Barrett's Taxonomy

NEW HORIZONS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Teachers Guide Manual for

Formulating Reading
Comprehension Questions
Samuel S. Myers, Literacy Specialist

Jurez & Associates, Inc.
Laurel Brent-Harris, Literacy Specialist

Ministry of Education, Youth & Culture
The New Horizons for Primary Schools (NHP) is a seven-year, joint initiative
of the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) and the United States Agency
for International Development (USAID)
April 2004
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Teachers Guide Manual for
Formulating Reading
Comprehension Questions
Grades 1 6
Samuel S. Myers
Laurel Brent-Harris
2
Contents
Acknowledgements 4
Introduction 5
The Barrett Taxonomy 8
Applying the Barrett Taxonomy 13
Sample Selection 1, Needing a Friend 16
Application of the Barrett Taxonomy Based on

Needing a Friend 19
Sample Selection 2, Mists of Change 23
Application Exercise Based on Mists of Change 26
Samples of Reading Comprehension Questions 27
GRADE 1 28
GRADE 2 43
GRADE 3 59
GRADE 4 77
GRADE 5 96
GRADE 6 116
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Acknowledgements
We express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Carlis Wolfe-Sittol and Vilma Bryan, NHP
Associates, for the tremendous job they performed in refining and rewriting the Comprehension
questions initially formulated by the teachers during the Cluster Workshops. Their contribution
made our editing and collating tasks, in producing the final product, much easier.
S.M.
L.B-H.
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THE GUIDE MANUAL FOR FORMULATING READING
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
INTRODUCTION
This Teachers Guide Manual is based on your work during literacy cluster workshop activities,
October 2002 to May 2003, involving the New Horizons for Primary Schools.
These workshops emphasized the view that every aspect of reading instruction is directed toward
one primary objective: the childs ability to comprehend what he/she reads. Accordingly, the
overall purpose was to help you develop a clear concept of reading comprehension and to apply
this understanding in the planning of a systematic approach to help children develop the ability
to comprehend what they read.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Different types of information may be derived from reading the same material. For instance, one
may read to find: the main idea; supporting details; or to draw inferences, etc. Since these types
of information represent outcomes of the comprehension process, they will be referred to as
comprehension outcomes.
Comprehension outcomes have been defined and classified in a variety of ways by writers in the
field of reading. You will recall that the system of classification introduced to you in the cluster
workshops was The Taxonomy of the Cognitive and Affective Dimensions of Reading
Comprehension developed by Thomas C. Barrett (1968).
This Taxonomy will again be provided for you in this guide manual and will be referred to in the
application activities in order to provide you with a consistent framework in your development of
comprehension activities. The five categories of the taxonomy (see Barrett Taxonomy) are
organised on the basis of the level of thinking presumably required for students to produce the
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particular comprehension task outcomes - the fifth category represents what is considered to be
the highest level of thinking. Within each category, is a series of task requirements for the
students. You are encouraged to apply these task requirements in helping children improve their
ability to comprehend what they read.
TWO IMPORTANT WAYS IN WHICH THE BARRETTS

TAXONOMY CAN BE USED
To begin with, the Barretts Taxonomy can be used as a basis for developing purposes and
questions for guiding childrens reading. In the second instance it can be used as a tool in
analyzing the questions presented in reading materials in order to determine the types of
comprehension outcomes that are being emphasized.
In using the taxonomy for either of these purposes, a thorough knowledge of the reading
selection upon which questions are based is essential. The teachers preparation for instruction
assumes a special urgency.
The Barretts taxonomy is presented for your review. Worthy of note are the five (5) categories
of comprehension outcomes:
1. Literal Comprehension entailing recognition and recall of ideas and

information explicitly stated in the reading selection,
2. Reorganization dealing with the organizing of ideas and information
explicitly stated,
3. Inferential Comprehension demonstrated by the student when ideas and
information, explicitly stated, are used as the basis for making intelligent
guesses/hypotheses,
4. Evaluation requiring responses, by the students, indicating that an evaluative
judgement has been made, and
5. Appreciation involving all the above cognitive dimensions of reading, and
requiring the students to be aesthetically and emotionally, (affectively) sensitive
to the ideas and information in the reading selection.
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As you did during the cluster workshop, examine carefully the comprehension outcome as well
as the task required by the students to produce the desired outcome.
As a teacher you will always need to seize the opportunity to demonstrate both your
understanding of a specific taxonomy of comprehension outcomes and your ability to apply this
taxonomy in planning activities which focus on increasing your students comprehension ability.
Finally, childrens comprehension ability is affected by the pattern of questions they learn to
anticipate. When your students are given the opportunity to ask questions during Reciprocal
Teaching, they will pattern their questions on the ones you often ask them.
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THE BARRETT TAXONOMY
Cognitive and Affective Dimensions of

Reading Comprehension
1.0 Literal Comprehension. Literal comprehension focuses on ideas and

information which are explicitly stated in the selection. Purposes for
reading and teacher's questions designed to elicit responses at this level
may range from simple to complex. A simple task in literal comprehension
may be the recognition or recall of a single fact or incident. A more
complex task might be the recognition or recall of a series of facts or the
sequencing of incidents in a reading selection. Purposes and questions at
this level may have the following characteristics.
1.1 Recognition requires the student to locate or identify ideas or information
explicitly stated in the reading selection itself or in exercises which use the
explicit ideas and information presented in the reading selection.
Recognition tasks are:
1.11 Recognition of Details. The student is required to locate or identify facts

such as the names of characters, the time of the story, or the place of the
story.
1.12 Recognition of Main Ideas. The student is asked to locate or identify an
explicit statement, in or from a selection, which is a main idea of a
paragraph or a larger portion of the selection.
1.13 Recognition of a Sequence. The student is required to locate or
identify the order of incidents or actions explicitly stated in the
selection.
1.14 Recognition of Comparison. The student is requested to locate or
identify likenesses and differences in characters, time and places that
are explicitly stated in the selection.
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1.15 Recognition of Cause and Effect Relationships. The student in this
instance may be required to locate or identify the explicitly stated
reasons for certain happenings or actions in the selection.
1.16 Recognition of Character Traits. The student is required to identify or
locate explicit statements about a character which help to point out the
type of person he or she is.
1.2 Recall requires the student to produce from memory ideas and information
explicitly stated in the reading selection. Recall tasks are:
1.21 Recall of Details. The student is asked to produce from memory facts
such as the names of characters, the time of the story, or the place of the
story.
1.22 Recall of Main Ideas. The student is required to state a main idea of a
paragraph or a larger portion of the selection from memory, when the
main idea is explicitly stated in the selection.
1.23 Recall of a Sequence. The students is asked to provide from memory
the order of incidents or actions explicitly stated in the selection.
1.24 Recall of Comparisons. The student is required to call up from memory
the likenesses and differences in characters, times, and places that are
explicitly stated in the selection.
1.25 Recall of Cause and Effect Relationships. The student is requested to
produce from memory explicitly stated reasons for certain happenings or
actions in the selection.
1.26 Recall of Character Traits. The student is asked to call up from
memory explicit statements about characters which illustrate the type
of persons they are.
2 Reorganization. Reorganization requires the student to analyze, synthesize, and/or organize

ideas or information explicitly stated in the selection. To produce the desired thought
products, the reader may utilize the statements of the author verbatim or he may paraphrase
or translate the author's statements. Reorganization tasks are:
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2.1 Classifying. In this instance the student is required to place people,
things, places, and/or events into categories.
2.2 0utlining. The student is requested to organize the selection into
outline form using direct statements or paraphrased statements from the
selection.
2.3 Summarizing. The student is asked to condense the selection using direct
or paraphrased statements from the selection.
2.4 Synthesizing. In this instance, the student is requested to
consolidate explicit ideas or information from more than one
source.
3.0 Inferential Comprehension. Inferential Comprehension is demonstrated by the student

when he uses the ideas and information explicitly stated in the selection, his intuition,
and his personal experience as a basis for conjectures and hypotheses. Inferences
drawn by the student may be either convergent or divergent in nature and the student
may or may not be asked to verbalize the rationale underlying his inferences. In
general, then, inferential comprehension is stimulated by purposes for reading and
teachers' questions which demand thinking and imagination that go beyond the printed
page.
3.1 Inferring Supporting Details. In this instance, the student is asked to conjecture
about additional facts the author might have included in the selection which
would have made it more informative, interesting, or appealing.
3.2 Inferring Main Ideas. The student is required to provide the main idea, general
significance, theme, or moral which is not explicitly stated in the selection.
3.3 Inferring Sequence. The student, in this case, may be requested to conjecture
as to what action or incident might have taken place between two explicitly
stated actions or incidents, or he may be asked to hypothesize about what
would happen next if the selection had not ended as it did but had been
extended.
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3.4 Inferring Comparisons. The student is required to infer likenesses and
differences in characters, times, or places. Such inferential comparisons
revolve around ideas such as: "here and there," "then and now," "he and he,"
"he and she," and "she and she."
3.5 Inferring Cause and Effect Relationships. The student is required to
hypothesize about the motivations of characters and their interactions with
time and place. He may also be required to conjecture as to what caused the
author to include certain ideas, words, characterizations, and actions in his
writing.
3.6 Inferring character Traits. In this case, the student is asked to hypothesize
about the nature of characters on the basis of explicit clues presented in the
selection.
3.7 Predicting Outcomes. The student is requested to read an initial portion of
the selection and on the basis of this reading he is required to conjecture
about the outcome of the selection.
3.8 Interpreting Figurative Language. The student, in this instance, is asked to
infer literal meaning from the author's figurative use of language.
4.0 Evaluation. Purposes for reading and teacher's questions, in this instance,
require responses by the student which indicate that he has made an evaluative
judgment by comparing ideas presented in the selection with external criteria provided
by the teacher, other authorities, or other written sources, or with internal criteria
provided by the reader's experiences, knowledge, or values. In essence evaluation
deals with judgment and focuses on qualities of accuracy, acceptability, desirability,
worth or probability of occurrence. Evaluative thinking may be demonstrated by
asking the student to make the following judgments.
4.1 Judgments of Reality or Fantasy. Could this really happen?

Such a question calls for a judgment by the reader based on
his experience.
4.2 Judgments of Fact or Opinion. Does the author provide
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adequate support for his conclusions? Is the author
attempting to sway your thinking? Questions of this type
require the student to analyze and evaluate the writing on
the basis of the knowledge he has on the subject as well as
to analyze and evaluate the intent of the author.
4.3 Judgments of Adequacy and Validity. Is the information
presented here in keeping with what you have read on the
subject in other sources? Questions of this nature call for
the reader to compare written sources of information, with an
eye toward agreement and disagreement or completeness
and incompleteness.
4.4 Judgments of appropriateness. What part of the story best
describes the main character? Such a question requires the
reader to make a judgment about the relative adequacy of
different parts of the selection to answer the question.
4.5 Judgments of Worth, Desirability and Acceptability. Was the
character right or wrong in what he did? Was his behaviour
good or bad? Questions of this nature call for judgments
based on the reader's moral code or his value system.
Appreciation. Appreciation involves all the previously cited

cognitive dimensions of reading, for it deals with the psychological
and aesthetic impact of the selection on the reader. Appreciation
calls for the student to be emotionally and aesthetically sensitive to
the work and to have a reaction to the worth of its psychological
and artistic elements. Appreciation includes both the knowledge of,
and the emotional response to, literary techniques, forms, styles,
and structures.
5.1 Emotional Response to the content. The student is required
to verbalize his feelings about the selection in terms of
interest, excitement, boredom, fear, hate, amusement, etc. It
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is concerned with the emotional impact of the total work on
the reader.
5.2 Identification with Characters or Incidents. Teachers' questions of this
nature will elicit responses from the reader which demonstrate his
sensitivity to, sympathy for, and empathy with characters and happenings
portrayed by the author.
5.3 Reactions to the Author's Use of Language. In this instance, the student is
required to respond to the author's craftsmanship in terms of the semantic
dimensions of the selection, namely, connotations and denotations of
words.
5.4 Imagery. In this instance, the reader is required to verbalize his feelings
with regard to the author's artistic ability to paint word pictures which
cause the reader to visualize, smell, taste, hear, or feel.
Thomas C. Barrett, "The Barrett Taxonomy of the Cognitive andAffective Dimensions of

Reading Comprehension, " in Innovation and Change in Reading Instruction, ed. Helen M.
Robinson (sixty seventh Yearbook of the National society for the Study of Education, pt.2
[Chicago: The National Society for the Study of Education, 1968]), pp. 19-23. Reprinted by
permission of Thomas C. Barrett and The National Society for the Study of Education.
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Applying the Barrett Taxonomy in Generating Questions for Reading
Comprehension
Rationale
It is essential for you, as teachers to define your objectives for reading comprehension in terms
of specific outcomes that represent different levels of thinking. You should then ask questions
which will encourage children to read, for comprehension outcomes at these levels. Only as you
analyse both your objectives and the questions you ask, will children be assisted to develop the
ability to read beyond the literal level of comprehension.
It will require only minimal adjustment for you to convert a task requirement into an objective
for reading comprehension. Look back at Inferential Comprehension 3.0 in the Barretts
taxonomy and examine 3.2: Inferring Main Ideas. Converted to an objective, this would read:
The student is required to provide the main idea, which is not explicitly stated in paragraph 2,
by writing it down and/or reading it aloud to members of the class.
Applying the Barretts Taxonomy

The Barretts taxonomy is a useful framework for the development of questions designed to
stimulate childrens thinking skills in reading. By using this framework in the analyzing the
reading selections in the class basal readers, you will be able to develop questions at a range of
levels to be used for: setting overall purposes for reading; guiding childrens reading as they
progress through the selection; and for stimulating discussion following the reading of the
selection.
Activity 1
The following story, Needing a Friend, has been used in applying the Barretts taxonomy for
the development of comprehension questions. As you read the questions that have been derived
from this story, think of other questions that could be written. Depending on the ability of your
students, the story may be appropriate for Grades 2 to 3. You will note that it will not always be
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possible to write questions for all the categories of the taxonomy. The content of the reading
selections varies in terms of the types of questions that are appropriate. As you read each
question based on Needing a Friend, consider the corresponding task requirement in the
Barretts taxonomy.
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NEEDING A FRIEND
Tina stood looking out the window, "WHY did we have to come to this place?" she
asked her brother Pedro.
"You know why as well as I do," said Pedro. "This is a big city. It's a good place for
Dad to find work."
"But I don't LIKE it here," said Tina, starting to cry. "There's no one to play with. The
only girl around is that stuck-up one who lives downstairs. She never comes out. All SHE ever
does is sit at her window."
"Well, WE'LL never make friends standing at THIS window," said Pedro. "I'm
going out!"
Pedro ran out the door, and Tina looked out of the window again.
"He isn't going to make any friends," she told herself as she watched him from the
window.
But soon, two boys ran up to Pedro. The three boys talked a little. Then, they all
walked down the street.
"What are you looking at?" asked Tina's sister Carla, coming into the room.
"Nothing!" said Tina.
"You've been looking out that window for days now," said Carla. "Why don't you
go out and try to make friends?"
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"I can't," said Tina, starting to cry again. "Things aren't the same here."
Then, still crying, Tina ran out of the house and down to the street. "What is the matter?"
someone asked.
Tina looked up. A girl in a blue dress was at a window just above her. It was the girl
Tina'd told Pedro about.
"You're new here, aren't you?" asked the girl.
Tina nodded.
"Is that why you're crying?" asked the girl.
Tina nodded again, but she stopped crying.
"Why don't you come in and talk to me?" asked the girl in the blue dress.
"Why don't you come out?" asked Tina.
"I can't," said the girl.
"Come on in."
So, Tina walked back up the steps and into the girl's house. The girl in the blue
dress was still sitting at the window.
"What's the matter with you?" asked Tina. "Why are you just sitting there like
that?"
"I can't walk," said the girl.
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"That's why I have no one to play with."
"I'll play with you if you want," said Tina, sitting down beside the girl.
"But I can't go out," said the girl.
"That's OK," said Tina. "We can still be friends. We can play in here."
"I'm glad you've come here to live," said the girl. "I need a friend."
"Me, too," said Tina. "Me, too."
_________________________________________________________________________
Needing a Friend, in Franco, John M. et al, (1970). I build, I Belong, I Believe,

