ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Awnie's House ???? Kids Book Read Aloud: THE DAY PUNCTUATION CAME TO TOWN by Kimberlee Gard and Sandie Sonke
Hello, my reading friends! I’m so happy you’re here to read with me. Today, we have a fun story about a new family in town called the Punctuations. They join the letters at school to make words. But Comma feels like he doesn’t fit in. Let’s find out what happens in “The Day Punctuation Came to Town.”
A new family moved to Alphabet City: the Punctuations! Exclamation Point was super excited about their first day at school. “Let’s hurry!” he shouted. “I can’t wait to get there! We’re going to have so much fun!”
Question Mark was curious. “Do you think everyone will be nice? Are we going the right way?” Period was there to help. “Let’s go! I’ll tell you when to stop,” she said. Comma was a little slower. “Wait for me, please!” he called.
When they got to school, Exclamation Point said, “Hi, everyone!” The little letters were surprised. “Who are you?” they asked. “You don’t look like letters.”
“We’re not letters,” Exclamation Point explained. “We’re the punctuation family!”
“The punctuation?” The letters were confused. “I’m Exclamation Point, and this is Question Mark, Comma, and Period. We love being around words,” he said.
The Punctuations joined the class. The letters worked hard to make words. Exclamation Point added excitement, Question Mark asked questions, and Period helped end sentences neatly.
But Comma felt left out. “The letters love making words, but I just get in the way,” he thought. Feeling sad, Comma snuck out the door.
Inside, Exclamation Point was making everything exciting. The letters were busy making words, but soon, everything got jumbled up. Period tried to stop them, but the letters tripped and fell into a big pile!
Comma saw the mess and felt surprised. The letters were all tangled up!
Exclamation Point, Question Mark, and Period ran to help. “What are you doing out here?” Question Mark asked Comma.
“I didn’t think anyone wanted me around,” Comma said. “I just slow everything down.”
“Without you, things become a disaster,” Exclamation Point said, pointing to the pile. Period nodded. “Slowing things down is your job, and words need you,” Question Mark added.
“We all have a job to do,” Exclamation Point said. “I add excitement, and Question Mark asks questions.”
The Punctuations helped the letters back into the classroom. When the letters began making words again, Comma stood proudly in the middle. “Yes, please!” he said.
The letters were curious. “What are you doing?” they asked.
“It’s my job,” Comma explained. “I help keep things in order. Words need punctuation, and punctuation needs words.”
“Snack time! Let’s eat, letters!” Comma learned that he belongs in lots of different places.
I hope you enjoyed our story today! See you next time!
Punctuation Hunt: Take a walk around your classroom or home and look for punctuation marks in books, signs, or labels. Can you find a period, comma, question mark, or exclamation point? Draw or write down where you found each one. Discuss with a friend or family member why that punctuation mark is used there.
Sentence Building Game: Use word cards to create simple sentences. Once you have your sentence, add punctuation cards like a period, comma, question mark, or exclamation point to see how the sentence changes. For example, “Let’s eat, Grandma!” vs. “Let’s eat Grandma!” Notice how the comma changes the meaning. Share your sentences with the class and explain why you chose each punctuation mark.
Punctuation Role Play: Pretend to be different punctuation marks. How would you act if you were a period, comma, question mark, or exclamation point? Create a short play with your classmates where each of you is a different punctuation mark. Show how you help the letters make sentences. Discuss how each punctuation mark helps in making the sentence clear and fun.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Hello, my fun-loving reading friends! It’s Annie. I’m so glad you came to read with me. Did you know there’s now an official Annie’s House website? Check it out at annieshouse.com!
Alright, are you ready for a story? There’s a new family in town, the Punctuations. When they join the other letters at school, they form all kinds of important words. But Comma doesn’t seem to know where he belongs; he just seems to get in the way. Is he really important? Let’s find out as we read “The Day Punctuation Came to Town.” If you have a copy, go get it so you can read along with me.
[Music]
“The Day Punctuation Came to Town,” written by Kimberly Guard and illustrated by Sandy Sankey.
A new family moved to Alphabet City: the Punctuations. Exclamation Point led the way to their first day at a new school. “Let’s hurry!” he exclaimed. “I can’t wait to get there! We’re going to have so much fun!” Exclamation Point was always excited about something.
Question Mark wondered what it would be like. “Do you think everyone will be nice? Are we going the right way? Should we ask for directions?” Period followed, bringing the line to a close. “Let’s go! I’ll tell you when to stop,” Comma kept pausing. “Wait for me, please!”
When they walked into school, Exclamation Point burst forward. “Hi, everyone!” The little letters stared. “Who are you?” they asked. “You don’t look like letters.”
“We’re not letters,” Exclamation Point explained. “We’re the punctuation family.”
“The punctuation?” The letters were confused. “I’m Exclamation Point, and this is Question Mark, Comma, and Period. We’re different from letters, but we love being around words.”
The Punctuations joined the class. The letters worked to make words. Exclamation Point, Question Mark, and Period joined in the fun. Wow! Exclamation Point added excitement to words, Question Mark asked a lot of questions, and Period brought each sentence to a tidy end.
Oh no! Comma tried not to get stepped on and fit in wherever he could. As the day wore on, Comma began to feel smaller and smaller. “The letters love making words, but I just get in the way,” he whispered to himself. “No one wants me here.”
When no one was looking, Comma snuck out the door. “Go hooray! Do you see what I see, reading friends? It looks like the H left the word ‘Y’ to go join the word ‘hooray!’ Yay!”
Inside the classroom, Exclamation Point was creating a great deal of excitement. The letters were cheering and hurrying to make words. “Shouldn’t we quiet down?” Question Mark asked, but no one heard her over the noise. The letters kept making words faster and faster. Soon, words were everywhere; they all became jumbled.
Period hurried to stop them, but the letters tripped over her and collided with a thundering crash. The letters fell one after another until they all tumbled through the door, spilling into the hall. Comma stared in shock; the letters were piled, the words all tangled.
Exclamation Point, Question Mark, and Period ran into the hallway. They saw the heap of letters and then they saw Comma. “What are you doing out here?” Question Mark asked.
“I didn’t think anyone wanted me around,” Comma said. “I just slow everything down.”
“Without you, things become a disaster,” Exclamation Point said, pointing to the pile of letters and words. Period nodded. “Slowing things down is your job, and words need you. Didn’t you know? When we’re with words, we all have a job to do,” Question Mark asked.
“I add excitement,” Exclamation Point burst out. “I have a question,” Question Mark asked. “That’s what I’m here for,” he put in.
“We’re the punctuation family, and we all work together.”
The Punctuations helped the letters back into the classroom. When the letters began making words again, Comma stood right in the middle. “Yes, please!” The letters looked confused. “What are you doing?”
“It’s my job,” Comma said. “From now on, I’ll help keep things in order.”
The letters asked how. It was Comma’s turn to explain. “We all work together. Words need punctuation, and punctuation needs words.”
“Snack time! Let’s eat, letters!” Comma learned that he belongs in lots of different places.
I hope you enjoyed our story today! See you next time!
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This version removes any informal or unclear language while maintaining the essence of the story.
