Reading - Group 2

Week 3

monday

Please Wait

Please Wait Today was the first day of school, and my friend Jody had a new haircut. It looked so cool.

When I got home, I asked my mom for a haircut, and I told her exactly how I wanted it. I asked her, very politely, “Could you please do it today?”

Sadly, she was busy. She told me that it takes a long time to cut hair. “First, you have to take a bath so that your hair is wet. Then, you have to brush it out really well,” she said. My face dropped as my mom continued. “Finally, when you cut, you have to use special scissors, and cut very gently so that everything is even…” Her voice trailed off.

“You need to be very careful and get it just right. If you make a mistake, you can’t glue the hair back on,” she said, laughing. I didn’t think it was very funny.

“Maybe I can cut it for you on the weekend,” she told me.

I went back to my room and looked at my hair in the mirror. It was way too long, and I didn’t want to go back to school looking like this.

I thought about what Mom had told me. She said to take a bath first, but I already took one this morning. Then she said to brush my hair, so I gave it a quick brush. Mom had said to use special scissors. I got my school scissors out of my desk. If they could cut paper, they could cut hair! I looked in the mirror again and paused. Mom’s comment that “you can’t glue it back on again” made me worry a little. I decided to cut off just a little hair.

Snip. Snip. Snip. I watched some hair float to the floor. I looked in the mirror, and one side was shorter than the other.

Snip. Snip. Snip. I looked again, but now the other side was shorter!

Snip. Snip. Snip. It was still wrong.

Snip. Snip. Snip. I kept trying to fix things, but the more I cut, the more lopsided and crooked my hair became. I started to cry.

Mom walked in. She looked at my new haircut. She shook her head and didn’t say anything. I don’t like it when she doesn’t say anything.

“Are you mad because it's ugly?” I asked.

“No, I’m disappointed because you were not patient. I am disappointed that you did not wait for me,” she replied.

I went into the bathroom and took a bath. My mom brushed my hair out, then clipped gently with her special scissors. It wasn’t perfect, but it was much better. My mom smiled as she combed my hair one last time.

“All good things come to those who wait,” she said.

Answer the following questions about the story

For Questions 1-3, choose the correct answer.

Why did the girl want to cut her hair?
1. She was bored with her hair.
2. Her best friend got a new haircut that she liked.
3. She didn’t want hair anymore.
4. She wanted to annoy her mom.
Why did the girl’s mom ask her to wait?
1. She did not want to cut her daughter’s hair.
2. She was not in the mood.
3. She was busy.
4. She wanted her daughter to cut her own hair.
What lesson did the girl learn at the end of the story?
1. Do not steal.
2. Be kind to others.
3. Be respectful toward your parents.
4. Be patient.
Circle the correct choice in the sentences below.

The girl wanted to make her hair ( longer / shorter ).

Her best friend’s hair was ( cool / awful ).

The result was ( amazing / terrible ) when the girl cut her own hair.

Mom was ( angry / disappointed ) that her daughter cut her own hair.

Fill in the blanks with the steps for a good haircut.

Take a _______________, so that your _______________ is _______________. _______________ your _______________ really well.

_______________ hair _______________ with _______________ scissors.

Did the girl follow these steps when she cut her own hair? Yes / No.

tuesday

Zoom Gloom

Distance learning. What a bore.

Our school’s been closed a month or more.

I’m stuck at home. I’m in my room,

and meeting with my class on Zoom.

There’s no more lunchroom. No PE.

Just studying and tests for me.

There’s no more recess. No more ball.

Just staring at my bedroom wall.

The playground’s closed—the swings, the slide—

and everybody’s stuck inside.

We can’t go out and play with friends.

I hope that, pretty soon, this ends.

I know it’s only for a while,

but here’s a thought that makes me smile:

Although it might not sound so cool,

I just can’t wait to go to school.

— Kenn Nesbitt

Answer the following questions about the poem

Who is the author of this poem?
What can’t the boy in the poem wait to do?
What is the boy doing instead of playing ball with his friends?
Where does the boy do his distance learning?

In the lounge
In the dining room
In his bedroom
In the kitchen

How does the boy feel about distance learning?
1. Happy
2. Angry
3. Bored
4. Tired
Find 4 pairs of rhyming words in the poem:

________________ & ________________ ________________ & ________________

Find the word in the poem that the author used instead of ‘morning tea’ time at school.

wednesday

Ernest and the Elevator

Liam has a dog named Ernest. He is a very good dog.

Ernest rarely barks. He never bites. He’s very well behaved, except that he loves chewing Liam’s shoes.

Every day after school, Liam takes Ernest for a walk.

