To the Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3
Evaluation Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Skill Descriptions and Instructional Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Rubric for Open-Response Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Reproducible Graphic Organizers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Credits
Front cover: Bald eagle, saguaro cactus, giraffes: www.photos.com; clownfish:
www.istockphoto.com/redtwiggy; Mt. Rushmore: www.istockphoto.com/
megasquib; open book: www.istockphoto.com/mstay

ISBN 978-0-8454-K1680-8
Copyright © 2007 The Continental Press, Inc.
Excepting the designated reproducible blackline masters, no part of this publi-
cation may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechani-
cal, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission
of the publisher. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
 To the Teacher
This edition of Reading for Comprehension introduces a
new, open format, as well as new high-interest selections, to
enhance the reading experience for students. Photos and art
support the text throughout.
Each passage is followed by five multiple-choice questions
that address the standards for reading identified by all states.
The questions focus on the following skills: recalling details,
using context clues, recognizing the main idea of a passage,
determining the sequence of events, identifying cause-and-effect
relationships, and making valid inferences and drawing conclu-
sions. Each question has four possible choices to give students
experience with the format they will see on state and national
tests.
The sixth item in every lesson invites students to interact
with the text by providing a written response. Students are
expected to write their responses on a separate sheet of paper.
This Teacher’s Guide includes a reproducible evaluation
chart, skill descriptions, instructional strategies, an answer key
for questions in the student book, a rubric for scoring open-
response questions, and reproducible graphic organizers.
The Reading for Comprehension series may be used indi-
vidually, cooperatively by partners, or in a group setting. The
narrative style of the passages promotes literacy by appealing to
older remedial and special-needs students as well as to younger
students reading at the designated level.

Reading for Comprehension—Level A 3

 EVALUATION CHART
Student Name ________________________________________________________________________
Circle the number of each question that the student missed.

Page 5: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 35: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 65: 1 2 3 4 5

Page 7: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 37: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 67: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 9: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 39: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 69: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 11: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 41: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 71: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 13: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 43: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 73: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 15: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 45: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 75: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 17: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 47: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 77: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 19: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 49: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 79: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 21: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 51: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 81: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 23: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 53: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 83: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 25: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 55: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 85: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 27: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 57: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 87: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 29: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 59: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 89: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 31: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 61: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 91: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 33: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 63: 1 2 3 4 5 Page 93: 1 2 3 4 5
Page 95: 1 2 3 4 5

Skills Times Missed

Question 1: Recalling Details _____________

Question 2: Using Context Clues _____________

Question 3: Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage _____________

Question 4: Determining the Sequence of Events _____________

Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships _____________

Recalling Details _____________

Question 5: Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions _____________

Summary

This student has mastered question types _______________________________________________________

This student is having difficulty with question types _____________________________________________

RFC—Level A Copyright © 2007 The Continental Press, Inc. Duplication permitted.

 SKILL DESCRIPTIONS AND
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
The reproducible evaluation chart on the facing page will allow
you to maintain performance records for each student. Use the infor-
mation about problem areas to determine which students need extra
instruction and practice in the reading skills detailed below. The cor-
responding question numbers are noted before each skill description.
Question 6 asks students to write a response. Answers to these
open-response questions will vary greatly. Accept all reasonable
responses and encourage students to explain and justify them.
You may extend any of these writing questions to a topic for a
writing assignment. These questions encourage students to draw
from their own prior knowledge and organize their thoughts into
meaningful responses. For this reason, you might want to collect the
separate pieces of paper on which students have written their
responses and then score them holistically. Holistic evaluation con-
sists of reading a piece quickly and ranking it according to how well
it communicates information. (See the rubric on page 20, which
may serve as a model scoring guide.)

Reading Comprehension Skills

1, 4. Recalling Details
In grades 1 and 2, when children are still working at mastering
letter–sound correspondences and decoding, their minds may be so
occupied with the challenge of word recognition that comprehension
takes a back seat. However, if children are to develop into proficient
readers, they must understand from the beginning that the purpose
of reading is getting meaning from text and remembering what is
read. Remembering details is basic to comprehension, whether a
child is reading a story or a nonfiction text. Without a grasp of
the details, readers cannot recognize or infer the main idea, under-
stand sequence, recognize cause and effect, make inferences, or
draw conclusions.
To recall details, children need to have noted details in a mean-
ingful way in the first place. Teaching children the strategy of asking
questions as they read is an important way to help children attend
to details. When children ask questions of the text, both before and
during reading, the act of reading becomes a search for the answers
to their questions. Asking questions not only gives children a pur-
pose for reading, it also helps them monitor their comprehension. If
they are not finding the answers they seek, they should question
whether it is because the answers are not there or because they are
not understanding what they are reading. Asking questions encour-
ages children to be active and engaged readers who read purposeful-
ly and retain what they read.

