A Traditional Children's Song ReadOasis Step 1 This old man, he played one, He played knick knack with his thumb, With a *knick, knack, paddy whack, Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home. This old man, he played two, He played knick knack with my... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 How do you do big, easy reading? Well first, what is “easy”? Here’s where people make a big mistake. They think knowing 70% or 80% of the words in a story is easy. But in just 4 pages, 80% = 200 unknown words! That’s way too... Read more
Sincerely, Ben Franklin
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedStep 1StoriesTimes July 11, 2019 0
ReadOasis Step 1 Cana Short Hello there. My name is Benjamin Franklin, and I'm 17 years old. I work at a printing shop here in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. But I have only been here for a few weeks. Before coming to Philadelphia, I lived in Boston, Massachusetts. That's where I... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 It was a normal day in the month of May. The morning was warm. The sun rose with a soft light. The sky was clear. The air was very still. There was no wind. Everyone thought, "What a beautiful day!" Then, the light of the sun... Read more
A Feel for English
A2-Beginner+BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsIdeasListen!ProtectedStep 1Stories July 9, 2019 0
ReadOasis Step 1 The boy was stressed. On his desk stood a tower of books. “I must study more,” he said. “Only three days till the test.” Again, he took his list of words and rules and studied all night long. The girl sat in an easy chair. She... Read more
Two Men and a Bear (Step 1)
A2-Beginner+BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedStep 1StoriesStory July 5, 2019
By Aesop Retold by ReadOasis ReadOasis Step 1 Two men were walking together through the woods. As they walked, they enjoyed the smell of flowers and the songs of birds in the air. But then suddenly, everything became quiet. The men looked around, feeling that something bad was about... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 Little Willie was born into hard times. On October 29, 1929, the American economy went bad. It was called Black Tuesday. Many people lost all their money. By Willie’s day of birth in 1933, around 25% of Americans had lost their jobs. People were hopeless, poor,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 They wanted to make a new kind of machine. It was something that had never been made before. They needed a new kind of engine. But no one would build it for them, so they built it themselves. They needed new information, so they did thousands... Read more
Little Brothers of the Air (Step 1)
A2-Beginner+BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedStep 1StoriesTimes July 1, 2019
ReadOasis Step 1 Many years ago, there was a man named Francis. He lived in a small town in Italy. Francis was kind and loving. He loved animals, especially birds. He called the birds his little brothers of the air. He wanted to protect them and take care of... Read more
How to Know if a Book’s Level is Right for You
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedStep 1StoriesStyles June 27, 2019 6
By Randall Short ReadOasis Step 1 At ReadOasis, you can read lots of short stories. Short stories are great because you can read to the end without stopping. You may keep on reading even if the words are difficult and the story is hard to understand. You know that... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 By Aesop There once was a bad dog. He would run after people and try to eat them without any warning. He was a great trouble to everyone who came to his owner's house. So his owner put a bell around his neck so that people... Read more
A Definition of Health (New Version)
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedSciencesStep 1Stories June 26, 2019
ReadOasis Step 1 A doctor was checking an older woman. When he finished, he told her this: “You’re in good health. You’ll live to be 80.” “But doctor,” the woman said, “I am 80 right now.” With a smile, the doctor answered, “See, what did I tell you?” This... Read more
Knowledge and Freedom
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsIdeasListen!ProtectedStep 1StoriesStyles June 25, 2019 8
ReadOasis Step 1 Be careful of the man who really knows how to be a fool. Alec Fronimites Knowledge is power. Through science, we have learned to fly. We make medicine and build great cities. We use the power of nature. And we fill our cities with energy. Through... Read more
By Maria Sonora ReadOasis Step 1 Geisha are traditional performing artists from Japan. These women are good at various Japanese arts, such as traditional music, dancing, and song. The word "geisha" comes from Chinese words that mean "art" (GEI) and "person" (SHA). So "geisha" actually means "artist." In the... Read more
He Carried the Bird (Step 3)
A2-Beginner+BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedStep 1StoriesStory June 23, 2019
ReadOasis Step 3 John Marshall by Henry Inman It was a cool morning in the city of Richmond, Virginia. The streets started to fill up with people. They were going in and out of shops, doing their morning shopping. An old man went into the market to buy something.... Read more
The Science of Painful Words (Step 1)
A2-Beginner+BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedSciencesStep 1Stories June 20, 2019
ReadOasis Step 1 "If you cut me, I may bleed. But your words can't touch me. I'm too strong." This sounds powerful. But is it true? Are words just words? The answer is "no." Bad words are dangerous just like a knife. Unkind words make children unhappy. They cause... Read more
The Way of Green Tea (Step 1)
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedStep 1StoriesStyles June 19, 2019 7
Zoe Nova (simplifying Mahalo.com) ReadOasis Step 1 People have been drinking green tea for about 5,000 years. Green tea came from China. And today it is produced mainly in China and Japan. Green tea is different from other kinds of tea. The leaves are not processed much. So green... Read more
A Simple Recipe for Learning English
A2-Beginner+BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsListen!PublicStep 1StoriesStylesTop Picks June 19, 2019 2
ReadOasis Step 1 To learn English, we need words. Most English native speakers know between 12,000 and 20,000 words. Shakespeare used 31,534 words. And he probably knew more. How many words do you know? Naomi knows 95% of the words in Alice in Wonderland. She understands it without a... Read more
Adapted from Mahalo.com ReadOasis Step 1 Mary and Joe are from Portland, Oregon. They are both sixteen years old, and they have many friends. But when they go to college, they may have to leave their home, family, and friends. Mary likes the arts, especially music. And Joe likes... Read more
Driving Motivation (Step 1)
A2-Beginner+BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedSciencesStep 1Stories June 11, 2019
ReadOasis Step 1 Doctor Harlow made a game. On a box, he put a lock. To open the box, you had to open the lock. When the game was ready, Harlow didn't give it to children. He gave it to monkeys. Then he watched what happened. Within days, the... Read more