American Book Company (New York: Litton Educational Publishing Inc. (pp. 12 17)
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APPLICATION OF THE BARRETT TAXONOMY
"Needing a Friend"
1.0 Literal Comprehension:

1.1 Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells who Pedro is:
1.12 Find the sentences on page 17 that tell what Tina and the
girl in the blue dress both need.
1.13 Number these sentences in the order in which they happen in the story:
The girl in the blue dress talks to Tina.
_____Carla asks Tina what she is looking at out the

window.
_____Pedro meets two boys.
_____Tina and the girl in the blue dress decided to be

friends.
_____Tina runs out of the house crying.
1.14 Look at the pictures of Tina on pages 13 and 17. What differences can
you see in the way Tina looks?
1.15 Find the sentence on page 16 that tells why the girl in the blue dress
sits by the window all day.
1.16 Not appropriate in this story.
1.2 Recall
1.21 Who are the main characters in this story?
1.22 Why are Tina and the girl in the blue dress happy they met?
1.23 How do Tina and the girl in the blue dress become friends?
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1.24 How are Tina and her new friend alike?
1.25 Why does the girl in the blue dress have no one to play with before she
meets Tina?
2.0 Reorganization:
2.1 Put each word under the proper heading:
Pedro dress friends Tina

City downstairs window Carla
House wheelchair
People Places Things

2.3 What was this story about?
2.4 Pedro says that the big city is a good place for his Dad to find work.
Where could we look to find out what kind of job his father might
find if he lived in our city?
3.0 Inferential Comprehension:

3.1 What else could the author have told us about Tina and her family?
3.2 What can we learn from this story?
3.3 If the story hadn't ended here, what do you think would have
happened to Tina and her new friend?
3.4 How do you think Tina's feelings about the city change from the
time she first comes to the city to live to the time she meets the girl
in the blue dress?
3.5 Why do you think Pedro meets some friends before Tina does?
3.6 What kind of girl do you think Tina's new friend is?
3.7 Read pages 12-14. What do you think will happen next?
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3.8 What does Tina mean when she calls the girls downstairs
"stuckup?
4.0 Evaluation:
4.1 Could this be a true story?
4.3 How many of you have ever seen a person in a wheelchair or have
read a book about a person who couldn't walk? The girl in the blue
dress says that she can't go out because she can't walk.
4.4 What part of the story best tells how Tina felt about the city?
4.5 Should Pedro have gone outside without Tina?
5.0 Appreciation:
5.1 What parts of the story were most interesting to you?
5.2 How did you feel when Tina was crying because she had no
friends?
5.3 Why do you think the we'll and this are in capital letters in this
sentence? "Well, WE'LL never make friends just standing at THIS
window", said Pedro".
5.4 How does the author let you know that the girl in the blue dress is
lonely and wants to have a friend?
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Activity 2
In Activity 1, the comprehension questions, based on the story Needing a Friend, were
formulated for you. You were encouraged to compare the questions from the passage with
the corresponding task required by the students to produce the comprehension outcomes
in the responses expected for them. In Activity 2, you are provided with another story,
Mists of Change, considered suitable for an average Grade 6 class. Read the story
carefully and then complete the matching exercise which follows it. In this exercise you
are asked to match questions, based on the story, with categories of comprehension
outcomes from the Barretts taxonomy.
Each question is correctly matched with a corresponding category from the Barretts
taxonomy. The Answer Key provided at the end of the exercise.
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MISTS OF CHANGE
Lucy was delighted when she was hired as supervisor in the machine shop. Her
experience as a drill press operator in her uncle's small business had given her a chance to
become very skillful on the drill press, and she was able to demonstrate to Mr. Fallon, the
foreman, that she could turn out parts to the most exact specifications.
Her uncle had been skeptical about her chances: not only was she a girl, but she had
quit school without talking with the guidance counselor about problems she might encounter in
the job market.
"Do you mean to tell me, " her uncle asked, "that they're putting you in charge of a
department of men?"
"That's right! Isn't it wonderful?"
The job was hers and she couldn't wait to get started.
On Monday, there she was in the plant, half an hour before the first man showed up.
She waited in Mr. Fallon's office until he came and led her into a corner of the shop. "here is
where you'll work," he said. He introduced her to the four men already engaged in preparing
their machines for the day's work.
"As I told you on Friday, we have government contracts. There's plenty of work here
for a long time - if you do the job."
"Oh, I'll do it," Lucy said eagerly. "I've been working for this day for a long time."
"Yeah, okay. Well, there's nothing much to do for a while - until they get started. Just
feel your way - no pressure."
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"Thank you, Mr. Fallon."
As the day went on, Lucy saw men come in with blueprints and discuss materials and
specifications with the machine operators, who asked questions and then went to work.
Nobody seemed to notice her, except for an occasional curt nod. When she joined two people
poring over a blueprint, the look she got almost congealed her blood, and she backed off.
About eleven o'clock she turned into the mesh gate behind which parts were kept in
neat little bins, and she began to look into each bin, fingering and identifying the parts. Several
times men came to the gate and asked for a part and she was able to locate it and hand it out
immediately. At one point, one of the machinists called to her, "Would you mind grabbing a
broom and sweeping up some of these fillings? I almost tripped."
Tears came to her eyes, but she got the broom and swept the floor. When the quitting
bell rang, she walked slowly out of the plant and home, saying nothing even when her uncle
greeted her and asked how things had gone.
She had been working for several days when she began to know why her uncle had
worked for so many years to complete the high school apprenticeship programme and join the
union. She knew that she had been easily fooled by Fallon. Her experience in her uncle's shop
had not prepared her for all the things that could happen once she left his protection.
On Friday, she saw another woman come on the floor of the plant and stand talking
with Mr. Fallon. Lucy saw her being led to another group of machines and left there, looking
as uncomfortable as Lucy knew she must have looked on her first day.
At lunchtime, Lucy made a beeline for the other woman and suggested they have lunch
together. The new "supervisor" was Amy, and Lucy lost no time in telling her that Fallon was
a liar, that he hired women as "supervisors" to fulfill the letter of the government contract that
said there was to be no discrimination in hiring. But they were no more supervisors than they
were plant managers!
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But Amy needed the job desperately. She had a sick mother and a young brother to
support and no prospect of any other kind of job. She had the rent to pay and food to buy; she
had to stay on the job.
Lucy felt even more depressed. She was not coming back to work on Monday. She was
lucky that she had a comfortable home and a family that could take care of her for a little while
longer. She was determined, however, that when she went back to school, she would bring up
this experience and try to find ways of preventing employers from evading the law.
From: "The Mists of Change" by Charlotte Epstein,

Temple University Philadelphia, Pa. 1976.
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APPLICATION EXERCISE BASED ON, Mists of Change
Each of the questions in the column on the left is based on the story The Mists of Change.
Each of the items in the column on the right identifies one category of comprehension outcome
in the Barrett taxonomy. In the blank in front of each question place the letter preceeding the
category that the question represents. Use each letter only once.
_____1. What else could the author have A. 1.21 Recall of Details
Told us about Lucys quitting B. 1.26 Recall of Character
school? Traits
C. 3.1 Inferring Supporting
_____2. What did Lucy tell Amy was the Details
real reason they had been hired? D. 3.2 Inferring Main Ideas
E. 3.4 Inferring Comparisons
F. 3.5 Inferring Cause and
_____3. What made Lucy begin to know Effect Relationships
why her uncle had worked so G. 3.6 Inferring Character
hard to complete the high school Traits
apprenticeshiip programme? H. 4.1 Judgements of Reality
I. 4.3 Judgements of
_____4. What was Mr. Fallons attitude Adequacy and
towards the women who worked Validity
for him? J. 4.4 Judgements of
Appropriateness
_____5. What part of the story best K. 4.5 Judgements of Worth,
describes why Amy needed Desirability and
job? Acceptability
L. 5.1 Emotional Response
_____6. What did Lucy learn from to the Content
working in the machine shop? M. 5.2 Identification with
Characters or
_____7. How would you have felt about Incidents
working for Mr. Fallon if you N. 5.3 Reactions to the
had been Lucy? Authors Use of
Language
_____8. Should Amy have stayed with
the job even though she knew
that Mr. Fallon was a liar?
_____9. Could the experience Lucy and

Amy had with Mr. Fallon really
happen?
_____10. How did your feelings change as

you read different parts of the story?
Key: 1. C; 2. A; 3. F; 4. G; 5. J; 6. D; 7. M; 8. K; 9. H; 10. L.
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Samples of Teachers Reading Comprehension Questions Applying the Barretts
Taxonomy
What follows are representative samples of the reading comprehension questions which you had
formulated from your class readers during the cluster workshops, using the Barretts Taxonomy
as the framework. These questions have been edited and refined. The basal class reader and
the story selection on which the questions are based have been identified. The grade level, at
which the reader is normally used, has been indicated.
You are encouraged refer to the Barretts Taxonomy, The Application Activities, and these
Sample Questions in designing other reading comprehension questions as you prepare yourself
for instruction.
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Reader: Get Set (Year 1, Term 2)
Story Title: The Bag in the Tree, (p.7)
Grade Level 1
Literal Level
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells the name of the boy.
1.11 Find the sentence that tells whose name is on the bag.
1.12 Find the sentence that tells what was in the bag.
1.12 Find the sentence that tells what was in the tree.
1.13 Number these sentences in the order in which they come.
A. That is not your bag.
B. We go to Roy with the bag.
C. I see a bag in a tree
1.13 Number these sentences in order.
A Come and bat the ball with me.
B I am going with it to look for Roy
C I go up and get the bag.
1.15 Find the sentence on page 2 that tells why Sam went up the tree.
1.15 Find the sentence that tells what the boy looked for on the bag.
Recall
1.21 What are the names of the two boys?
1.21 What did the boys look for on the bag?
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1.22 What is the title of the story?
1.22 Where was Sam going with his bat?
1.23 What did the boys do when they found the bag?
1.23 How did Roy get his bag?
1.24 How are Sam and the boy alike?
1.24 How are Sam and Roy alike?
1.25 Why did Sam go up the tree?
1.25 Why is Sam going with his bat?
Recognition
2.1 Put each word under the correct heading.
People Things
Roy bat boy tree
Sam bag ball
2.1 Put these under the correct heading
Naming Words Action Words
Bat name see boy
come Tree go ball
2.3 Tell the story about Sam.
Tell the story about Roys bag.
29
Inferential Comprehension
3.1 How do you think Sam got the bag from the tree?
3.1 How do you think the bag got in the tree?
3.3 What else could the author have told us about Roy?
3.3 What else could the author have told us about Sam?
3.4 What happened when Sam saw the bag in the tree?
3.4 What do you think happened when Sam went to Roy with the bag?
3.5 Why do you think Sam went to Roy with the bag?
3.5 Why do you think Sam went to get the bag from the tree?
3.6 What kind of person do you think Roy is?
3.6 What kind of person do you think Sam is?
3.7 What do you think the three boys will do next?
3.7 What do you think will happen next in the story?
Evaluation
4.1 Do you think this is a true story?
4.1 What part of the story could be true?
4.3 How many of you have ever lost your school bag? What happened?
4.3 How many of you have ever helped someone to find a lost school bag?
Tell what happened.
4.4 What part of the story tells you that Roy was glad to find his bag?
4.4 What part of the story tells you how the boy felt about the bag?
4.5 Should Sam have gone up the tree to get the bag?
4.5 Should the boy have looked for a name on the bag?
30
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story do you like best?
5.1 What part of the story made you feel happy?
5.2 How did you feel when Sam said he was going up the tree to get the bag?
5.2 How did you feel when Roy got the bag?
5.3 How does the author let you know that Roy had good manners?
5.3 How does the author let you know that the boy was honest?
31
Story Reader: Go! (Year 1, Term 3)
Story Title: Rain In The Country (pp. 5 6)
Grade Level: 1
Literal Level
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells who is helping the pigs out of the rain.
1.11 Find the sentence that tells who is helping mother.
1.12 Find a sentence on page 5 that tells where it is raining.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 6 that tells the places where it is raining.
1.13 Number these sentences in the order as they come in the story.
A It is raining on the road.
B It is raining in the yard.
C It is raining at school
D It is raining in the country
1.13 Number these sentences in the order they come in the story.
A Mother is running to get the things
B A big truck is in the road
C The rain is good for the farmer
D Some girls are playing too
1.15 Find the sentence on page 5 that tells why mother is running.
1.15 Find the sentence on page 6 that tells why the truck is on the road.
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Recall
1.21 Give the names of the people in the story.
1.21 Where are the children going?
1.21 Why is the rain good for the farmer?
1.21 Why are the children running?
1.22 Name the places where it is raining.
1.22 What is happening when it is raining in the yard?
1.23 How are the mother and the dog alike?
1.23 How are the girls and the boys alike?
1.24 Why is the rain good for the farmer?
1.24 Why does the truck have to go slowly?
Reorganization
2.1 Put each word under the correct heading
children school boats road
girls market truck home
Unscramble these words
termak dorsar niranig cutrk
m_____ r____ r______ t____
2.3 What is the story about?
2.4 Where could we look to find what the farmer takes to the market?
2.4 Where could we look to find what crops the farmer grows?
33
Inferential Level
3.1 What other animals could the farmer be helping out of the rain?
3.1 What things do you think mother is taking out of the rain?
3.2 What can we learn about when it rains?
3.2 What can we learn about how children behave when it rains?
3.3 If the farmer did not help the pigs out of the rain, what do you think would
have happened to them?
3.3 What do you think would happen if the truck did not go slowly when it is
raining?
3.4 How do you think the farmers feelings about his crops change after it
rains?
3.4 How do you think the childrens feelings change from when they are at
school to when they get home?
3.5 Why do you think the farmer takes his crops to market?
3.5 Why do you think the truck is going to the market?
Evaluation
4.1 Could the children have stayed at school until after the rain?
4.3 What other things do children do when it rains?
4.3 How many of you have ever played in the rain? What happened?
4.4 What part of the story best tells what happens when it rains?
4.4 What part of the story tells what animals do when it rains?
4.5 Should children stop and play or try to get home when it rains?
4.5 Should the boy have gone to help his mother? Why?
34
Application
5.1 What part of the story is most interesting to you?
5.2 How did you feel when the children were playing in the rain?
5.2 How do you feel when it is raining?
35
Reader: Get Set (Year 1, Term 2)
Story Title: The Donkey Cart (pp. 8 13)
Grade Level: 1
Literal Comprehension
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence on page 12 that tells what is in the cart.
1.11 Find the sentence that tells us the name of the man on the donkey cart.
1.12 Find the sentence that tells us why Mr. Black was going to school.
1.12 Find the sentence that tells us the name of the man on the donkey cart.
1.13 Number the sentences in the order in which they happen in the story.
_____ Pat and Sam went on the donkey cart.
_____ Pat told Mr. Black Good morning.
_____ Pat and Sam saw the donkey cart coming.
1.13 What happened when they saw the donkey cart?