Reading for Comprehension—Level A 5

 Teacher Strategies
Asking Questions
The simple practice of asking questions of children as they read is
an easy way to help children understand that comprehension is the
goal of reading. It is particularly useful to draw attention to impor-
tant details in the text. Questioning should take place at natural
pauses in the reading. Ask questions that can be answered by details
in the text or by making connections between details and the child’s
prior knowledge.
Modeling
Teaching children the strategy of asking their own questions of
the text is an important way to help them note and remember
important details. Good readers ask questions before, during, and
after reading to focus their attention and clarify meaning. Model this
process as a way to help children develop their own questioning
strategy while reading.
Read a passage aloud. Think aloud by asking the questions that
occur to you as you read. Your modeling should focus on questions
that can be answered by or inferred from details in the text. Also
include questions that are “wonderings”—for example, “I wonder
why the author included this detail?” or “I wonder if this is going to
be important to the story?” Your modeling should demonstrate how
a good reader’s mind is always thinking and questioning while
reading.
Student Strategies
Partner Reading
Have children engage in partner reading, taking turns reading
passages. After each child reads, the two children should discuss
together what was read. Encourage them to talk about what they
learned and ask questions about why the author included certain
details and what will be important for them to remember. The act of
talking about what was read not only clarifies understanding but
also helps secure facts and information in the memory.

6 Reading for Comprehension—Level A

 Question Chart
You can help children note and remember details and encourage
them to get into the habit of asking questions while reading by hav-
ing them make a question chart as they read. (See graphic organizer
on page 21.) In the left column, they should write the questions and
the “wonderings” that occur to them while reading. In the right col-
umn, they can record the details from the text that helped them
answer the questions.

2. Using Context Clues

In grades 1 and 2, when children are still mastering word
recognition and letter–sound correspondences, the books they read
in a classroom context are typically made up of words that are in
the children’s listening and speaking vocabularies, so they are rarely
required to use context to help them determine word meaning. This
does not mean, however, that using context clues is an unimportant
strategy for children to develop in the early grades. Most of the words
children know were learned from oral context—from listening to the
conversation of adults, their siblings, and peers and from being read
to aloud. Figuring out the meaning of words from oral context is a
strategy that children develop naturally, and it is one that should be
encouraged as they develop as readers.
In the early grades, children use context clues for more than just
determining word meaning. They often rely on context for help with
word recognition. Context helps children distinguish between words
that have very similar spellings—for example, context helps the
reader recognize that the word is house and not horse in this sen-
tence: They lived in a big white house. Context also helps the reader
deal with homographs, helping the reader decide, for instance, how
to pronounce close and know what the word means in each of these
sentences: Sit close to me. Help me close the window.
Context also helps the reader recognize that bark in this
sentence means “tree covering” and not “the sound a dog makes”:
An oak tree’s bark is rough. Instruction in using context clues should
give attention to all the ways children use context to understand
what they read.

Reading for Comprehension—Level A 7

 Teacher Strategies
Present the Strategy
It is important to emphasize with children that what they read
must make sense. If they encounter a word that is confusing, they
need to stop and figure out what the problem is. The context—all the
words around the problem word—can be very helpful in solving the
problem. Present these strategies.
When you come to a word that’s confusing or a word you don’t
know, ask yourself:
• Did I read the word right?
Sometimes the problem is a simple one. You read moose instead
of mouse or band instead of bend. When that happens, the con-
text—the words around the word—lets you know that you
made a mistake. The context can also help you figure out what
the right word is.
• Does the word have more than one meaning?
Some words have more than one meaning. For example, the
context of this sentence tells you if fan is something that moves
air around or someone who really likes someone or something:
Jen is a great tennis fan. There are some words that look exactly
alike but are really different words, with different meanings
and different pronunciations. With these words, too, context
helps you know what the word means and how to pronounce
it. Think about this sentence: The man had a shock of red hair.
Does shock mean “unpleasant surprise” or “thick mass”? How
can you tell?
• Is this a word I don’t know?
Very often you can figure out what an unfamiliar word means
by thinking about what words could take its place to make the
sentence make sense. Consider this sentence: After winning the
game, the team felt merry. If you didn’t know what merry meant,
you could figure it out by thinking about the other words in
the sentence. Then ask yourself, How would a team who won
the game feel? What word or words could take the place of
merry? What does merry mean?
Modeling
After presenting the three questions and strategies, model how
you would use these strategies while reading. Select a text that
allows you to demonstrate how context clues can help you do one or
more of these things: (1) correct a misreading, (2) recognize the cor-
rect meaning of a homograph, or (3) figure out the meaning of an
unfamiliar word. Read the text aloud, stopping to model how to use
context clues to help you deal with particular words.

