Grandma gives Ada one speckled seed that takes its time. While her friend’s beans pop up, Ada waters, sings and worries—until she discovers what her seed has been doing underground all along.
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About this story
Grandma gives Ada one speckled seed that “takes its time.” While Theo’s beans sprout next door, Ada’s soil stays bare. She waters too much, sings to the seed and worries through a stormy night, and she almost digs it up for a peek, until a worm shows her the roots already reaching down underground. The seed grows into a sunflower taller than Ada, and she shares its seeds.
What children can explore
How a seed sprouts: roots grow down while the shoot pushes up
Why plants need water, but not a flood
Waiting is easier when you know something is happening, even when you can’t see it
Talk about it after reading
Why did Grandma say the seed needed “a drink, not a flood”?
What was the seed doing while Ada couldn’t see anything?
What have you had to wait for? How did it feel when it finally happened?
Free printable activity sheet
A coloring page, a word find, the questions above and a drawing box, with an answer key. 3 pages, US Letter (prints fine on A4).
Follow the narration as each word lights up, or turn off the narrator and read at your own pace. Touch the pop-up scenes to see the characters and objects react. Switch the reading language from the language menu in the reader.
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