk in?

Picture Dictionary
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

hunt	Vancouver Island	logger

path	forest	tall

awe	park	risk

down

Practice reading these words without the pictures.
forest	awe	down	hunt	tall
risk	Vancouver Island	logger	park	path

Word Skills

Word Patterns

Many words end in e. The e is silent but can make the first vowel in the word say its name.

cap	cape
kit	kite
rob	robe

Match the word to the picture.

rake	dime	nose	cake
nine	home	rice	gate


1. _____________	2. _____________	3. _____________

4. _____________	5. _____________	6. _____________

7. _____________	8. _____________

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

You will see these words in the story. Practice reading them.

name	like	made
take	more	save

Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, question marks, and exclamation marks correctly.

Meg has nine cats.

Lock the gate.

What is your name?

Save me!

Can I have more cake?

Ask your instructor to check your work.

Use Your Reading Skills

Listen to Canada’s Tallest Tree. Then read Canada’s Tallest Tree in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/?p=65#audio-65-1

Check Your Understanding

Answer these questions. Use the underlined words to help you form a sentence.

1. Where is Canada’s tallest tree?

___________________________________________________

2. How tall is Canada’s tallest tree?

___________________________________________________

3. Who was the first person to find Canada’s tallest tree?

___________________________________________________

4. What did the forest with Canada’s tallest tree become?

___________________________________________________

5. What are many of BC’s old forests at risk of?

___________________________________________________

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Writing Task

Think of a time something in nature filled you with awe, or made you feel amazed. Tell the story to your instructor. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.

When you are done, read your story.

Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
Are you missing any words?

Answer Key
Word Skills
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	rice
2	dime
3	gate
4	home
5	rake
6	nose
7	nine
8	cake
Check Your Understanding
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	Canada’s tallest tree is on Vancouver Island.
2	Canada’s tallest tree is 314 feet tall.
3	A logger was the first person to find Canada’s tallest tree.
4	The forest with Canada’s tallest tree is now a park.
5	Many of BC’s old forests are at risk of being cut down.

9

Arctic Plants

Small, yellow Arctic poppies growing on a rocky surface

Learning Goals

In this chapter, you will learn to:

Identify rhyming words
Copy short sentences
Read common sight words in a paragraph
Answer questions about a story
Give sentence answers to questions
Give an opinion on a reading

Talk About It

Would you ever want to go to the arctic? Why or why not?

Picture Dictionary
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

arctic	beautiful	winter

dark	summer	ice

water	heat	together

wind	willow	poppy

bright

Practice reading these words without the pictures.
beautiful	dark	winter	wind	willow
bright	heat	together	water	summer
arctic	ice	poppy

Word Skills

Word Patterns

Two words rhyme when the endings sound the same. For example, these words rhyme:

car and bar
net and jet
fill and hill
pot and rot
nut and cut

Find the words that rhyme. The first one is done for you.

~~sun~~	land	try	~~run~~	mice
lot	ice	hand	sky	dot

1. sun run

2. ______________ ______________

3. ______________ ______________

4. ______________ ______________

5. ______________ ______________

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, and question marks correctly.

The mice hid in the hole.

Do you like this dish?

Do not slip on the ice.

Can we chat?

We had a lot of fun.

Ask your instructor to check your work.

Use Your Reading Skills

Listen to Arctic Plants. Then read Arctic Plants in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/?p=67#audio-67-1

Check Your Understanding

Answer these questions. Use the underlined words to form a sentence.

1. How long does summer in the arctic last?

___________________________________________________

2. What plant adds a bit of heat to the ground so other plants can grow?

___________________________________________________

3. What do the plants do to last in the cold wind?

___________________________________________________

4. Why is the arctic willow different from other trees?

___________________________________________________

5. What does the arctic poppy always face?

___________________________________________________

6. What plant do you like best?

___________________________________________________

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Writing Task

Think of a time when you had to be strong and brave. Tell the story to your instructor. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.

When you are done, read your story.

Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
Are you missing any words?

Answer Key
Word Skills
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	sun, run
2	land, hand
3	try, sky
4	mice, ice
5	lot, dot
Check Your Understanding
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	Summer in the arctic lasts for just a few weeks.
2	Arctic moss adds a bit of heat to the ground so other plants can grow.
3	Plants stay together to last in the cold wind.
4	The arctic willow is different from other trees because it grows on its side.
5	The arctic poppy always faces the sun.
6	Answers will vary.

Version	Date	Change	Details
1.00	November 3, 2015	Book published.
1.01	September 28, 2018	The following changes were part of a project to standardize BCcampus-published books.	Added additional publication information Updated copyright information Renamed “About the book” to “About BCcampus Open Education” and updated the content Added a Versioning History page Updated tables to fix formatting issues
1.02	June 11, 2019	Updated the book’s theme.	The styles of this book have been updated, which may affect the page numbers of the PDF and print copy.
1.03	March 26, 2020	Updated textbox styles.

BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 1

BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 1

Contents

About BCcampus Open Education

Acknowledgments

Notes to the Instructor

Sweetgrass

Talk About It

Picture Dictionary

Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

Practice reading the words without the pictures.

Word Skills

Match the word to the picture.

Match the word to the picture.

Pick the word that matches the picture.

Read these sentences. Practice writing them.

Use Your Reading Skills

Check Your Understanding

Circle yes if the sentence is right. Circle no if the sentence is wrong.

Writing

Below are all the letters of the alphabet. They are in lower case. Write each letter in upper case. The first one is done for you.

Answer Key

A New Flower

Talk About It

Picture Dictionary

Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

Practice reading these words without the pictures.

Word Skills

Match each word to a picture.

Match each word to a picture.

Pick the word that matches the picture.

Read these sentences. Practice writing the words. Begin with an upper case letter.

Use Your Reading Skills

Check Your Understanding

Writing

Below are all the letters of the alphabet. They are in upper case. Write each letter in lower case. The first one is done for you.

Answer Key

The Sack Garden

Talk About it

Picture Dictionary

Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

Practice reading these words without the pictures.

Word Skills

Match each word to a picture.

Match each word to a picture.

Pick the word that matches the picture.

Read these sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters correctly. Use periods and question marks correctly.

Use Your Reading Skills

Check Your Understanding

Are these sentences true? Circle yes or no.

Writing

Write your full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.

Find a classmate. Write their full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.

Find another classmate. Write their full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.

Answer Key

Val's Garden

Talk About It

Picture Dictionary

Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

Practice reading these words without the pictures.

Word Skills

1. Fill in this chart.

How many do you see?

Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, and question marks correctly.

Use Your Reading Skills

Check Your Understanding

Fill in the blanks with the right word or words.

Writing

Answer the questions. Use the underlined words to form your answer.

4. Write all the letters of the alphabet in order. Use lower case letters.

Answer Key

GM Food

Talk About It

Picture Dictionary

Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.

Practice reading these words without the pictures.

Word Skills

Read these words. Underline the blend. The first one is done for you.

Practice reading these words without the pictures.

Your instructor will read these words to you. Underline the blend in each word. You will see these words in the story.