8 Reading for Comprehension—Level A

 Student Strategies
Use the Strategies
Create a chart that lists the three questions children should ask
when they encounter a confusing or unfamiliar word (see graphic
organizer on page 22):
• Did I read the word right?
• Does the word have more than one meaning?
• Is this a word I don’t know?
Encourage children to ask themselves these questions whenever
they encounter a word that doesn’t seem to make sense or a word
they don’t know.
Cloze Sentences
Cloze sentences can help children develop an awareness of con-
text and how it can provide clues to words and their meanings.
Select sentences from books you are planning to have children read
and write the sentences on the board, omitting one of the important
words. Ask children to guess the missing word. Follow up by talking
about the clues they used to guess the missing word.
3. Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage
Recognizing the main idea is most important when children are
reading informational texts. Recognizing the big ideas gives children
a way to organize the facts they are learning and to focus on the
facts that are most important. This is critical to both comprehension
and retention. If children are not able to pick out the main ideas and
to see how all the other information in the text relates to those main
ideas, informational texts are just a sea of facts—difficult to make
your way through and impossible to remember.
In informational texts written for children in grades 1 and 2, the
main idea of a passage is very often explicitly stated in the first or
last sentence. Teaching children the strategy of looking for the main
idea in either of these two places is a very effective way of introduc-
ing them to the concept of main idea. They will regularly be success-
ful at finding the main idea, and this success will help them
understand the relationship between main idea and supporting
details and will prepare them to infer the main idea when it is not
explicitly stated.
Teacher Strategies
Modeling
Read aloud an informational passage. After reading the passage,
think aloud to identify the main idea. If the main idea is explicitly
stated, tell students how you knew which sentence stated the main
idea. If the main idea is not explicitly stated, think aloud to show
children how you used the information in the passage to infer the
main idea.

Reading for Comprehension—Level A 9

 As you read and identify the main idea in each passage, make a
list of the main ideas. Then think aloud to model how you used
information in the sentences to determine the main idea of the
whole selection.
Mapping
Help children recognize the relationships among the ideas by
modeling how the main idea and supporting details in a passage
can be mapped. (See graphic organizer on page 23.)

Main Idea

Detail Detail Detail Detail

Student Strategies
Partner Reading
Have children read informational texts with a partner, taking
turns reading passages aloud. Encourage them to make a list of the
significant ideas in the passage and use the list to decide what is the
main idea of the whole selection.
Highlighting
Whenever it is possible, let children use highlighters to mark the
main idea in a passage. Remind them that there can be only one
main idea in a passage, so they can highlight only one sentence in
each. If they can find no single sentence in the passage that states
the main idea, have them write what they think the main idea is on
a sticky note and place it in the margin next to what they believe to
be the main idea.

4. Determining the Sequence of Events

Sequence of events is important in many of the texts children
read at this level. Sequence is obviously important in stories. Story
events happen in a certain order, and when recalling story events,
children need to recall them in the order in which they happened.
Sequence is also a major organizational element in many other
kinds of texts children read. Texts that explain how to do something,
texts that tell about something that happened in history, and texts
that explain things that happen in nature all have sequence as their
organizational structure.
An important part of determining the sequence of events is recog-
nizing the connections between events. In many instances, it is cause
and effect that accounts for a pattern of events. Sometimes, however,
sequence of events is simply related to the passage of time or to the
spatial movement of characters—for example, characters taking a
walk and taking a trip. When exploring sequence with children, help
them see how the events are connected and why they follow one
another in the order they do.