1.14 Look at the pictures of Sam on pages 8 and10. What differences can you
see in the way Sam looks?
1.14 Look at the pictures of Pam on pages 12 and13. What differences can you
see in the way Pam looks?
1.15 Find the sentence on page 12 that tells why Mr. Black was going to
school.
1.15 Find the sentence that tells you why the children thought that the donkey
was funny.
36
Recall
1.21 Who are the characters in the story?
1.21 What are the names of the children in the story?
1.22 What was the first sentence Pat said to Mr. Black?
1.22 What was Mr. Black taking for the teacher?
1.23 What was the first thing Sam showed to Mr. Black?
1.23 Who was the first person to get on the cart with Mr. Black?
1.25 Why are the children in the cart?
1.25 Why was Mr. Black going to school?
Reorganization
Living things Non- living
Mat, donkey, bag, cart, Mr. Black, tam, Sam, Pat
2.1 Put each word under the proper heading
school, Sam, cart, bat, bag, Mr. Black, hat, tam
2.3 What was the story about?
2.3 Write 3 sentences telling how the children went to school that morning
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Mr. Black?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Mr. Blacks visit to the
school?
3.2 What can we learn from Pats greeting to Mr. Black?
3.3 If the story had not ended here, what do you think would have happened to
the children when they reach school?
3.3 What do you think could have happened to the cart when they were on
their way to school?
37
3.4 How do you think Pat & Sam felt before and after travelling in the cart
with Mr. Black?
3.4 How do you think Mr. Black felt before and after he picked up the two
children?
3.5 Why do you think Mr. Black took two mats for the teacher?
3.5 Why do you think he offered the children a ride in the cart?
3.6 What kind of man do you think Mr. Black is?
3.6 What do you think the teacher is like?
3.7 Tell how the teacher will use the mats?
3.7 What do you think would have happened if the Mr. Black did not give
them a ride in the donkey cart?
3.8 What does Sam mean when he said, what a funny donkey?
Evaluation
4.1 Could this story be true? Why
4.1 What parts of the story could not be true? Why/
4.3 Have you ever seen a donkey cart before? Where did you see the donkey
cart?
4.3 Have you ever ridden in a donkey cart? How did it feel?
4.4 What part of the story best describes Mr. Black?
4.5 Should Mr. Black have given the children a ride in the cart? Why?
4.5 Should the children ride with Mr. Black?
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story was most interesting to you?
5.2 How do you think Pat & Sam felt about riding on the donkey cart?
5.3 How did you feel when the children took the ride from Mr. Black?
5.2 How would you feel if you were the teacher who received the mat?
5.4 How did the author let you know that the donkey was really funny?
5.4 How did the author let you know that the cart was really funny?
38
Reader: Get Set (Year 1 Term 2)
Story Title: The Kite (pp. 20 - 23)
Grade Level: 1
Recognition
1.11 Find the names of the children in the story
1.11 Find the sentence on p. 20 that tells you about the size of the kite.
1.12 On p. 22 find the sentence that tells us how many cats are playing.
1.12 Find the sentence on p. 22 that tells where Pat is going.
1.13 Number these sentences according to how they happen in the story.
------ Pat is going up the tree
------The two cats are playing with the kite too.
------Pat is playing with a kite.
1.13 Number these sentences in the order in which they happen in the story
according to how they happen in the story.
------She is going to get the kite.
------Pat is playing with a kite.
------Pat is going up the tree.
1.14 Look at the pictures of the tree on p. 22 and p. 23. What difference can
you see?
1.14 Look at the pictures on pg. 20 and p. 23. What differences can you see
in the way Pat looks?
1.15 Find the sentence on p. 21 that tells you why she should not climb the
tree.
1.15 Find the sentence on p.21 that tells you why Pat fell from the tree.
39
Recall
1.21 Who are the characters in the story?
1.21 Which character was playing with the kite?
1.22 Why didnt Sam climb the tree?
1.22 Why did Pat climb the tree?
1.23 What was the first thing Sam said to Pat about her kite?
1.23 What did Sam say after this?
1.25 Why Sam did not help Pat?
1.25 Why did Pat fall from the tree?
Reorganization
People Things
Pat, Sam, girl, boy, kite, tree, bat.
Living things Non- Living things
cats

