Reading the story with your Child
d
Allow your child to read this story to you. If your child does not understand a word or is unable to pronounce it, please assist him/ her by defining or providing the correct pronunciation of the word. Let your child repeat the word a few times. Listen for the correct pronunciation of beginning, middle, and ending sounds.

At the end of the story, ask your child a few questions about the story’s plot. Or, have your child retell the story in his/ her own words. Then, have your child click the "comprehension quiz" button.

"The Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr."
January 15, 1929


R

artin Luther King, Jr., was a famous American civil rights leader. He was also a Baptist minister, and he was stoned and put in jail for practicing what he preached.
1

Dr. King preached that people must learn to live together. He preached that people should not judge others by the color of their skin. He preached that violence is bad.
1
In 1964, Dr. King and his family traveled to Norway. He was, at that time, the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace prize-- one of the highest of honors.
 1
Four years later, on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated. Lyndon Johnson, the President of the United States, declared a national day of mourning. At Dr. King's funeral, the casket was placed on an open farm wagon. A team of mules pulled the wagon through the streets of Atlanta, Georgia, where Dr. King was born in 1929.
1

Carved on Martin Luther King's gravestone are the words from a spiritual hymn. Dr. King used these words in a speech he made in Washington, D.C., in 1963. More than two hundred thousand people had gathered to show their belief that all people have the same rights. Speaking to the huge crowd, Martin Luther King said, "Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, We are free at last."

Free at last!