10 Reading for Comprehension—Level A

 Teacher Strategies
Signal Words
An important tool for determining the sequence of events is the
ability to recognize words and phrases that signal sequence and time
relationships. Begin by introducing ordinal numbers, which provide
the most obvious clues to time sequence: first, second, third, and so
on. Then present the adverbs that clarify time order and time rela-
tionships: next, then, last, finally, soon, now, before, after. Also, discuss
other words and phrases that place actions and events in time: yes-
terday, last year, in the beginning, a week later, and so on. Create a
classroom chart of all the time signal words and phrases children
encounter in their reading. Group them into ordinal numbers, single
words, and phrases.
Picture Cards
Picture cards that depict events in familiar stories can be very
useful tools for developing children’s awareness of sequence. Begin
by showing the picture cards in order and having children retell the
story. Then scramble the order of the pictures and have children
rearrange them in the correct order. Discuss the connections between
events and explore with children the reasons why the pictures belong
in a particular order.
Student Strategies
Sequence of Events Chart
Teach children how to create a simple flow chart to map
sequence of events. (See graphic organizer on page 24.)

# # #

A chart like this can be used with narrative and informational

texts that present information in chronological order. Impress on
children that the chart takes the form of what they are reading. It
can be as long or as short as it needs to be to accommodate the
events in the story or the steps in a process.
Time Words
Build the children’s awareness of the words and phrases that sig-
nal time and time relationships by encouraging them to keep a list
of the words and phrases that they find in their own reading. Add
their examples to the signal-word chart that was started when you
introduced the concept of signal words. (See Teacher Strategies.)

Reading for Comprehension—Level A 11

 4. Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships
Identifying cause-and-effect relationships is important when
reading both stories and informational text. When reading stories,
the reader needs an awareness of cause and effect to understand why
events happen and why characters do the things they do. When
reading informational text, the reader needs to recognize cause and
effect for similar reasons—to understand such things as natural phe-
nomena (What causes rain?), historic events (Why do we celebrate the
Fourth of July?), and steps in a process (How does a tadpole become a
frog?).
The skill of identifying cause and effect is related both to
sequence of events and to making inferences and drawing conclu-
sions. Very often, time relationships are also causal relationships.
The first event in a sequence causes the next to happen, and that
event causes the next, and so on. Causal relationships are not
always explained explicitly in the text. Often the reader is required
to draw a conclusion about what factors brought about an outcome.
For this reason, identifying cause and effect often involves inferenc-
ing. The reader must combine information provided in the text with
prior knowledge and personal experience to arrive at an understand-
ing of cause and effect.
Teacher Strategies
Make Connections
Identifying cause and effect is often made more difficult for read-
ers in the early grades because of the absence of signal words. The
most common signal word is the conjunction because, which is often
omitted in the interest of limiting sentence length. It is very common
for two sentences that are causally connected to appear as independ-
ent sentences: The cat stood at the door and meowed. No one was home
to play with her or feed her. Linking the two sentences with because
would clarify the causal relationship, but the result would be an
inappropriately long compound sentence.
To help children become accustomed to making the causal links
between sentences in the absence of signal words, create sentence
strips that show pairs of sentences. Select pairs of sentences from
actual books. Some of the pairs should have a cause-and-effect rela-
tionship. Other pairs should not. Invite children to discuss each pair
of sentences and determine which pairs state cause and effect and
which pairs have a different relationship to one another.
Modeling
Read a text aloud to the children. Select one that has plenty of
opportunities to talk about cause-and-effect relationships. As you
read, model identifying cause-and-effect relationships. Think aloud
about the clues—in the text and from your own experience—that
helped you make the causal connections. Also point out any signal
words or language patterns—for example, because, since, so, for, that,
so that—that are used in statements of cause and effect.

12 Reading for Comprehension—Level A

 Student Strategies
Cause-and-Effect Map
Encourage children to map cause and effect as they read. They
should write the cause in a box at the left and the effect in a box at
the right, with an arrow in between showing the connection. (See
graphic organizer on page 25.)
Tell the children that the map can take different forms to fit the
cause-and-effect relationship they encounter in their reading. For
example, if several things came together to cause something, the
map might look like this:

If one cause brought about several consequences, the map might

look like this:

Reading for Comprehension—Level A 13

 Why Chart
Identifying cause and effect, particularly in stories, usually
requires a certain amount of inferencing and thinking about what
caused story events to happen. A Why chart can help children ana-
lyze cause and effect. In the left column of the chart, have children
record important story events. In the right column, have them
explain why each event happened.