2.3 Write 3 sentences telling how Pat fell from the tree?
2.4 Pats kite was in the tree. Where could we look for help to get it?
2.4 Pat fell from the tree. What could we look for to find out if she is hurt?
Inferential
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Pats accident?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about the kite?
3.2 What can we learn from Pats mistake?
3.2 What have you learned from this story about climbing trees?
40
3.3 If the story had not ended that way what do you think would have
happened to the kite?
3.3 If the story had not ended here what do you think the cats would have
done to help Pat?
3.4 How do you think Pats feelings about climbing the little tree changed
after she fell?
3.4 What do you think would have happened to Pats kite if there were no
trees?
3.5 Why do you think Sam did not want to climb the tree?
3.5 What time of the day do you think it was?
3.6 What kind of person do you think Pat is?
3.6 What kind of friend do you think Sam is to Pat?
3.7 Read p. 23. What do you think will happen next?
3.8 What do you think would have happened if Pat and Sam had climbed the
tree together?
Evaluation
4.1 Could an accident like this happen to you? How?
4.1 What parts of the story do you think could be true?
4.3 How many of you know or have heard of someone falling from a tree?
What happened?
4.3 Have you ever read a story like this one? What happened in that story?
4.4 What part of the story best describes Pat as a stubborn girl?
4.4 What part of the story best tells us that Sam was right when he says the
tree was too little for Pat?
4.5 You are not a good friend. Do you think Pat should have said that to
Sam? Why?
4.5 Should Sam have helped Pat when she fell from the tree?
41
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story did you like best?
5.1 What part of the story was most exciting to you?
5.2 How did you feel when Pat fell from the tree?
5.2 How did you feel when Pat said to Sam, You are not a good friend?
5.3 What do you think the author meant when Pat said, that is O.K
5.4 How did the author let you know that Pat was scared?
5.4 How did the story help you to see that Sam was a caring boy?
42
Reader: Stories About Us (Year 2 Term 1)
Story Title: The New Boy (pp. 9 11)
Grade Level: 2
Recognition
1.11 Find the name of the new boy in the story.
1.11 Find the sentence on p.9 that tells you who the boys are happy to see.
1.12 Find the sentence on p 9 that tells you how the new boy looks
1.12 Find the sentence on pg 9 that tells you who sat beside the new boy
1.13 Number these sentence in order in which they happen in the story:
-------------Allan gives Errol some of his lunch.
-------------Errol looks in his bag.
-------------The big van comes in the schoolyard.
1.13 Number these sentence in order in which they happen in the story:
-------------The children run to buy lunch.
-------------Errol puts his hand in his pocket
-------------Teacher calls him and puts him to sit near to Errol?
1.15 Find the sentence on pg.11 that tells why Errol could not buy his lunch.
1.15 Find the sentence on pg.10 that tells us why Allan had to share his lunch?
Recall
1.21 Who are the main characters in the story?
1.21 Which character was responsible to take care of Allan?
1.22 What happened when Allan shared his lunch?
1.22 Why was the new boy unhappy?
1.23 How did Errol and Allan become friends?
43
1.23 What happened after he lost his money?
1.24 How are Errol and his new friend alike?
1.24 How are Errol and his new friend different?
1.25 Why does Errol have no friends in class?
1.25 Why is Errol a happy boy now?
Reorganization
1.1 Put each word under the proper column
Nouns Verbs
Lunch, money, sit, bag, play, run, patties
Living things Non- Living things
Errol, teacher, bag, patties
2.3 What was this story about?
2.3 Rewrite this story telling how Allan and Errol became friends?
Inferential
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Allan?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Errols money?
3.2 What can we learn from Errols mistake?
3.2 What have you learned from this story about keeping our money in our
pockets?
3.3 If the story had not ended that way what do you think would have
happened to the new boy?
3.3 If Errol had not lost his money what would have happened to the new
boy?
3.4 How do you think Allans feelings about the school change when he
helped Errol?
3.4 How do you think Allan felt on the first day of school before and after he
helped him?
3.5 Why do you think Allan did not play with Errol at first?
44
3.5 Why do you think Errol was searching for his money?
3.6 What type of person do you think Allan was?
3.6 What type of person do you think Errol was?
3.7 Read lines 12-15 on page 10. What do you think will happen next?
3.7 Read lines 7-8 on page 11. What do you think will happen next?
Evaluation
4.1 Do you think this story is true?
4.1 What parts of the story could be true?
4.2 Do you think Errol has really learned a lesson and will be more careful in
the future? Why?
4.2 What do you think Allan learned from this experience?
4.3 Have you ever owned something and lost it because you did not take care
of it? Explain?
4.3 Have you ever gone to a new school? Explain how you felt.
4.4 What part of the story best tells you how Errol felt when he lost his
money?
4.4 What part of the story best tells you that Errol and Allan really care for
each other?
4.5 Should Allan have shared his lunch? Why?
4.5 Do you think Errol deserved to have lost his lunch money? Why do you
say that?
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story made you feel unhappy?
5.2 How did you feel when Errol said, My money is not here!
5.2 How did you feel when Allan helped Errol?
5.4 How did the author let you know that Errol was happy for what Allan did
for him?
45
5.4 How did the author let you know that the children wanted to have Allan
around?
46
Reader: Stories About Us (Year 2 Term 1)
Story Title: The Big Green Lizard (pp. 25 26)
Grade Level: 2
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells you when they went to pick mangoes
1.12 Find the sentence that tells you what Patsy and Jack went to do
1.12 Find the sentence that tells you what Jack saw in the tree
1.13 Number these sentence in order in which they happen in the story?
--------Patsy went up the tree
--------Big children do not run from little lizards
--------Patsy and Jack went pick mangoes.
1.13 Put these words in the correct order to form a sentence.
(a) You jump lizard A is going to on.
(b) She and ran and ran
1.15 Find the sentence that tells you why she let go off the bag.
1.15 Find the sentence that tells you why Jack shouted to Patsy?
Recall
1.21 Who were the main characters?
1.21 Who saw the lizard first?
1.22 Who said to Patsy: Look out!
1.22 Who had a big bag to put the mangoes?
1.23 What happened when Patsy climbed the tree?
1.23 What happened when the lizard ran across Patsys hand?
1.24 What was the difference between Patsy and Jacks behaviour towards the
lizard?
1.24 What was the difference between Patsys container and Jacks container?
47
1.25 Why did Patsy run and run?
1.25 Why did Jack call out to Patsy saying, stop Patsy!
Reorganization
1.11 Put each word in the correct group.
Fruit People Thing
Tree, lighting, basket, Patsy, Jack, children, mango
Verb Noun
bag, basket, climb, run, should, climb.
2.13 Rewrite the story in your own words?
Inferential
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Patsys adventure?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Patsy and Jacks need?
3.2 What have you learnt from Patsys experience?
3.2 What did you learn from this story that might be important to you some
day?
3.3 After reading the last paragraph on page 26, what do you think will
happen next?
3.3 If the lizard was not on the tree what do you think would have happened to
Jack and Patsys container?
3.3 How do you think Patsys feelings changed from the time she climbed the
tree to the time when she saw the lizard in the tree.
3.2 Why do you think Jack kept calling to Patsy?
3.5 Why do you think she dropped the bag?
3.6 What kind of person do you think Patsy is?
3.2 Where do you think Patsy will run?
3.7 What could have happened if Patsy didnt run from the Lizard?
3.3 What is meant by the phrase came down like lightning
3.8 What is meant by the phrase Patsy just ran for the better
48
Evaluation
4.1 Could this story really happen?
4.1 Have you ever been frightened by a lizard? What happened?
4.2 Should Patsy drop the bag and run?
4.2 Jack saw the lizard and called Patsy. Should he have called Patsy?
4.3 How many of you ever touched a lizard? How does it feel?
4.3 Have you ever seen a lizard in your room/? What did you do?
4.4 What part of the story best describes Patsy?
4.4 What parts of this story do you think could really happen?
4.5 Should Patsy have climbed the tree?
4.5 Should Pasty have ran home without the mangoes?
Appreciation
5.1 What parts of the story were most amusing to you?
5.1 What parts of the story you did not enjoy?
5.2 How did you feel when the lizard ran across Patsys hand?
5.2 How did you feel when Jack said, Look out, Patsy a lizard is going to
jump on you?
5.4 How does the author let you know that Patsy was very scared?
5.4 How does the author let you know that Jack was disappointed when Patsy
ran away?
49
Reader: Up the Road (Year 2, Term 2)
Story Title: The Visitor (pp. 14 18)
Grade Level: 2
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence on page 16 that tells who the visitor was.
1.11 Find the sentence on page 16 that tells what time of the day it was.
1.12 Find the sentence that tells that Jack was the boys uncle.
1.12 Find the sentence that tells where mother was gone.
1.13 Number these sentence in the order in which they happen in the story.
_____ My mother came from the shop.
_____ He pushed the gate and came in the yard.
_____ We were alone in the yard.
_____ Uncle Jack stayed with us that day.
_____ The door was shut.
1.13 Number these sentences in the order they happen in the story.
_____ The next day he took the bus to the country.
_____ We came out of the house and went to them.
_____ The man came up to the window.
_____ My mother came from the shop with a big bag of things.
_____ My brother and I put on our new clothes.
50
1.14 Look at the pictures of the boys on pages 15 and 16. What difference can
you see in the way the boys look?
1.15 Find the sentence on page 14 that tells why the man pushed the gate.
1.15 Find the sentence that tells why the boys went to make sure the door was
locked.
Recall
1.21 What is the title of the story?
1.21 Where were the boys when Uncle Jack came to the house.
1.22 Where did Uncle Jack come from?
1.23 What did mother do when she came from the shop and saw the man?
1.23 What did the boys do when their uncle gave them the things?
1.24 How are the two boys different?
1.25 Why did the boys give Uncle Jack a big hug?
1.25 Why did the boys come out of the house?
Reorganization
2.1 Put each word under the proper heading.
mother house England boys
gate bag country father
house uncle door
51
2.1 Put these under the following headings.
One More than one
mother things children
house farm holidays
clothes
2.3 Tell what happened when father came home.
2.4 Where else could people stay when visiting a country?
2.4 Tell a story about a visitor who came to your house.
3.1 What else could we be told about Uncle Jack?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about the boys?
3.2 What can we learn from the story?
3.2 Do you think this was a loving family? Why?
3.3 What do you think Uncle Jack will do other than work on the farm?
3.3 If mother had not come at that time, what do you think the boys would do?
3.4 How do you think the boys felt when they found out that the man was
their uncle?
3.4 How do you think the boys feelings to their uncle changed from the time
they first saw him to when he gave them presents?
3.5 Why do you think Uncle Jack is not going back to England?
3.5 Why do you think one brother was afraid and the other was not?
52
3.6 What kind of person do you think Uncle Jack was?
3.6 The boys asked the man What do you want? Who are you? What
kind of person do you think the boy was?
3.7 Read page 16. What do you think mother will do next?
3.7 What do you think the boys will do when they go to the country for the
holidays?
Evaluation
4.1 Could this story have happened? Why?
4.3 How many of you have had visitors come to your home when no adult was
there? What did you do?
4.3 How many of you have had visitors come from abroad? Tell me about it.
4.4 What part of the story tells how Jack felt about the children?
4.4 What part of the story tells how father felt about Jack?
4.5 Should the boys have shut the door when they saw the man looking?
Why?
4.5 Should the man have pushed the gate and entered the yard?
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story was most interesting to you? Why?
5.2 How did you feel when the children got the new clothes.
5.4 How does the author let you know that the boys did not know the visitor?
5.4 How does the author let you know that Uncle Jack had not seen the boys
in a while?
53
Reader: Across the Bridge (Year 2, Term 3)
Story Title: Town Rat and Country Rat (pp. 19 23)
Grade Level: 2
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells where the town rat went to look for his friends.
1.11 Find the sentence on page 23 that tells what time of the day the country rat
reached home.
1.11 Find the sentence on page 22 that tells what the rats did when they saw the
food on the table.
1.11 Find the sentence that tells how the rats got to town.
1.12 Number these sentences in the order in which they come.
_____ He was so tired that he had to sit and rest for a long time.
_____ There were people up and down the streets.
_____ The town rat and country rats were friends.
_____ The place was so quiet that he soon went to sleep.
_____ The shed was full of corn that was put out to dry.
1.12 Number these sentences in the order they happen.
_____ One day the town rat went to look for his friend.
_____ The rats jumped off the table and ran.
_____ He did not stop till he got back to his home.
_____ They went into a house to look for food.
_____ He went into the corn shed.
54
1.13 Read pages 19 and 23. What difference do you notice in the time of day?
1.13 Look at page 22. Find two sentences which tell that the town rat and the
country rat like different food.
1.14 Find the sentence on page 22 that tells why the rats jumped off the table.
1.14 Find the sentence on page 20 that tells why the country rat did not want to
go into the house.
Recall
1.21 What time did the town rat leave to go to his friend?
1.21 What did the rats find in the shed?
1.21 What happened when the country rat ran into the street?
1.22 Why did the town rat and the country rat go to town?
1.22 Why did the country mouse not like the city?
1.22 Why did the town rat want the country rat to go to town?
1.23 What happened when the rats went into the house to look for food?
1.23 What happened after the country rat ran out of the house?
1.24 How are the town rat and the country rat different?
1.25 Why did the town rat sit under a tree?
1.25 Why did the country rat go to town with his friend?
1.25 Why did the rats jump off the table and run?
55
Reorganization
Naming Word Doing Word
rat goes live friend
sat corn climbed house
country eat bed food
Put these words under the correct heading
Present tense Past tense
smelled eat goes got
looks want went did
saw climbed came stay
stop like
2.3 Tell what the country rat did when the people came in
2.3 Tell what happened to the town rat when he went to the country.
2.4 Where could you look to find out what foods rats like to eat.
2.4 Where in the house are you likely to find rats?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about the rats?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about the rats journey to and from
the city?
56
3.2 What can we learn from the country rat?
3.3 What do you think the town rat did after the country rat ran away?
3.3 What do you think the country rat did when he reached home?
3.4 How do you think the country rats feelings about the city changed from
the time she first went to the city?
3.4 How do you think the town rats feelings for country rat changed after the
country rat ran away?
3.5 Why do you think the town rat likes to eat the food that people eat?
3.5 Why do you think the country rat ran away back to the country?
3.5 Why do you think the country rat was so willing to go to town with the
town rat?
3.6 What kind of rat do you think the country rat is?
3.6 What kind of creature do you think the town rat is?
3.7 What do you think will happen to the friendship between the town rat and
the country rat?
3.7 What do you think the people will do when they come in and find out that
the rats had gone in their food?
3.8 What do you think the writer means when he said
We do not live by the corn here?
The country rat was having a good time?
Evaluation
4.1 Do you think this is a true story?
4.1 Do you think rats can do what the rats in the story did?
4.3 Have you ever seen a rat? What did you do?
57
4.3 Would you be able to tell the difference between the town ran and the
country rat? How?
4.4 What part of the story best tells how the town rat feels about the country
now?
4.4 What part of the story best tells how the town rat feels about the country
rat?
4.5 Should the country rat have run away when the people came in?
4.5 Should the country rat have followed the town rat to the town?
Appreciation
5.2 How did you feel when the town rat got to the country and did not see his
friend, the country rat?
5.2 How did you feel when the country rat reached home and sat down to rest?
5.3 How did the author let you know that the country rat did not enjoy living
in the town?
5.3 How did the author let you know that it was difficult for country rat to
live in the town?
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Reader: Stories of Fun And Adventure (Year 3, Term 2)
Story Title: The Boy who Cried Wolf (pp. 18 22)
Grade Level: 3
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence in the story on page18 that tells what is the duty of the
shepherd boy.
1.11 Find the sentence that tells you where the boy lived.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 22 that tells what the shepherd boy did when the
wolf rushed down the mountain.
1.12 Find the sentence that tells what the people did when the boy cried wolf!
wolf!
1.13 Number these sentence in the order in which they happen in the story.
-----------They rushed out to help him.
-----------The people went back to the town.
-----------So he called, Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!
1.13 Find the sentence that tells you what happened after the boy cried wolf!
Wolf!
1.14 Compare the picture on page 18 with that on page 21 and note the
difference.
1.14 Compare the first answer to the shepherd boys call to that of the last
days call.
1.15 Find the sentence that tells why the boy called wolf! wolf!
1.15 Find the sentence that tells why the people were angry with the shepherd
boy.
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Recall
1.21 Where did the shepherd boy live?
1.22 How many times did the boy cry wolf! Wolf!
1.22 Why did the boy cry Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Again?
1.23 What is it the shepherd boy has to do early every morning?
1.23 The shepherd boy caused a lot of trouble to the people. Tell how he was
scolded in each case.
1.25 What caused the death of his sheep?
1.25 Why the people did not help the shepherd boy?
Reorganization
2.1 Put each word under the proper heading:
People Animal Place
shepherd, sheep, wolf., children, boy, men, mountains, towns
2.1 Put these words in alphabetical order
shepherd, sheep, wolf., children, boy, men, mountains, towns fields farm
2.3 Write a paragraph telling how you think the boy felt when he lost his
sheep.
Inferential
3.1 What else could the author have told us about the shepherd boy?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about the wolfs attack?
3.2 What can we learn from this story about telling lies?
3.3 Explain what happened each time the boy called Wolf! Wolf!
3.3 Explain the peoples response each time the boy cried Wolf! Wolf!
3.4 How do you think the feelings of the shepherd boy changed after his sheep
was killed?
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3.4 How do you think the feelings of the people changed after the wolf killed
the boys sheep?
3.5 Why do you think the shepherd boy was left alone to take care of the
sheep?
3.5 What is the effect of the boys laughter on the people?
3.6 What kind of person do you think the shepherd boy is?
3.6 What can you say about the boy since he enjoys fooling around?
3.7 After reading page 20 what do you think the boy will do?
3.7 After losing all his sheep what do you think will happen next?
3.8 What do you think is meant by the phrase you must do better than that!
3.8 What do you think is meant by fooling someone?
Evaluation
4.1 Do you think this story is true? Why?
4.1 What parts of this do you think could really happen?
4.3 Do you know anybody who is always trying to fool people? What do you
think about somebody who does this?
4.3 Do you think there is any difference between fooling people and lying? If
so, what?
4.4 What part of the story best tells you how the people felt about the
shepherd boy?
4.4 What parts of the story best tells you how the shepherd boy felt?
4.5 Were the people right in not coming the third time? Why?
4.5 Should the boy be left alone to watch the sheep? Why not?
Appreciation
5.1 What sections of the story do you like best?
5.1 What sections of the story do you not like?
5.2 How do you think the boy felt when he lost all his sheep?
5.2 How do you think the people felt when he kept fooling them?
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5.4 How does the author let you know that the shepherd boy was afraid of the
wolf?
5.4 How did the author let you know that the people were angry with the boy?
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Reader: Stories from Nowadays and Long Ago (Year 3, Term 3)
Story Title: Lovers Leap (pp. 19 21)
Grade Level: 3
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells you, in which parish Lovers Leap is found.
1.11 Find the sentence that tells you which place Lovers Leap is near to.
1.12 Find the sentence that tells you what the master wanted.
1.12 Locate the sentence that tells you the master knew about their secret
meetings.
1.13 Number these sentence in the order they happen in the story.
------- Chardley shot him dead.
--------Chardley kicked the youths dead body over the cliff.
--------He and the girl started to meet in secret.
--------They met at the top of the high cliff.
--------Then she leaped over the cliff herself.
1.13 Rearrange the words to form a sentence:
(a) Cliff he the went That night to.
(b) The slave So to not love did Youth want her he.
1.14 Look at the pictures of the slave Youth on pages 20 and 21. What
differences can you see in the way the slave Youth looks?
1.14 Read the paragraph 20 and find out what both characters wanted?
1.15 Find the sentence on page 20 that explains why the youth did not come
back to Chardley Hall?
1.15 Find the sentence on page 21 that tells what caused the death of the slave
youth.
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Recall
1.21 How high is the cliff?
1.21 When you stand at the edge of the cliff what do you see?
1.22 Why was the master angry with the slave youth?
1.22 Why did the slave girl fight Chardley?
1.23 How did the couple meet each other?
1.23 The girls brother told the master about their secret meetings. What
happened next?
1.25 Why did the couple have to meet in secret?
1.25 Why did the girls brother tell the slave master about their secret
meetings?
3.12 What type of person is Mr. Chardley?
1.26 What word is used to describe Mr. Chardley?
Reorganization
2.1 Put these words under the correct heading
People Place Thing
Master Lovers Leap St. Elizabeth mountain slave cliff
rocks
2.2 Put these words under the correct heading
1 syllables 2 syllables 3 syllables
slave beautiful secret angry plantation brother heard
kill come kick fight body
2.3 Read page 21 and tell in your own words how the girl died.
2.4 Lovers Leap is a place in Jamaica. Where would we look to find this
place?
2.4 Where could we look to find out what happens on a slave plantation?
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Inferential
3.1 What else could the author have told us about the girls relationship with
the slave youth?
3.1 What other information could the author tell us about the girls brother?
3.2 What have you learnt from this story about people who are in charge?
3.3 If the story had not ended this way what do you think would have
happened to the couple?
3.3 If the girl got married to the master what do you think would have
happened to her brother?
3.4 How do you think the slave girl felt about her lover when the story began,
as compared to when he was chased off the property?
3.4 How do you think the slave girl felt when she had to meet her lover in
secret?
3.5 Why do you think the slave master wanted the beautiful girl for himself?
3.5 What caused Mr. Chardley to be angry with the slave youth?
3.6 What kind of person do you think the slave master is?
3.6 What kind of person do you think the slave girls brother is?
3.7 What do you think would have happened if the girl was in love with
Mr. Chardley?
3.7 What do you think would have happened if the slave boy knew that Mr.
Chardley was waiting for him on the cliff?
3.8 What do you think the brother meant when he said life would be better
for him?
3.9 What do you think the expression then she leaped over the cliff means?
Evaluation
4.1 Could this story be true? Explain
4.2 Have you ever read a story or seen a movie like this before? Do you think
it could be true to life? Why or why not?
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4.2 Do you agree that the author should let the girl die? Why?
4.3 What part of the story best describes Mr. Chardley ?
4.3 What part of the story best describes the love the slave girl had for the
youth slave?
4.4 Should the girl have fought Mr. Chardley when he killed her lover?
4.4 Should the couple have been meeting in secret?
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story was most scary to you?
5.1 What part of the story made you feel happy?
5.2 How did you feel when the girl leapt over the cliff?
5.2 How did you feel when the brother told the master about the couples
secret meetings?
5.3 How did the author let you know that the master wanted to have a
relationship with the girl?
5.3 How did the author let you know that the couple was scared of the slave
master?
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Reader: Stories From Nearby and Far (Year 3, Term 1)
Story Title: The Rain Maker (pp. 12 16)
Grade Level: 3
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells where Jomo lived.
1.11 Find the sentence on page 18 that tells what time Jomo reached Nyams
house.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 12 that tells what Jomo wished for.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 15 that tells what Jomo did to make rain.
1.13 Number these sentence in the order in which they come.
A Go into my cave and get the pot that is on the ground.
B The ground was hard and the grass was brown.
C The cows would have no water.
D Then came the loud noise of thunder.
E Jomo took up the pile of wood and went back to Nyami.
1.13 Number these sentences in the order they happen
A Jomo went into the cave
B Jomo picked up the pan and went to get water.
C Jomo lived with his father on a farm.
D Jomo stooped and looked at Nyami
E Jomo did as he was told.
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1.14 Look at the pictures on pages 12 and 16. What difference can you see in
the way Jomo looks?
1.14 Read pages 12 and 16. Compare how the land looked when Jomo left and
he returned.
1.15 Find the sentence on page 12 that tells why Jomo went to visit Nyami.
1.15 Find the sentence on page 16 that tells why Nyami told Jomo to run home.
1.16 Find the sentence on page 12 that tells what kind of person Nyami is.
Recall
1.21 What is the witch doctors name?
1.22 Why did Jomo go to see Nyami?
1.22 Tell two things that will happen if there is no rain.
1.23 What did the rainmaker do to cause rain to fall?
1.23 What did Nyami tell Jomo to do when he asked him to make rain?
1.24 Compare the place Jomo lived to where Nyami lived?
1.24 Compare the time Jomo left home to when he returned home.
1.25 Why are the rivers nearly dry?
1.25 Why did Jomo have to run home?
1.26 According to Jomo what kind of man was Nyami.?
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Reorganization
Living Things Non Living Things
Jomo wood water cave
Rain clouds cow fire
Nyami pot farmer witchdoctor
2.2 Draw Nyamis cave with the things in it.
2.2 Draw Nyami collecting wood for the fire.
2.3 Tell what Nyami did in order to make rain.
2.3 Tell in three sentences what the story is about.
2.4 Where could you look to find out what is on a farm?
2.4 Where could you look to find where Africa is?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Jomos family?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Nyami?
3.1 What can you learn from Jomo?
3.1 What lessons can you learn from the story?
3.2 If Jomo had not gone to Nyami what do you think would have happened
on the farm?
3.2 What do you think would have happened if Jomo had not done what
Nyami told him to do?
3.3 How do you think Jomos feelings changed from the time he left his farm
to when he returned?
3.3 How do you think the grass looked after the rain came?
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3.4 Why do you think the witchdoctor helped Jome?
3.4 Why do you think Nyami used boiling water?
3.5 What kind of person do you think Jomo was?
3.5 What kind of person do you think Nyami was?
3.6 Read page 6. What do you think will happen next?
3.6 What do you think Nyami will do after Jomo has left?
Evaluation
4.1 Could this be a true story? Why?
4.1 Could anyone you know make rain fall? Explain.
4.3 How many of you have ever seen a witch doctor?
4.3 Have you ever read anything about witch doctors? Share it with us.
4.4 What part of the story tells you that Jomo was obedient?
4.4 What part of the story tells you that Nyami was kind?
4.5 Do you think Jomo should have gone to see Nyami? Why?
4.5 Do you think Jomo should have done the things Nyami told him to do?
Appreciation
5.1 How did you feel when Jomo said that the river was dry, the ground was
hard, the grass was brown, his cows would have nothing to eat and would
die?
5.1 What part of the story made you sad/afraid?
5.1 How did you feel when Nyami began to talk and dance?
5.1 How did you feel when Jomo was going to the witch doctor?
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5.2 The author describes Nyami as a wise man. Do you agree? Explain.
5.3 How does the author let you know that Jomo was obedient?
5.3 How does the author make you feel at the end of the story?
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Reader: Stories From Nearby and Far Away (Year 3, Term 1)
Story Title: Lighting the Fire (pp. 5 11)
Grade Level: 3
Recognition
1.1 Find the question on page 6 that tells you what Peter liked to do.
1.1 Find the sentence that tells with whom Peter lived.
1.2 Find the sentence on page 6 that tells what Granny told Peter about fire.
1.2 Find the sentence on page 8 that tells what Peter threw on the fire when it
got bigger.
1.3 Number these sentences in the order in which they come in the story.
_____ Peter did not know what to do.
_____ Peter sat under a tree and rested his head on his hands.
_____ Peter poured some kerosene oil on the sticks.
_____ Peter liked to watch his Granny light the fire.
_____ Peter got some sticks and dried leaves and put them on a pile.
1.3 Number these sentences in the order in which they come in the story.
_____ Granny said her head was hurting her.
_____ Granny said We could have lost our house
_____ Granny said When you are older you can do it for me
_____ Granny said I am going to get a pan of water
_____ Granny was going to cook some cornmeal porridge
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1.4 Look at the picture of Peter on pages 5 and 9. What difference can you se
in the way Peter looks?
1.4 Look at the pictures of Granny on pages 5 and 10. What difference do you
see in the way she looks?
1.5 Find the sentence on page 6 that tells why Peter should not light the fire.
1.5 Find the sentence on page 7 that tells why Peter decided to light the fire.
Recall
1.21 Who were the characters in the story?
1.21 What did the people use to beat the flames?
1.22 What did Granny tell Peter to get while she went for the water.
1.22 What did Granny say would happen if Peter used too much kerosene.
1.23 How did Peter light the fire?
1.23 How do the people put out the fire?
1.24 How are Granny and Peter different in the way they light the fire?
1.24 How are Peter and Granny alike after the fire was put out?
1.25 Why did Peter throw the pot of cornmeal on the fire?
1.25 Why was there a lot of noise after the fire died down?
Recognition
2.1 Arrange these words under the correct heading.
Present Tense Past Tense
throw lived catch poured
cook teach got jumped
looked caught call try hear
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2.1 Arrange these under the correct headings.
house river water Peter
hands fire bush grass people
pot woman sticks yard bed
2.3 Pretend you are Peter. Tell the story.
2.4 Where could you look to find different ways of making fire?
2.4 Where could you look to find different ways of putting out fire?
3.1 What else could the author have told you about Peters family?
3.1 What else could the author have told you about Grannys family?
3.2 What can we learn from Peters action?
3.3 If Granny had not gone to fetch water, what do you think Peter would
have done?
3.3 What do you think would have happened if the people had not come to put
the fire out?
3.4 How do you think Peters feelings about lighting fire changed from the
time he asked Granny to let him light the fire to when the fire was put out?
3.4 How do you think Grannys feelings for Peter changed from the time Peter
asked her to let him light the fire to when she came back from getting the
water?
74
3.5 Why do you think Peter disobeyed his Granny?
3.5 Why do you think Peters grandmother told him to wait until he was older
to light the fire?
3.6 What kind of person do you think Peter is?
3.6 What kind of persons do you think the people are?
3.7 Read pages 10 and 11. What do you think will happen next?
3.7 What do you think Peters grandmother will do to him when she gets over
her headache?
3.8 Why do you think Granny said Do you hear me, Peter?
3.8 What do you think Granny meant when she said that fire was a bad thing?
Evaluation
4.1 Do you think this really happened? Why?
4.2 Where do you think the story took place? The city or in the country?
4.3 How many of you have ever seen people putting out fire? Tell about it.
4.3 How many of you have ever disobeyed and then something bad happened?
4.4 What part of the story best tells how Peter feels about what he had done?
4.4 What part of the story best tells how Peter feels when he saw the blaze?
4.5 Should Peter have tried to light the fire? Why?
4.5 Should the people have helped to put out the fire? Why do you say so?
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Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story made you feel scared?
5.3 How did you feel when Peter lit the fire and it blazed?
5.3 How did you feel when the people came to help put out the flames?
5.4 How does the author let you know that Peter was not obedient?
5.4 How does the author let you know that the people around were kind and
caring?
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Reader: Anancy and Cow and Other Stories
Story Title: Anancy and Cow (pp. 3 11)
Grade Level: 4
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells what Anancy was doing when Brother Cow
saw him.
1.11 Find the sentence on page 4 that tells that Anancy had a wife and children.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 4 that tells that Anancy thought he would have
meat to eat.
1.13 Find the sentence on page 10 that tells how Cow got away.
1.13 Number these sentence in the order they appear in the story.
_____ Cow put his tail on his back and ran away.
_____ He thought he knew how to get some meat.
_____ He wanted everybody to think that cow was making trouble.
_____ So he let Annancy put the rope around his neck.
_____ Then Annancy thought of a way to make sure Brother Cow was not
as smart as Annancy.
1.13 Write these events in the order they happened.
Annancy took up the knife to cut off cows tail.
Brother Cow fanned his tail very hard.
Annancy tied the rope to the tree
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They set off for Annancys home.
1.14 Look at the pictures of Annancy on pages 4 and 10. What difference do
you see?
1.15 Find the sentence on page 5 which tells why Cow had to fan his tail.
1.15 Find the sentence on page 10 which tells why Annancy did not cut off
Cows head.
1.16 Find the sentence on page 7 that tells that Annancy was smarter than
Brother Cow.
1.16 Find the sentence on page 6 which tells that Annancys children would be
afraid.
Recall
1.21 Where was Brother Annancy when he saw Brother Cow?
1.21 What did Annancy give Cow?
1.22 Why would you not be surprised that Annancy got an idea?
1.22 Why did cow let Annancy put the rope around his neck?
1.23 How did Brother Cow get away from Annancy?
1.23 How did Annancy get Brother Cow to come to his home?
1.24 How are Annancy and Brother Cow different?
1.25 Why did Brother Cow agree to go to Annancys home?
1.25 Why did Annancy give a loud shout?
Reorganization
2.1 Write each set of words in alphabetical order:
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1. around all about away Annancy
2. brother better bush back but been
3. chew come called out children Cow
2.1 Write these words under the right column.
Noun Pronoun Adjectives
he his your you I
tail neck place home children
poor little nice sweet smart big
2.3 How did Annancy get Cow to go to his house?
2.4 What other Annancy stories do you know?
2.4 Where could you find other Annancy stories?
Inferential
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Annancys family?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Brother Cow?
3.2 What have you learnt about the behaviour of Anancy?
3.3 If the story had not ended there, what do you think would have happened
to Brother Cow?
3.3 If Brother Cow had not agreed to go home with Brother Annancy, what do
you think would have happened?
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3.4 How do you think Brother Cows feelings about Brother Annancy
changed from the time he saw him to the time when he got away?
3.4 How do you think Annancys feeling towards Brother Cow changed from
the first time he saw him to when Cow ran away?
3.5 Why did Annancy really want cow to fan his tail?
3.5 What was the real reason why Annancy wanted to put a rope around
Cows neck?
3.6 What does this story tell you about the type of person Annancy really is?
3.6 What kind of a character was Brother Cow? Give reasons for your
answer.
3.7 What do you think Annancy will do when he realizes that Brother cow has
escaped?
3.8 Annancy got an idea What does it mean to get an idea?
Evaluation
4.1 Do you think this story could happen? Why?
4.3 How many of you know Annancy stories?
4.3 Tell some other things that Annancy always do?
4.3 Does Annancy always have his own way?
4.5 Should Brother Cow have gone to Annancys home? Why?
4.5 Should Brother Cow have run away when the knife cut the rope?
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story was interesting to you?
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5.1 What part of the story did you not like? Why?
5.2 How did you feel when Brother Cow got away from Annancy?
5.2 How did you feel when Anancy said he had to kill Cow?
5.4 How does the author let you know that Annancy wanted to kill Brother
Cow?
5.4 How does the author let you know that Annancy was up to some trick?
5.4 How does the author let you know that Brother Cow was not smart?
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Reader: The Cat Woman and the Spinning Wheel
Story title: Can Annie Make Friends? (pp. 10 21)
Grade Level: 4
Literal Level
1.11 Find the sentence that tells the name of the teacher.
1.11 Find the sentence that tells the name of the best reader in the class before
Annie came.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 15 that tells why Annie did not want to go to
school.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 18 that tells Annie had no one to talk to .
1.13 Number these sentence as they appear in the story.
_____ This is Annie said Miss Spence to the class.
_____ The teacher was calling on all the children to read.
_____ Not even the girls with kind faces would talk to Annie.
_____ Annie made friends after all.
_____ Lena looked around in a very boastful way.
1.13 Write these sentences in the order they happen in the story
-------- She read well and did not make any mistakes.
---------She jumped and made a mistake.
--------As she read she became braver.
---------She saw when the paper hit Annie.
---------I didnt mean to do it, she said in a small voice.
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--------- She wanted to be friendly.
---------She said it because she was afraid the other girls might not
be her best friend
1.14 Look at the pictures of Annie on pages 10 and 17. What difference do you
notice?
1.14 Read pages 13 - 14. What difference is there between the boys and the
girls behaviour to Annie?
1.15 Find the sentence on page 17 that tells why Annie did not want to go to
school.
1.15 Find the paragraph on page 19 that tells why Annie made a mistake when
she was asked to read?
1.16 Find the sentence on page 11 that tells that Lena was boastful.
1.16 Find the sentence on page 12 that tells that Annie was proud.
Recall
1.21 What is the name of the main character in the story?
1.21 What is the name of the teacher?
1.22 Why did the boys look at the girls when Miss Spence said the girl must be
honest?
1.22 Why did Lena go to talk to the girls and try to be nice to them?
1.23 How did Annie and her classmates become friends?
1.23 Name the things that Lena did to Annie.
1.24 How are Lena and Annie different?
1.24 Compare the behaviour of the girls towards Annie at the beginning of the
story to the end.
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1.25 Why does Annie have no one to play with at the beginning of the story?
1.25 Why does Annie not want to go to school?
1.26 What did Lena say about Annie after she read for Miss Spence?
1.26 How did Miss Spence feel towards Annie?
Reorganization
Nouns Adjectives Verbs
boastful faces moved friends
father read kind cried
ugly proud play book
school tease sad boys
2.1 Put these sentences under the proper heading, and punctuate them.
Questions Statements
Why do they tease you
The children laughed
Who did that
Who is the girl
I dont like school
Annie is a nanny
What a way this new girl is boasty
What is wrong Annie
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Pretend you are Annie. Tell how you became friend with the girls.
Read pages 20-21. Tell how Lena came to say she is sorry.
2.4 Annies father said that Nanny was a great woman. Where could you find
information about Nanny?
2.4 What do you know about Nanny?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Annies family?
3.1 Why do you think Annie changed her school?
3.2 What have you learnt from the story about how to treat new classmates?
3.3 Lena told the boy to walk off. What do you think would have happened
if he had stayed?
3.3 What do you think would have happened if Annie had told Miss Spence
that it was Lena who threw the paper?
3.4 Compare the behaviour between the girls and the boys towards Annie.
3.4 How do you think Miss Spence feels towards Lena after she says she is
sorry?
3.5 Why do you think Lena was so mean to Annie?
3.5 Why do you think Annie said she was not proud?
3.6 What kind of person do you think Lena was?
3.6 What kind of person do you think Miss Spence is?
3.6 Who is your favourite character, Lena or Annie? Why?
3.7 What do you think will happen to Annie and her classmates?
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3.7 How do you think Annies parents acted when Annie told them what
happened at school?
3.8 Explain what is meant by, Boy mind yourself.
3.8 What does the expression walk off mean? Why do you think it is not a
good expression for children to use?
Evaluation
4.1 Do you think this could be a true story? Why?
4.1 Do you think all children behave that way to new students?
4.2 What a way she boasty. Do you agree that Annie was boastful? Why?
4.2 In the childrens opinion Lena was not brave. What do you think?
4.3 Have you ever gone to another school or place where you had no friends?
4.3 How did you feel?
4.3 Have you ever gone to a place where you had no friends? How did the
other children make you feel?
4.4 What part of the story tells how Annie felt about school?
4.4 What part of the story best describes Lenas attitude?
4.5 Should the girls have joined with Lena against Annie? Explain.
4.5 Do you think Annie should have tried to read badly so she could have
friends? Why?
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story made you sad?
5.1 How did you feel when Annie started crying because of what Lena said?
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5.1 How did you feel when Lena started to cry?
5.2 Why did you think the author made Lena use words like Walk off and
boy mind yourself.
5.3 How does the author let you know that Lena was not a kind person?
5.3 How does the author let you know that Annie had loving parents.
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Reader: The Cat Woman and The Spinning Wheel
Story Title: Good Follows Good (pp. 24 32)
Grade Level: 4
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells you where the people are.
1.11 Locate the sentence that tells you what the children are waiting for.
1.12 Find the sentence on pg 25 that tells you what everyone was doing while
the old woman was begging.
1.12 What does the old woman want?
1.13 Number these sentences in the order in which they happened in the story?
------- Willy stood there looking at the old woman
------- Willy wanted to go into the bus.
------- Some of the big people were reading newspaper while the others
were talking.
------- Willy walked over quickly to the old woman.
1.13 Number these sentences in the order in which they happened in the story.
___Willy started to walk home
___Willy was standing alone at the bus stop
___The old lady thanked Willy for the bus fare
___The bus bell rang
1.14 How are Willy and the old lady alike?
1.15 How was Willy different from the people at the bus stop?
1.15 Find the sentence that tells you why the people were not paying any
attention to the old lady.
1.17 Find the sentence that tells you how the lady was able to get home?
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Recall
1.21 Where are the people standing?
1.22 What was the old woman begging?
1.22 Why were the people not paying any attention to the lady?
1.23 How did the boy receive help from the old lady?
1.23 How did Willy meet the old woman again?
1.24 What differences are pointed out in the story between where they met on
page 24 at first to where they met on page 28
1.24 How are Willy and the old lady alike?
1.25 Why was Willy lost? What mistake did he make?
1.25 Why is it that it was only Willy who responded to the old lady?
Reorganization
2.1 Put these words in alphabetical order:
reading, shut, bus, road, money
fare, people, school
2.1 Put these words under the proper heading
Willy old woman children
Albert basket grandson
Old woman White Road money
Market school
2.3 Retell the story?
2.3 Tell in your own words about how Willy met the old lady again?
2.4 Willy gave the old lady his bus fare and he walked home. Where would
you look to find some one like this?
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Inferential
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Willy?
3.1 What other information could the author include about the old lady?
3.2 Why do you think Willy gave his bus fare to the old lady?
3.2 Why do you think the old lady helped Willy?
3.3 If Willy was not lost do you think he would have met the old lady again?
3.3 If Willy did not give the old lady his bus fare, what do you think would
have happened to her?
3.4 How do you think Willy felt before& after helping the old lady?
3.4 How do you think her feelings changed from the time she came to the bus
begging to the time she met Willy?
3.5 Why do you think the people at the bus stop were doing their own thing?
3.5 Why do you think the old lady had to beg her bus fare?
3.6 What kind of student do you think Willy is?
3.6 What kind of person do you think the old lady is?
3.7 If Willy had not walked to the market, do you think he would have
received help? How?
3.7 If Willy had not gone to school, do you think the old lady would have
received help from Willy?
3.8 What do you think the old lady meant when she said, If you do good in
life good will follow you
3.8 What do you think the old lady meant when she said, May you live and
never want?
Evaluation
4.1 Could this story really happen? Explain
4.1 What parts of the story could be true?
4.3 Have you ever helped someone, when no one else would help that person?
How did you feel afterwards?
4.3 Why did you help someone who needs help?
4.5 Should Willy have given the money to the old lady? Why?
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4.5 Willy walked home. Should he have walked on the back roads?
Appreciation
5.1 What parts of the story were most interesting?
5.1 How did you feel when the people paid no attention to the old lady?
5.2 How did you feel when Willy got lost?
5.2 How did you feel when he met the old lady again?
5.4 How did the author let you know that the old lady really needed the bus
fare?
5.4 How did the author let you know that Willy needed help?
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Reader: A Game called Football and Other Stories
Story Title: Do Not Enter (pp. 2 9)
Grade Level: 4
Recognition
1.11 Identify the words that state which danger was over Old Man Jacks place.
1.11 Find and list the words that are used to describe Alvin.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 17 that tells what Alvin was after.
1.13 Number these sentence in the order in which they happened in the story:
------Peter rubbed 3 kinds of bush on Alvin.
------Old Man Jack was taking out the cows.
------The boys decided to shoot birds.
------Old man Jack caught a boy and beat him
-------Alvin fell into the prickles
1.14 Look at the pictures of Alvin on pages 11 and 17. What differences can
you see in the way Alvin looks?
1.14 What are the differences in both boys behaviour?.
1.15 Find the sentence that tells you why the boys decide to shoot birds.
1.15 Find the sentence on pages 10 and 11 that tells why Alvin and Peter
planned to visit Old Man Jacks Place.
Recall
1.21 Where did the story take place?
1.22 Who was the Old Man Jack?
1.22 Why did Peter and Alvin want to go to Old Man Jacks place?
1.23 What happened after Alvin hit the bees box?
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1.23 Tell what plans were made before they went to Old Man Jacks place.
1.24 How are the two boys different?
1.24 How are Peter and Alvin alike?
1.25 What motivated Alvin and Jack to go to Old Man Jacks place?
1.25 Why did Peter agree to go to Old Man Jacks place?
Reorganization
Hiding, belly, birds, honey
Rubber, shoot, sign, fence
man, old, brave, Allan, Peter, bees, dog, cows, honey
2.3 What was the story, Do Not Enter, about?
2.3 Look at the 5th paragraph on page 19. Rewrite the story as is if you were
telling someone else about Alvins mistake
2.4 Where can you look to find the sign Do not enter?
Inferential
3.1 What else could the author have told us about the Old Man Jack s
place?
3.1 What else could we learn from Alvin and Peters experience?
3.2 What lessons can we learn from this story?
3.3 If the story hadnt ended here what do you think would have happened to
Alvin and Peter?
3.4 How do you think Peters feelings about the visit to Old Man Jacks place
changed from the time he agreed to visit to the time he actually visited?
3.5 Why do you think Peter went over the fence before Alvin?
3.5 Why do you think Peter decided to go with Alvin to Old Man Jacks
place?
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3.6 What kind of parents do you think the boys have?
3.6 What type of person do you think Old Man Jack was?
3.7 Do you think the boys would ever go back to Old Man Jacks place?
3.7 Read the last paragraph. Tell what will happen next?
3.8 What do you think the author means by as he took off at lightning speed
through the bushes?
3.8 What did Peter mean when said He would beat us until we were black
and blue.
Evaluation
4.1 Could Peter and Alvins experience be real?
4.1 Could this story be a true story/ Explain?
4.2 Could the rubbing of the three kinds of bushes soothe the bites on Alvins
body? Explain.
4.3 How many of you ever got in trouble with a slingshot? How? What
happened?
4.3 What parts of the story best tells you that the boys were disobedient?
4.4 What parts of the story best tells Alvins mistake?
4.4 Should Peter and Alvin have gone to Old Man Jacks place?
4.5 Should Peter have allowed Alvin to use the slingshot?
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story made you feel very angry?
5.1 Describe the part of the story you like best?
5.2 Was Old Man Jack as unkind as the boys made him to be?
5.2 How did you feel when Alvin was bitten by the bees?
5.4 How else could the author have ended the story?
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Reader: Sweet Sweet Mango Tree and Other Stories
Story Title: Jenny Never Did Anything Right (Pages 18 24)
Grade Level: 5
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence on page 3 that tells who Jenny is.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 20 that tells what Jenny did on her way home
from school.
1.12 Find the sentence that tells you some things that Jenny couldnt do.
1.13 Number these sentences in the order in which they happened in the story.
_________ Jenny was thinking how to do things right
_________ The old lady asked her to start the fire
_________ The little children always take water in the house
_________ Jenny laughed, but she did not tell her about the old woman
1.11 Number these sentences in the order in which they happened in the
story.
--------Jenny went to see the old lady but she wasnt there.
--------Jenny sat on the bank under a plum tree
-------Jennys mother realized that she was learning to do things
1.14 Look at the pictures of Jenny on pages 20 and 25. What differences can
you see in the way Jenny looks?
1.14 Identify the word on page 20, that the writer uses to describe Jennys
character
1.15 Find the sentence on page 21 that tells why Jenny was so sad.
1.15 Find the sentence that tells you why Jenny was happy?
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Recall
1.21 What were the things Jenny could not do?
1.22 Why is Jenny now able to start doing things at home?
1.22 Why did Jenny go back to visit the lady?
1.23 What did the old woman tell her to do in each case?
1.23 What happened each time she tried?
1.24 What are the differences in Jennys character before and after she meet the
old lady
1.24 What type of person was Jenny?
1.25 What was Jennys life before and after she met the old lady?
1.25 Jenny was able to do things now. What caused this change?
Reorganization
Action Words Describing Word Naming Words
Funny, old, house, start, woman, sad, Jenny, blow, stick, kind, went,
splash
2.2 In not more than 50 words write a paragraph telling how you think Jenny
felt when she was able to do something right.
Inferential
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Jenny and her mother?
3.2 What can other mothers learn from Jennys mothers mistake?
3.3 If the story had not ended here, what do you think would have happened to
Jenny?
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3.4 How do you think Jennys feelings changed about doing things right, from
the time she met the old lady?
3.5 Why do you think Jenny couldnt do anything right?
3.6 What kind of woman do you think the old woman is?
3.7 What do you think would have happened to Jenny if she hadnt met the
old lady?
3.8 What do you think Jennys mother is like?
3.9 What do you think might have happened if Jenny had told her mother
about the old woman?
Evaluation
4.1 What parts of the story do you think could really happen?
4.1 Could this story be true?
4.2 Have you ever tried to do things and found that you just couldnt get
them right? How did you feel?
4.2 Did you have a similar experience as Jenny. How did you feel when your
parents or teachers spoke to you about this?
4.3 What parts of the story best tells you how Jenny felt when she met the old
lady?
4.3 What part of the story best tells how Jenny felt about herself?
4.4 Should Jenny tell her mother how she learnt to do things right?
4.4 Should Jenny tell anyone how she finally learn to do things properly?
Appreciation
5.1 What parts of story were most scary to you? Why?
5.1 What parts of the story was uninteresting to you? Why?
5.2 If you were Jenny how would you feel if your mother constantly tells you
that you cant do anything right?
5.3 How does the author let you know that Jenny wanted to do things right?
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5.4 How did you feel when Jenny sat under the plum tree?
5.5 How did the author let you know that Jennys mother did not help her, but
only criticize her?
99
Reader Heights By Great Men
Story Title: Home With Mama (Pages 14 32)
Grade Level: 5
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells who came into the room.
1.11 Find the sentence that tells you what mother was doing.
1.12 Find the sentence that tells where the family was going.
1.13 Find the sentence that explains why their mother was vexed.
1.14 Write the following words in alphabetical order.
Work, factory, shop, trucks, country, gate, verandah, aunt, job.
1.13 Put the following words under the appropriate heading
Adjective Verb
excited, happy, cry, work, pretty, sad, read, eat.
1.15 Find the difference between Aunt Marys daughter and Mamas children.
Find the difference between Aunt Mary and Mama.
1.16 Find the sentence that explains why the children were taken to the country.
1.17 Find the sentence that tells us why Mama came back for the children.
Recall
1.21 Which one of the characters lived in the country?
1.22 Why did mama take her children to the country?
1.22 Why did the childrens mother sound vexed in the beginning of the story?
1.23 List the first set of things they said on their way to the country?
1.24 What was mama like before and after she got the work?
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1.24 What was life like before and after the childrens father died?
1.25 How did the children feel when they were taken to Aunt Marys house and when
they were taken back home?
1.26 Why did mother have to take her children to Marys house?
Reorganization
2.1 Write the duties under the correct (name) character
Sarah Cissie Jake
Milk the cows , read, play with the dolly, wash the clothes, keep the
house clean, wash the dishes at nights.
2.1 Write a paragraph telling what the story is about.

