Skip to content
ReadRead
Log inFree
+Add a childSwitch reader
Who’s reading?
Grown-ups overview
Invite friendsGive a giftRedeem

Back to all books
Sit Down, Stand Up
Reading level 4 · First sentencesAges 3–5

Sit Down, Stand Up

by ReadRead · 90 sec

Music! Stand up, Bo! Stop! Sit down, Bo! A very first book for very new readers: one short sentence at a time, and a child on the page always sits or stands.

6pop-up spreads
21things to tap
2new words
Words in this book
sitstandbumpdowneveryonehooraymusicstop
Peek inside

Part of Family Shelf

Website price: $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year, 7 days free. Every book, for every child.

About Family ShelfYou can also subscribe on iPhone or iPad. Confirm the App Store price shown in the app; it may vary by region.

Inside the book

Bo, Mei and Sam sit on their little red chairs in the kindergarten music room. Miss Lin plays the piano. Music! Bo stands up and dances. Stop! Bo sits down. Then it is Mei’s turn, and Sam’s. When Teddy tries to sit on his chair… bump! He topples right off, and everyone laughs. Sam helps Teddy stand up again, and at the end of the day everyone sits on the rug for a story.

Miss Lin plays the piano and Bo stands up to dance in Sit Down, Stand Up.
Miss Lin plays the piano and Bo stands up to dance in Sit Down, Stand Up.
Bo, Mei and Sam sit on their little red chairs in the music room, with Teddy on his own chair.
Bo, Mei and Sam sit on their little red chairs in the music room, with Teddy on his own chair.
Bump! Teddy topples off his chair and lands on his back.
Bump! Teddy topples off his chair and lands on his back.
In the golden afternoon, everyone sits on the rug while Miss Lin reads a story.
In the golden afternoon, everyone sits on the rug while Miss Lin reads a story.

The new words in this book

sit

Rest your bottom on a chair or the floor. It comes up 8 times, and every time someone on the page really sits: the children on their little red chairs, Teddy on his chair, and everyone on the story rug.

stand

Get up on your feet, tall and straight. It comes up 7 times: Bo, Mei and Sam jump up to dance when the piano plays, and Sam helps Teddy stand up after his tumble.

Made for children just starting kindergarten, and built on a game they already play there: musical chairs. Each sentence is short (3 to 6 words) and follows one pattern: “Music! Stand up, Mei!” / “Stop! Sit down, Mei!” Only the name changes, so a child can say it with you by the third spread. Every other word is one a 4-year-old already knows, like music, stop, up, down and teddy.

Questions to ask while you read

Pause after each spread and ask one question. There are no right answers; the point is to get your child talking.

  1. 1Who is sitting on the little red chairs?
  2. 2The music is playing! Can you stand up and dance like Bo? The music stopped! Can you sit down fast?
  3. 3What does Mei do when the music plays? Is Mei sitting or standing now?
  4. 4Who stands up to dance this time? Oh no! What happened to Teddy? Who helps Teddy stand up?
  5. 5Tap a friend. Sit or stand? Tap the piano for music!
  6. 6Where does everyone sit for the story? What is the story about?

How hard is this book?

4
Reading level · KFirst sentences

About 50 words, one short sentence at a time, one pattern that repeats.

49words in all
20different words
4.5words per sentence
5longest sentence
More books at this level
Words a child can sound out, by phonics step
Step 1 · short a, i, o43%
Step 2 · all short vowels59%
Step 3 · blends86%
Step 4 · magic e, ee/ai86%
Step 5 · ar/or, oo/ou88%
Step 6 · longer words100%
Grammar in this book
  • Questions × 1Tap! Sit or stand?
  • Commands × 4Stop! Sit down, Bo!
Words that may stop a reader
musiceveryonehooraystoryor
All 16 words, most used first

sit 8 · stand 7 · up 4 · down 3 · music 3 · stop 3 · ha 2 · a · and · bump · everyone · for · hooray · or · story · tap

Names don’t count: the picture shows who it is.

Tips for parents

  • First time: use Read to me and just enjoy the pictures together. It takes about a minute and a half.
  • Play along: stand up on “stand” and sit down on “sit”. Hum a tune for the music pages and stop suddenly.
  • Read it again and pause before “sit” or “stand”, so your child can say it (and do it).
  • On the tap page, tap the piano and see everyone jump up. Tap it again and they all sit down.
Start reading