What Happened Why It Happened

5. Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions

Making inferences and drawing conclusions both involve going
beyond the text to arrive at an understanding that is not explicitly
stated in the text. When readers make inferences and draw conclu-
sions, they are making connections between what is stated in the
text and their own knowledge and experience. Often when children
have difficulty making valid inferences and drawing conclusions, it
is because they lack the necessary background knowledge about a
topic or they fail to apply that knowledge as they are reading.
Helping children expand their background knowledge is critical
to helping them become active and engaged readers. This cannot be
achieved simply by trying to “build background” just prior to read-
ing a selection. It requires extensive reading aloud from books that
are of interest to children and are at the level of listening compre-
hension but beyond their ability to read on their own. It also requires
the careful selection of books that tap into what they already know
but moves beyond it to expand their knowledge.
Although developing children’s background knowledge requires
more than simply providing relevant facts and information before
reading, there are strategies that you can implement that will help
them think about what they already know about a topic before read-
ing and to access their prior knowledge as they read.
Teacher Strategies
Prior Knowledge Chart
Before children read a text, engage in a brainstorming session in
which they tell you what they already know about a topic. This strat-
egy can be used both for informational texts and stories. For infor-
mational texts, use the main topic of a selection. Ask the children to
share all the facts and information they know about the topic. For a
story, preview the story and identify a spot where children will need
to make an important inference or draw a conclusion. Ask yourself
what background knowledge children will need to use to do this. For
example, if familiarity with cat behavior is required to make an
inference or draw a conclusion, ask children to share their knowl-
edge about cats and what they do.

14 Reading for Comprehension—Level A

 As children share information, record it on the board or on chart
paper to create a list of information about the topic. (See graphic
organizer on page 26.) Then, once you have finished reading the
passage, make a list of new information that the children have
learned. The new information paired with the prior knowledge will
help the students have a more complete picture of the subject matter
at hand.
Thinking Aloud
Modeling your thoughts as you make inferences and draw conclu-
sions is an effective way to show children how to work on these skills.
Select a passage that provides opportunities for inferencing. Read it
aloud to the children, pausing to think aloud—putting together the
facts from the text and from your own knowledge and experience
that allow to you to make an inference or draw a conclusion.
Encourage children to share the ideas that occur to them as they
read aloud or as you read to them. At points in the text where it is
possible and natural to make inferences, ask questions that prompt
the children to think beyond the text and to figure out things that
are not explicitly stated. Such questions might include What does this
make you think of? What do you think the author means? What is this
character like? Encourage children also to make inferences using the
information they find in the pictures.
Student Strategies
Partner Reading
After you have modeled the thought processes involved in mak-
ing inferences and drawing conclusions, have children read with a
partner. Ask them to take turns reading aloud passages from a text
and sharing the thoughts they had as they read. Encourage both the
reader and the listener to tell the inferences they made and the con-
clusions they drew.
Mark the Spot
Give children a supply of small sticky notes and invite them to
use the notes to mark the places in the text where they figured out
something that was not actually stated in the text. Encourage them
to write something on the notes that will help them remember the
inference they made or the conclusion they reached. When children
have completed their reading, work with them one-on-one to review
the spots where they placed their sticky notes. Have them tell you the
inference they made or the conclusion they drew at that point and
what information helped them make that inference or reach that
conclusion.

Reading for Comprehension—Level A 15

 ANSWER KEY

4–5 How do people taste things? 16–17 Do rabbits change color?

1. D (Recalling Details) 1. B (Recalling Details)
2. A (Using Context Clues) 2. B (Using Context Clues)
3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 3. C (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. C (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 4. B (Determining the Sequence of Events)
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
6. Answers will vary. 6. Answers will vary.

6–7 What is the “People’s House”? 18–19 What were covered wagons?
1. B (Recalling Details) 1. C (Recalling Details)
2. B (Using Context Clues) 2. A (Using Context Clues)
3. D (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 3. C (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. C (Recalling Details) 4. D (Recalling Details)
5. A (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 5. A (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
6. Answers will vary. 6. Answers will vary.

8–9 What is a flower? 20–21 What does the sun do?

1. B (Recalling Details) 1. D (Recalling Details)
2. D (Using Context Clues) 2. A (Using Context Clues)
3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. A (Determining the Sequence of Events) 4. C (Determining the Sequence of Events)
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
6. Answers will vary. 6. Answers will vary.