2.2 Write a paragraph telling chores they had to do at Aunt Marys house.
2.3 Mama thought that by going back to Kingston without the children she
would be better able to find a job. Where could we look to find a job for
their mother?
Inferential
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Jake?
3.1 What else could the author tell about Aunt Marys daughter?
3.2 What can we learn from this story about relatives?
3.2 What can we learn from this story that might be important to you someday
as a parent?
3.3 If mother had not taken the children to Aunt Marys house, what do you
think would have happened to them?
3.3 If mother had not returned for her children what do you think would have
happened to the children?
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3.4 How do you think the childrens feeling changed from the day they went
to the country to the time they went back to Kingston?
3.4 How do you think the childrens feelings changed, from the time their
mother left them, to the time she came back for them?
3.5 Why do you think Cissie treated the children badly?
3.5 Why do you think Aunt Mary opened the letter?
3.6 What kind of girl do you think Sarah is?
3.6 What kind of person do you think Aunt Mary is?
3.7 Read p. 15. What do you think will happen next?
3.7 Read the 4th paragraph on p.26. What do you think will happen next?
3.8 What Aunt Mary mean when she said, Dont forget oneself, girl
Evaluation
4.1 What parts the story do you think could really happen?
4.2 Have you ever had to stay with somebody else besides your mother or
Grandmother. How did you like this?
4.2 What are some of the problems that might cause children to have to live
with other people for a while ?
4.3 What part of the story best tells you how much they miss their mother?
4.4 What part of the story best tells you that Aunt Mary could be described as
a bully?
4.5 Should Aunt Mary have opened Sarahs letter.
4.6 Should mother have left her children with Aunt Mary since she knew she
quarrels a lot?
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story was most fearful to you?
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5.1 What parts of the story were most interesting to you?
5.2 How do you feel when the children had to work so hard?
5.2 How do you feel when their mother came for them?
5.3 How does the author let you know that mother really love her children?
5.4 How does the author let you know that Cissie was treated better than the
other children?
103
Reader: Sweet Sweet Mango Tree and Other Stories
Story Title: Sweet Sweet Mango Tree (pp. 2 9)
Grade Level: 5
Recognition of Details.
1.11 Find the sentence on page 2 that tells that Ben is lazy.
1.11 Find the sentence on page 4 that tells what fell out of the tree.
1.11 Find the words the old man sang as he danced around the tree.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 3 that tells what Ben saw when he walked
through the bush.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 7 that tells what Ben asked for.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 5 that tells what Ben asked for.
1.13 Arrange these sentences in the order in which they happen in the story.
_____ More money just fell
_____ The next day Ben ran to the tree
_____ The old man put the rice and peas in the basket
_____ He heard a voice far away in the bush
_____ This way I will not have to work again.
1.13 Arrange these sentences in the order they occur in the story.
_____ Ben was making a lot of money
_____ Ben had filled all the baskets
_____ Ben wanted to see what was happening
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_____ Ben stood still
_____ Ben saw a funny thing
1.14 Read pages 6 and 8 and tell the difference in what happened to Ben
when he sang and danced.
1.14 Read pages 8 and 9 and tell the difference between what Ben and the old
man asked for.
1.15 Find the sentence on page 7 that tells why everything went back up
the tree when Ben said the words.
1.15 Find the sentence that tells why Ben wanted money
Recall
1.21 Who is the main character in the story?
1.22 Why did the things Ben ask for go back in the tree?
1.22 Why did nothing happen the first time when Ben danced?
1.23 How do Ben and the old man get things from the mango tree?
1.23 How does the old man get rice and meat for his children?
1.24 How are Ben and the old man different?
1.24 What things did Ben ask for that were different from what the old man
asked for?
1.25 Why did Ben decide to ask for money?
1.25 Why didnt Ben get what he asked for at first?
105
Reorganization
2.1 Write true or false beside each sentence.
The old man saw a lot of green mangoes under the tree. ______
Ben was a man who liked to work. ______
Ben wanted to see what was happening ______
The old man danced and sang ______
The old man did not say thanks when the rice and meat
fell from the tree ______
Ben said he was hungry and wanted food ______
Ben did not want any more money ______
Nobody ever saw Ben again ______
2.1 Put these word under the correct heading
Nouns Pronouns Adjectives
tree, old, he, bush, bread, rich,
hungry, food, I, loud, mangoes,
me, it, good, his, him, green,
2.2 Make an outline of the story by telling:
Who was Ben
What he did
What happened to him
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2.3 What is the story about? .
2.3 Tell the story in not more than ten sentences.
2.4 The old man danced and sang. Where do your parents get food for
their children?
2.4 Money fell from the tree. Where would you expect to find large
sums of money?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Ben?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about the old man and his
children?
3.2 What can we learn about being lazy and greedy?
3.2 What do you think it would be like if people could get anything they
wanted without working?
3.3 If the story had not ended there, what do you think would have happened
to Ben?
3.3 If the man did not get food from the tree, what do you think he would have
done?
3.3 What do you think would have happened if the old man knew that Ben
was under the tree?
3.4 How do you think Bens feelings about the things he should ask the tree
for changed from the time he heard the old man asked to when he asked
for them?
3.5 How do you think the old mans attitude to the tree differ from Bens?
3.6 What is the difference between needing and wanting something?
107
3.6 Why do you think the old man did not think about the green mangoes
when he saw them under the tree?
3.6 Why do you think the money continued to fall from the tree?
3.7 What kind of person do you think Ben is? Why?
3.7 How would you describe the old man?
3.8 Read page 10 again. What do you think will happen next?
3.8 What do you think will happen to the old man?
3.8 Do you think the tree will always give him food?
Evaluation
4.1 Do you think this is a true story? Why?
4.3 Suppose you had a tree in your yard that could give you everything you
asked for. What would you ask for?
4.4 What part of the story best describes the kind of person Ben is?
4.4 What part of the story best describes the old man?
4.5 Should Ben have asked for more than he needed? Why?
4.5 Do you think the tree should have rained money and covered Ben? Why?
Appreciation
5.1 How did the ending of the story make you feel?
5.2 How do you feel about a person who asks for more than he needs?
5.2 How did you feel when all the money began to fall and cover Ben?
108
5.4 How does the author make you feel differently towards Ben and the old
man?
5.4 How do you feel about how the tree treated Ben as compared to how it
treated the old man?
5.4 Pretend you are the tree. Tell how you feel about Ben.
109
Reader: Short Cut
Story Title: Short Cut (pp. 4 19)
Grade Level: 5
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells who was the Devil.
1.11 Find the paragraph on page 5 that tells that the man was a stranger.
1.12 George and Alton fussed a lot. Find three things that Alton said which
shows this.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 15 that tells that Georgie was sorry he took the
short cut.
1.13 Arrange these sentences in the order they happened in the story.
a) George was tearing through the bushes like a wild elephant.
b) Georgie hurried to the station with his father.
c) Georgie saw his chance and ran across the rocky ground
d) Georgie heard a sound outside
e) Georgie got down out of the guinep tree in a flash
f) Georgie picked up a two dollar note from the ground.
1.13 Put these sentence in the order in which they happen.
a) Their father put an end to the quarrel.
b) At the same time a piece of paper blew up in the air.
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c) You love to tell stories too much.
d) In no time they were moving through the hills.
e) Devil showed his teeth as if he were smiling and rolled over.
f) At the same time the man stepped out of the bushes.
1.14 Look at the pictures of Georgie on pages 8 and 19. What difference can
you see in the way Georgie looks.
1.14 Find one section of the story where Devil nearly got Georgie into trouble
and one section where Devil was a help.
1.15 Find the sentence on page 4 that tells how George feels while in the tree.
1.15 Find the sentence on page 10 that tells why Georgie could not move.
Recall
1.21 Who is the main character in the story?
1.21 What time of the day were the boys at the seaside?
1.22 What did Alton tell Georgie about taking the short cut?
1.22 How did Georgie find the cave?
1.23 What happened when Georgie was halfway out of the cave?
1.23 How was George able to escape from the man?
1.24 How are Georgie and his brother different?
1.24 How are Georgies father and the policeman alike?
1.25 Why did the man not finish the sentence when he saw Georgie?
1.25 Why did Georgie hold his breath and squeeze up his body?
111
Reorganization
2.1 Write down the letter for each of the following sentences and say whether
they are true or false.
a) Alton told Georgie it was a good idea to use the short cut.
b) Georgie came to a guinep tree laden with guinep.
c) While George was in the tree he saw a donkey coming with a