10–11 How do people make music? 22–23 What did Dr. Seuss do?
1. A (Recalling Details) 1. D (Recalling Details)
2. D (Using Context Clues) 2. C (Using Context Clues)
3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. A (Recalling Details) 4. C (Determining the Sequence of Events)
5. B (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 5. D (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
6. Answers will vary. 6. Answers will vary.

12–13 What is a katydid? 24–25 Can bees talk?

1. C (Recalling Details) 1. A (Recalling Details)
2. D (Using Context Clues) 2. A (Using Context Clues)
3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 3. C (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. C (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 4. C (Determining the Sequence of Events)
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
6. Answers will vary. 6. Answers will vary.

14–15 How do dogs help people? 26–27 What is Chinese New Year?
1. B (Recalling Details) 1. D (Recalling Details)
2. B (Using Context Clues) 2. B (Using Context Clues)
3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. D (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 4. A (Recalling Details)
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 5. D (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
6. Answers will vary. 6. Answers will vary.

16 Reading for Comprehension—Level A

28–29 What does wind do? 5. B (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. A (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. B (Using Context Clues)
42–43 Who was Aesop?
3. C (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. B (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 1. B (Recalling Details)
5. B (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. C (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. D (Recalling Details)
30–31 What is a family tree? 5. A (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. B (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. A (Using Context Clues)
44–45 Why do baby teeth fall out?
3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. B (Determining the Sequence of Events) 1. D (Recalling Details)
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. A (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. C (Recalling Details)
32–33 What is hail? 5. A (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. C (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. C (Using Context Clues)
46–47 How old is painting?
3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. B (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 1. D (Recalling Details)
5. D (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. A (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. D (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. B (Determining the Sequence of Events)
34–35 Who was Dr. Jonas Salk? 5. B (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. D (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. B (Using Context Clues)
48–49 What is a sweet pea?
3. C (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. B (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 1. D (Recalling Details)
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. C (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. D (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. C (Recalling Details)
36–37 How are elephants like cats? 5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. B (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. B (Using Context Clues)
50–51 Who is Raffi?
3. C (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. C (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 1. D (Recalling Details)
5. B (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. A (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. D (Determining the Sequence of Events)
38–39 What is Mother’s Day? 5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. C (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. B (Using Context Clues)
52–53 Why do clouds change their shape?
3. D (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. A (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 1. D (Recalling Details)
5. D (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. B (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. A (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships)
40–41 Where do the stars go? 5. B (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. C (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. B (Using Context Clues)
54–55 Who was Nat Love?
3. D (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. C (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 1. C (Recalling Details)
2. B (Using Context Clues)

Reading for Comprehension—Level A 17

 3. D (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 68–69 What is a sun bear?
4. A (Determining the Sequence of Events) 1. A (Recalling Details)
5. B (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. B (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. C (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. D (Recalling Details)
56–57 Are all goldfish gold?
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. C (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. A (Using Context Clues)
3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 70–71 Who was Grandma Moses?
4. C (Recalling Details) 1. C (Recalling Details)
5. B (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. B (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. D (Determining the Sequence of Events)
58–59 Who are school helpers?
5. D (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. A (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. C (Using Context Clues)
3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 72–73 What are blue sheep?
4. A (Recalling Details) 1. C (Recalling Details)
5. D (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. B (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. A (Recalling Details)
60–61 What makes jet airplanes go?
5. D (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. D (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. A (Using Context Clues)
3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 74–75 What is Cinco de Mayo?
4. D (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 1. B (Recalling Details)
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. B (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. D (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. B (Recalling Details)
62–63 Who were the Wright brothers?
5. D (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. C (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. D (Using Context Clues)
3. A (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 76–77 Do hermit crabs have homes?
4. C (Determining the Sequence of Events) 1. A (Recalling Details)
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. C (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. D (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships)
64–65 How do frogs catch food?
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. C (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. D (Using Context Clues)
3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 78–79 What do farmers do?
4. C (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 1. B (Recalling Details)
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. A (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. D (Determining the Sequence of Events)
66–67 Who was Clara Barton?
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
1. C (Recalling Details) 6. Answers will vary.
2. A (Using Context Clues)
3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 80–81 How can you help birds?
4. A (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships) 1. B (Recalling Details)
5. D (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 2. C (Using Context Clues)
6. Answers will vary. 3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. D (Determining the Sequence of Events)