crocus bag on his back.
d) The man with the donkey was rough and mean.
e) After the man kicked at the devil, the dog went in the bushes.
f) A guinep fell and hit the man but he did not even notice.
g) Georgie saved Devil from the man.
2.1 Put each pair of words under the correct heading
Adjective Noun Verb Adverb
good, morning came, slowly
ran, quickly short, time
thick, bush went, carefully
held, tightly dark, cave
crocus, bag eating, quietly
looked, closely
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Georgies family?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about the man with the money?
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3.2 What can we learn from the story about taking short cuts?
3.1 What can you learn from the story about the behaviour of animals?
3.3 What do you think would have happened if the man had seen Georgie in
the guinep tree?
3.3 What do you think would have happened if the police had found the
money?
3.3 What do you think would have happened if Georgie had laughed out when
the donkey kicked the man?
3.4 How do you think Georgies feelings about taking short cuts changed from
the time he left his brother to when the story ends?
3.4 How do you think the policemens feelings about Georgies story change
from the time they got to the guinep tree to when they left?
3.5 Why do you think Georgie said the man was a duppy?
3.5 Why do you think Georgies father went to the police station?
3.6 Would you say that Georgie is brave or foolish? Why?
3.6 What kind of person would you say Georgies father is?
3.7 What do you think Georgies parents will do to him when he gets home?
3.7 Do you think Georgie will ever take short cuts again? Why?
3.8 Give in your own words the meaning of the following.
His heart nearly dropped out of his mouth.
Devil came flying back.
His heart turned over.
3.8 What does father mean when he says, I will deal with George later?
3.8 What does Alton mean when he says you are too hard ears?
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Evaluation
4.1 Do you think Duppies are real? Why?
4.3 How many of you have ever taken short cuts to go any where? What
happened?
4.3 How many of you have ever gone in a cave? How does it feel?
4.4 What part of the story best describes how Georgie felt about the robber?
4.4 What is the most important thing Devil did in the story?
4.5 Should Georgie have left his brother and gone through the short-cut?
Why?
4.5 Do you think Georgies father should have gone to the police after
Georgie told him about the robber? Why?
Appreciation
5.1 What is the most exciting part of the story?
5.1 Which part of the story you find most amusing?
5.2 How did you feel when Georgie was in the cave and the man stepped out
of the bushes?
5.2 How did you feel when Georgie was in the tree and the guinep dropped on
the man?
5.2 Who would you rather have for a brother, Georgie or Alton? Why?
5.3 Why do you think the writer uses exclamation sign and capital letters in
Help, Devil! Help?
5.4 How does the author let you know that Georgie was afraid when he heard
the noise in the bushes?
114
5.4 Why does the author use the words Tearing through the bushes like a
wild elephant, when Georgie was going home?
115
Reader: Some of the Worlds Great in Sports
Story Title: Muhammed Ali (pp. 38 48)
Grade Level: 6
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence on page 41 which tells which school Cassius Clay
attended.
1.11 Find the paragraph on page 39 which tells that Cassius Clay changed his
name.
1.12 Find the paragraph on page 39 which tells that Cassius Clays career as a
boxer had begun.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 43 which tells which year he became the World
Heavy Weight Boxer.
1.13 Number these sentences in the order in which they happen.
_____ His speed and skill as a light heavyweight boxer amazed all those
who saw him perform.
_____Cassius went to Central High School but did not do as well in his
school work as he was doing in the boxing ring.
_____On the 12th November 1955, just six weeks after he had joined the
gym, Cassius boxed in his first public amateur bout.
_____ For six years Clay fought as an amateur boxer winning

championship and titles and adding fame to his name.
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1.13 Arrange these events in the order they happen.
_____ He defeated the British Heavyweight and Commonwealth

Champion.
_____ He was defeated by Leon Spinks.
_____ Cassius Clay boxed in his first amateur bout.
_____ He fought the second best heavyweight boxer, Doug Jones.
_____ He fought the famous World Heavyweight Champion

Sonny Liston.
_____ He lost his first professional fight to Joe Fraizer
1.14 Look at the pictures on pages 38 and 43. What difference can you see in
the way Cassius looks?
1.14 Compare what happened in 1971 to what happened in 1976.
1.15 Find the sentence on page 41 which tells why Cassius brought glory and
pride to the United States.
1.15 Find the paragraph on page 45 which tells why Cassius boxing licence
and the World Heavyweight title were taken from him.
1.16 Find the sentence on page 45 which tells that Cassius got a lot of
publicity.
1.16 Find the sentence on page 48 that suggests Ali was a determined man.
Recall
1.21 What is the name of the policeman?
1.21 Who did Ali fight to win the World Heavyweight title?
1.22 Why did the boys go to the policeman?
1.22 Why did Ali become the Heavyweight Champion of the world?
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1.23 Name the boxer Ali defeated to become the greatest heavyweight boxer of
all times.
1.23 Give the name of Cassiuss new religion
1.25 Why did Ali refuse to be drafted in the army?
1.25 Why did the policeman encourage the boys to go to the gym?
Recognition
Noun Verb Adjective

Pronoun
I, stood, amateur, listened, their, heavyweight,
Younger, school, ring, who, opponent,
Fame, you, tired, speed, his, country, treat,
2.3 Give a summary of the fight between Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston.
2.4 Ali says he is the greatest boxer. Where could one look to find if this is
true?
2.4 Where else could we look to find the life story of other great boxers?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Alis early life?
3.1 What motivated Ali to become a professional boxer?
3.2 What lesson can we learn from the life of Muhammed Ali?
118
3.2 Ali stood up for what he believed and refused to be drafted in the army.
3.2 What lesson can we learn from this?
3.3 What do you think would have happened if Cassius and his brother had
caught the boy who stole his bicycle?
3.3 What do you think would have happened to Alis boxing career if he had
gone to the army?
3.4 How do you think Cassius feeling about boxing changed from the time he
was in high school to when he won his first title fight?
3.4 How do you think Cassius feeling for his country, United States, changed
after he was stripped of his titles?
3.5 What effect did Alis religion have on his boxing career?
3.5 Why do you think Ali became a Muslim?
3.6 Ali kept on saying he is the greatest. What kind of person do you think he
is?
3.6 Give your opinion on the character of Ali.
3.7 After reading page 47, what do you think will happen to Ali.
3.7 How do you think the policeman featured in Alis career?
3.8 Explain what Ali meant when he said Eat! Eat! Your words.
Give the meanings of these phrases used by the author.
back up his word bad mouthing his opponents
Evaluation
4.1 Can you identify someone with similar character to Ali?
119
4.1 Identify one statement of fact in the story.
4.1 The author says Ali will go down in history as the greatest boxer of all
times. Do you agree? Why?
4.2 How many of you have ever watched a boxing match?
4.2 Tell about it.
4.3 What parts of the story emphasize Alis greatness?
4.3 What part of the story supports Ali when he says he is the greatest?
4.4 Should Muhammed have refused the draft? Why?
4.4 Should Muhammed have gone back to box after he was given a licence to
fight again?
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story do you find most interesting.
5.1 Do you find the story exciting? Why?
5.1 How did you feel when Muhammed was not allowed to fight?
5.1 When you read the lines of poetry Muhammed wrote how did you feel?
5.2 If you were Sonny Liston, how would you feel to be challenged by the
worlds greatest boxer?
5.2 If you were a spectator at the ring side during the fight with Sony Liston,
how would you feel?
5.3 Read page 44. How does the author make you feel that Ali is a better
fighter than Liston.
5.3 How do you feel when you hear these words, I am the greatest?
120
Reader: Crab Hunt and Other Stories
Story Title: Crab Hunt (pp. 2 13)
Grade Level: 6
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence on page 4 that tells what worries Alty.
1.11 Find the sentence on page 10 that tells what George did when the
crocodile charged at him.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 2 that tells that the men were going crab
hunting.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 6 that tells what George and the boys intend to
do with the crab they catch.
1.13 Arrange these events in order of sequence.
_____ In the darkness neither George or Eddie could see . make a