18 Reading for Comprehension—Level A

 5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 90–91 What is America’s bird?
6. Answers will vary. 1. B (Recalling Details)
2. A (Using Context Clues)
82–83 What was Emily Dickinson’s secret?
3. D (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
1. A (Recalling Details) 4. A (Determining the Sequence of Events)
2. D (Using Context Clues) 5. D (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 6. Answers will vary.
4. B (Determining the Sequence of Events)
5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 92–93 Do giraffes make any sounds?
6. Answers will vary. 1. A (Recalling Details)
2. D (Using Context Clues)
84–85 How can you make a kite?
3. C (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
1. D (Recalling Details) 4. A (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships)
2. D (Using Context Clues) 5. C (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
3. C (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 6. Answers will vary.
4. B (Recalling Details)
5. A (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions) 94–95 What is Arbor Day?
6. Answers will vary. 1. C (Recalling Details)
2. A (Using Context Clues)
86–87 What did Billy Mills do?
3. C (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
1. D (Recalling Details) 4. B (Recalling Details)
2. A (Using Context Clues) 5. A (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
3. C (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage) 6. Answers will vary.
4. A (Recalling Details)
5. B (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
6. Answers will vary.

88–89 What is a rainbow?

1. D (Recalling Details)
2. A (Using Context Clues)
3. B (Recognizing the Main Idea of a Passage)
4. D (Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships)
5. A (Making Valid Inferences and Drawing Conclusions)
6. Answers will vary.

Reading for Comprehension—Level A 19

 Rubric for Open-Response Questions
This rubric may be used for scoring the open-response (writing) questions.

1 — Not Competent
• Student made no attempt to write.
• Writing is illegible.
• Content is incomprehensible.

2 — Marginally Competent
• Student did not write on topic.
• Student wrote partially in another language.
• Language skills are grossly lacking.
• Student may write only a single sentence.

3 — Acceptable
• Student wrote on topic.
• Sentence structure may be weak.
• Vocabulary may be limited.
• Sequence may be illogical.
• The piece may contain extraneous information.

4 — Well Written
• Student wrote on the topic, using basic skills taught at
this level.
• Writing shows use of organizational strategy.
• Vocabulary and sentence structure are good.

5 — Highly Successful
• Writing is consistent, well organized, and well elaborated.
• Writing contains rich detail and varied word choices.
• Writing shows creativity.
• Writing shows excellent basic skills appropriate for grade.

20 Reading for Comprehension—Level A

 Question Chart
In the left column, write the questions and the “wonderings” that occur to you while
you read. In the right column, write the details from the text that helped you answer
the questions.

Question Details I Used to Answer It

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

RFC—Level A Copyright © 2007 The Continental Press, Inc. Duplication permitted.

 Words in Context Chart
Write down the word you might not know in the left column and ask yourself the
questions below. Then write down what you think the word means in the right
column.

• Did I read the word right?

• Does the word have more than one meaning?

• Is this a word I don’t know?

Word You Are Not Sure You Know What You Think It Means

RFC—Level A Copyright © 2007 The Continental Press, Inc. Duplication permitted.

 Main Idea Map
Name:________________________________________________________ Date:__________________

Title:_________________________________________________________________________________

Detail Detail Detail

Main Idea

Detail Detail Detail

Main Idea

Detail Detail Detail

Main Idea

RFC—Level A Copyright © 2007 The Continental Press, Inc. Duplication permitted.

 Sequence of Events Chart
Name:________________________________________________________ Date:__________________

Title:_________________________________________________________________________________

As you read a passage, write down what happens in the order the
events occur.

#
#
#
#
#

RFC—Level A Copyright © 2007 The Continental Press, Inc. Duplication permitted.

 Cause-and-Effect Map
Name:________________________________________________________ Date:__________________

Title:_________________________________________________________________________________

Cause Effect
(Why It Happens) (What Happens)

RFC—Level A Copyright © 2007 The Continental Press, Inc. Duplication permitted.

 Prior Knowledge Chart
Name:________________________________________________________ Date:__________________

Subject:______________________________________________________________________________

Prior Knowledge About New Knowledge About

(fill in after reading a passage)

RFC—Level A Copyright © 2007 The Continental Press, Inc. Duplication permitted.

ISBN 0-8454-K1680-4

97808454K16808