grimace.
_____ There was silence for a while as they walked on.
_____ They passed through Golden Grove and headed for the morass.
_____ The boys gained confidence after George had spoken.
_____ The crab swung its giant claws off the ground and pinched one of
his fingers.
1.13 Arrange these sentences in order.
George flung the branch as far as he could.
121
George dodged around the tree and escaped.
George looked in the direction from which the whisper had come.
George could see it clearly for by now the moon had risen.
George, the only adult in the party, was in the lead.
George passed the crab to him.
1.14 Write the sentence on page 6 that tells that the boys were no longer afraid
after George spoke to them.
1.14 Read pages 4 and 7 and compare how Alty views crab catching.
1.14 Read pages 4 and 9. What difference do you see in the way Eddie view
crocodile.
1.15 Find the paragraph on page 5 that tells why Eddie did not like the
crocodile talk.
1.15 Find the sentence on page 7 that tells why Alty said he was not going to
catch any more crabs.
1.16 Find the sentence that tells that Ali is boastful. .
1.16 Find the sentence that tells that Alty was afraid.
Recall
1.21 Name the characters in the story.
1.22 Why were George and the boys going out to catch crabs when it was
raining?
1.22 What did Alty remember about Jamaican geography?
122
1.23 Give in order the instructions George gave Eddie to escape from the
crocodile.
1.23 What did George do to escape from the crocodile?
1.24 How are Alty and Eddie alike?
1.24 How are George and Eddie different?
1.25 Why did the crocodile run after the branch George flung at him?
1.26 Why did Eddie shriek and jump up in the air?
2.1 Group these words according to the sound ed make.
t d ed
gained inquired passed
folded fetched disappeared
asked headed grabbed
explained walked pinched
climbed splashed halted
moved followed seemed
2.1 Put these pairs of words under the correct heading.
Adjective Nouns Verbs Adverbs
day, night complete, darkness
empty, bag asked, breathlessly
scampered, swiftly clumsy, reptile
swampy, ground spoken, earnestly
went, quietly
123
2.2 Make an outline of the map of Jamaica. Identify the parish of St. Thomas
and put in Golden Grove.
2.2 Make a sketch of the path the boys took to catch crabs.
2.3 Tell how George and Eddie escaped from the crocodile.
2.3 Give a summary of what happened when Eddie saw the crocodile.
2.4 Where could you look to find out where Golden Grove is in St. Thomas?
2.4 Where could you look to find out how crocodiles behave?
3.1 What else could the author have told you about the boys?
3.1 What else could the author have told you about the behaviour of
crocodiles?
3.1 Do you think crab hunting is a good activity for fun? Why?
3.2 What do you think would have happened if George had not deceived the
crocodile?
3.2 What do you think would have happened to Eddie if George had run off
and left him?
3.3 How do you think the boys attitude to crab hunting changed, from the
time they left to go, to when they returned?
3.3 How do you think Georges feeling about the presence of crocodile
change from the time he heard Eddie tell what he had read about
crocodiles to when he saw the crocodile?
3.4 George said he could not leave Eddie. Why do you think he could not?
3.4 Why do you think George dropped the bag of crabs when he tried to
escape from the crocodile?
124
3.5 What kind of person do you think George is?
3.5 Do you think Eddie was brave or a coward? Why?
3.6 Do you think the boys will go crab hunting again? Why?
3.7 What do you think is meant by take to his heels, head-on collision
feeling movement?
Evaluation
4.1 Could George have deceived the crocodile and escaped the way he did?
4.2 Say whether these statements are facts or opinions.
(a) If you hold a crab from behind it cannot bite you.
(b) There are no alligators in Jamaica.
(c) The best time to catch crab is on rainy nights.
(d) People always go crab hunting with torches.
(e) St. Thomas is noted for crocodiles.
(f) Crocodiles sometimes travel in pairs.
4.3 How many of you have ever seen a live crocodile? Tell about it.
4.3 Do you think there are alligators in Jamaica? How could you find out?
4.4 What part of the story best describes the kind of person George is?
4.4 What part of the story best describes the kind of person Alty is?
4.5 Do you think that Alty should have run away and left George and Eddie?
Why?
4.5 Should the boys have run away and left the bag of crabs?
125
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story do you find most interesting?
5.1 Who do you like better, Alty or Eddie? Why?
5.2 How did you feel when Eddie was making his escape from the crocodile?
5.2 How did you feel when Eddie came face to face with the crocodile?
5.4 How does the author let you know that George was a caring person?
5.4 How does the author let you know that the boys were enjoying catching
the crabs?
126
Reader: The Prize Back To School
Story Title: Back To School (Pages 2 17)
Grade 6
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence, which tells the number of children Mrs Brown has.
1.11 Find the sentence, which tells what problem Errol had.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 19, which tells how old Errol is.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 18, which tells you who Mr Lee is.
1.13 Number these sentences in the order they come in the story.
-----The man asked Errol to keep his voice down.
-----The driver asked Mr. Lee where they were having the film show.
----- Mrs. Brown made coconut drops and pudding for the people to eat.
----- Mr. Lee and Errol planned a film show to raise money.
1.13 Place these in the order, which they happen in the story.
----- The doctor examined Errols ears.
-----Errol and Mr. Lee drove from Content Valley to Kingston.
-----The doctor told Mr. Lee and Errol that Errols eardrum was not
working.
-----.Mr. Lee said that he would take Errol to see a specialist.
1.14 Look at the pictures on pages 24and 27. What difference can you see in
the way Errol looks?
1.14 Look at the pictures on pages 30 and 31. What differences can you see in
the way Mr. Lee looks?
1.15 Find the sentence on page 30 which tells you why Mr. Lee, Mrs. Brown
and Errol could not believe their ears.
1.15 Find the sentence on page 25, which tells you why Mr. Lees mouth
suddenly dropped.
127
Recall
1.21 Who are the main characters in this story?
1.21 How much money did the doctor say Errol s hearing aid would cost?
1.22 Why did Mr. Lee go to Errols house bright and early Tuesday morning?
1.22 Why was Mr. Lee surprised?
1.23 How did Mr. Lee know that Errol had a hearing problem?
1.23 How did Mr. Lee know that Errol was a bright boy?
1.24 How are Mr. Lee and Errol alike while the doctor was explaining what
was the problem with Errols ears?
1.24 How are Mr. Lee and Errol different when the doctor shows them the
hearing Aid ?
1.25 Why did Mrs. Brown ask, Speak to me, Sir, what business do you have
with me?
1.25 Why did Mr. Lee want to speak with Mrs Brown?
Reorganization
Put these words under the correct heading:
Proper Nouns or Common Nouns
2.1 Mrs. Brown, Mr. Lee, Errol, doctor, principal, car, house, Content Valley
School, children mother Kingston,
2.1 Put these words under the proper heading:
People Place Things
Content Valley, Mr. Lee, coconut.
Drops, ginger beer, Grove, village, driver, film show, Errol, doctor, seat,
bus.
2.2 Summarize in not more than a paragraph what the story is about.
2.2 Make a summary of the preparation that was made for the film show.
(Not more than a paragraph).
128
2.3 Mrs. Brown says, As for Errol there is really no hope and half the
time he goes on like he doesnt even hears me Where could she go to
find out if Errol was having a hearing problem?
2.4 Errol said, Mr. Lee! I have a good idea. What about a film show at
school?
Where else could Mr. Lee and Errol have planned to have the show?
Inferential
3.1 What else could the author have told us about the film show?
3.1 What else could the author have told us about Errols family?
3.2 What can we learn from Mr. Lee as a Principal?
3.3 If the Principal had not tried to help Errol with his problem, what do you
think would have happen to Errol?
3.3 If the doctor had not helped Errol by reducing the cost of the hearing aid
through assistance from the hospital, how do you think the money would
have been raised?
3.4 How do you think Mrs. Brown feels about Errol now as against the time
when she did not know his problem?
3.4 How do you think Errol feels now that he can hear well?
3.5 Why do you think Mr. Brown was so willing to assist with the film show?
3.5 Why do you think Mr. Lee was able to find out that Errol had a hearing
problem before his mother did?
3.6 What kind of mother do you think Mrs. Brown is?
3.6 What kind of person do you think Errol is?
3.7 Read the second paragraph on page 19. What do you think will happen
after this conversation between Mr. Lee and Mrs. Brown?
3.7 Read page 21. Say what you think will happen next?
3.8 What does the author mean when he says, Thats a good joke?
3.8 What does the author mean when he says, Errol, Mr. Lee and Mrs.
Brown could not believe their ears?
129
Evaluation
4.1 Could this story really happen?
4.3 How many of you have ever seen or read of a person who had a hearing
problem?
4.3 How many of you ever read about deafness or seen a deaf person trying to
hear what someone else is saying?
4.4 What part of the story best tells the person who had the most work in
preparation for the film show?
4.4 What part of the story best tells about how Mr. Lee felt about Errol?
4.5 Should Mr. Lee have been so caring towards Errol? Tell why?
4.5 Should Mrs. Brown have treated Mr. Lee so badly when he visited her
house? Explain why?
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story did you find most interesting?
5.1 What part of the story did you not like? Say why?
5.2 How did you feel when Mrs. Brown said, Speak to me, Sir what business
do you have with me. I am a busy woman and I dont have much for me to
talk
5.2 How did you feel when the doctor told Errol he was going to take a good
look at the inside of his ears?
5.3 Why do you think the author uses the word wrong twice in line 12 on
page 18?
5.3 Why do you think the author said the people just laughed and laughed?
5.4 How does the author make you know that the big man did not understand
why Mrs. Brown, Mr. Lee and Errol were laughing when he asked Errol to
keep his voice down?
5.4 What phrase on page 29 does the writer use to let you know that the
preparation for the film show was about to change?
130
Reader: A Dream Come True
Story Title: Keep Your Feet on the Ground (Pages 2 10)
Grade: 6
Recognition
1.11 Find the sentence that tells you who Cissy lived with.
1.11 Find the sentence that tells you where Cissy lived.
1.12 Find the sentence on page 2 that tells you where Cissy enjoyed going?
1.13 Put the following sentences in the correct order in which they would come
in the story.
----- Cissy decided that she would buy pigs.
----- Cissy felt that the people would be amazed to see her in fine
clothes.
----- It was a lonely day when Cissy set out for the village with the pan
of milk.
----- Cissy planned to buy a hen.
----- Cissys grandmother warned her about dreaming so much.
----- Cissy said that her grandmother might decide to come and live on
the new farm.
1.14 What was the difference between Cissy and her grandmother?
1.14 What are the differences between living in the mountain and living in the
village?
1.15 Find the sentence that tells you why Cissies grandmother keeps
reminding her to keep her feet on the ground and dont lose her head.
131
Recall
1.21 Who are the main characters?
1.22 Why is Cissie happy when there is a lot of grass?
1.22 Why did Cissy say she wanted to live in the village?
1.23 Cissy said when I walk through the village in my fine clothes there are
some things that will happen. List them!
1.23 Cissie noticed the land was flat. What did she plan to do next?
1.24 What is the difference between Cissie and her grandmother?
1.24 What were the similarities of her dreams?
1.25 What caused Cissie to daydream a lot?
1.25 Did her daydreaming get her in trouble?
Re-organization
2.1 Put these words in alphabetical order:
Factory, village, Cissy, rabbit, cocoa, pan. radio, eggs
2.1 Find the opposites of these words
buy bumpy
tame sell
smooth good
sad wild
2.2 Write a paragraph telling how you think Cissies grandmother felt about
her.
2.3 Cissie daydreams about living in a village as a good place for her to live.
Where could she find information?
Inference
3.1 What else could the author have told us about her grandmother?
3.1 What else could the author tell us about Cissies background?
3.2 What can you learn from the story?
132
3.2 Do you think it is a bad thing to daydream?
3.3 If the story had not ended here, what do you think would happen to
Cissie?
3.4 Compare the differences in opportunities in living at the village as against
living on a farm.
3.4 What are the similarities in living in the village as against living on the
farm?
3.5 Why do you think grandmother kept reminding her about daydreaming?
3.5 What was the effect of Cissies daydreaming?
3.6 What kind of person do you think Cissie is?
3.6 What kind of person do you think Cissies grandmother was, to be
warning her about daydreaming?
3.7 What do you think would happen to Cissie if her dreams came true?
3.7 What kind of relationship would Cissie have with the people in the village
if her dreams came true?
3.8 What do you think grandmother meant when she said, keep your feet on
the ground and dont lose your head. What do you think grandmother
meant when she says, take care not to fly past your nest?
Evaluation
4.2 People often daydream about all the great things they would like to do.
Have you ever done this? What are some of the great things you would
like to do or like to be?
4.3 In your opinion, could Cissie make her dreams come true? What are some
of the things she would have had to find out first?
4.4 What part of the story best tells us about how Cissy felt about living in the
village?
4.4 What part of the story best tells us that Cissy was really a dreamer?
133
4.5 Do you think it was a bad thing for Cissy to be a daydreamer? Why do
you say so?
4.6 Do you think we can get things only by daydreaming about them? Why
do you say so?
Appreciation
5.1 What part of the story was most interesting to you? What part of the story
was boring to you?
5.1 How did you feel when Cissy kept dreaming about living in the village?
5.2 How do you feel when the milk pan fell from her head?
5.2 How did the author let you know that daydreaming alone cannot make
things work?
5.3 How does the author let you know that Cissys grandmother was wiser
than she? Do you think that old people are often wiser than young people?
134
135

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NEW HORIZONS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Teachers Guide Manual for

Samuel S. Myers, Literacy Specialist

Laurel Brent-Harris, Literacy Specialist

The Barrett Taxonomy 8

Applying the Barrett Taxonomy 13

Sample Selection 1, Needing a Friend 16

Application of the Barrett Taxonomy Based on

Sample Selection 2, Mists of Change 23

Application Exercise Based on Mists of Change 26

Samples of Reading Comprehension Questions 27

TWO IMPORTANT WAYS IN WHICH THE BARRETTS

1. Literal Comprehension entailing recognition and recall of ideas and

Cognitive and Affective Dimensions of

1.0 Literal Comprehension. Literal comprehension focuses on ideas and

1.11 Recognition of Details. The student is required to locate or identify facts

2 Reorganization. Reorganization requires the student to analyze, synthesize, and/or organize

3.0 Inferential Comprehension. Inferential Comprehension is demonstrated by the student

4.1 Judgments of Reality or Fantasy. Could this really happen?

Appreciation. Appreciation involves all the previously cited

Thomas C. Barrett, "The Barrett Taxonomy of the Cognitive andAffective Dimensions of

Applying the Barretts Taxonomy

"Nothing!" said Tina.

"You're new here, aren't you?" asked the girl.

"Is that why you're crying?" asked the girl.

Tina nodded again, but she stopped crying.

"Why don't you come out?" asked Tina.

"I can't," said the girl.

"I can't walk," said the girl.

"But I can't go out," said the girl.

"Me, too," said Tina. "Me, too."

Needing a Friend, in Franco, John M. et al, (1970). I build, I Belong, I Believe,

1.0 Literal Comprehension:

_____Carla asks Tina what she is looking at out the

_____Pedro meets two boys.

_____Tina and the girl in the blue dress decided to be

_____Tina runs out of the house crying.

Pedro dress friends Tina

People Places Things

2.2 Not appropriate in this story.

3.0 Inferential Comprehension:

"That's right! Isn't it wonderful?"

From: "The Mists of Change" by Charlotte Epstein,

_____9. Could the experience Lucy and

_____10. How did your feelings change as

Story Title: The Bag in the Tree, (p.7)

1.13 Number these sentences in the order in which they come.

A. That is not your bag.

B. We go to Roy with the bag.

C. I see a bag in a tree

1.13 Number these sentences in order.

A Come and bat the ball with me.

B I am going with it to look for Roy

C I go up and get the bag.

1.21 What are the names of the two boys?

1.21 What did the boys look for on the bag?

1.22 Where was Sam going with his bat?

1.23 How did Roy get his bag?

1.24 How are Sam and the boy alike?

1.24 How are Sam and Roy alike?

1.25 Why did Sam go up the tree?

1.25 Why is Sam going with his bat?

2.1 Put each word under the correct heading.

Roy bat boy tree

Barrett's Taxonomy

Barrett's Taxonomy

m_ r r t__