“Time for a walk, Ernest,” Liam calls. Ernest wags his tail and runs over to Liam. Liam clips Ernest’s leash to his collar.

Liam and Ernest live in an apartment building. Ernest does not like to ride in the elevator. Every day, Liam tries to get Ernest to go into the elevator. And every day, Ernest refuses to go inside.

Ernest whines, cries and pulls on the leash. He’s too scared to ride the elevator.

Most of the time, Liam and Ernest take the stairs. Not today! Today, Liam decides to help Ernest conquer his fear.

First, Liam tries to lure Ernest into the elevator with his favorite dog toy. He takes Ernest’s stuffed monkey out of his doggie bed and puts it on the elevator floor.

“Come on, Ernest!” he exclaims, holding the elevator door open. “Come get your toy.”

Ernest looks at the stuffed monkey. He looks at the elevator. Then he lies down and makes a soft whining noise. He won’t get in the elevator.

Liam has another idea. He finds some salami in the fridge and puts it on the floor of the elevator.

“Come get the salami, Ernest,” he says.

Ernest looks at the salami. He looks at the elevator. He inches a little bit forward, then stops. Ernest still won’t get in the elevator.

Liam is about to give up. Will nothing help Ernest overcome his fear?

Then, Liam has another idea. He takes off one of his shoes and tosses it inside the elevator.

“Ernest, go get the shoe!” Before Liam can even finish his sentence, Ernest jumps inside the elevator. He starts chewing on Liam’s shoe.

They get to the bottom floor. “You are so brave, Ernest,” Liam says. Ernest won’t let go of the shoe, but Liam doesn’t mind. He takes Ernest for a walk in one shoe and one sock.

Answer the following questions about the story

Who is Ernest?
What does Liam do every day after school?
What does Ernest rarely do?
Where do Liam and Ernest live?
True (T) or False (F)? Circle the correct answer.

6. Circle the correct answer.

a. Ernest looks at the stuffed monkey. He looks at the elevator. Then he lies down and ( barks / makes a soft whining noise ).

b. Ernest won’t let go of the ( stuffed monkey / shoe ), but Liam doesn’t mind.

c. Other than the fact that he loves ( hiding / chewing ) Liam’s shoes, Ernest is very well-behaved.

7. Write 1, 2, 3 and 4 to put the events of the story in the correct order.

_______ Liam tries to lure Ernest into the elevator with salami.

_______ Liam tries to lure Ernest into the elevator with a stuffed monkey.

_______ Liam takes Ernest for a walk wearing only one shoe.

_______ Liam lures Ernest into the elevator with one of his shoes.

thursday

AstroCow

Hello, my name is AstroCow.

I’m deep in outer space right now.

I’m off to visit distant stars.

I’ve seen the moon. I’ve been to Mars.

I’ve done the most amazing things.

I soared through Saturn’s massive rings.

I checked out Neptune. Pluto too.

Then out among the stars I flew.

I built this awesome rocket ship

to take an interstellar trip,

and travel through the galaxy

to find a home for cows like me.

You see, I used to live on Earth.

It was my home, my place of birth.

But now I search for somewhere new;

somewhere they don’t serve barbecue.

— Kenn Nesbitt

Answer the following questions about the story

What animal is narrating this poem?
Why is AstroCow looking for a new home?
What are two things that AstroCow has seen?
How did AstroCow get her rocket ship?
What are the 5 plants (or dwarf planets) that AstroCow has seen or been to?
What two words make up each of these contractions?

don’t = ________ & ____________

I’ve = _______ & _____________

I’m = _______ & ___________

Find 4 pairs of rhyming words in the poem:

________________ & ________________ ________________ & ________________

friday

The Runaway Ball

“Tied game!” Mike shouted to his friends. “It’s 3-3!” Mike’s kickball team played kickball in the neighborhood every Friday night. The game was held on a street that ended in a big hill. Not many cars traveled on this street, so it was perfect for the kids to play their game.

The pitcher rolled the ball to Mike. He patiently waited for the perfect moment to strike. The ball bounced slowly in his direction until it was nally in the right spot. Mike pulled back his leg and kicked as hard as he could. The ball ew high in the air. The kids on the other team watched as the ball sailed over their heads.

Mike sprinted to first base. He watched as the other team’s players tried to chase the ball. He rounded first, passed second base, flew past third base, and reached home plate. Mike grinned and jumped up and down, but he stopped short and looked around. No one else, not even his team, was cheering for him. What was going on?

Then, Mike noticed that all the kids were running down the hill. They were chasing Mike’s y ball that turned into a homerun. He quickly joined his friends as they tried to retrieve the ball.

“This stinks,” April said. “The ball went down the sewer and we can’t reach it. I guess this means our game is over and we all have to go home.”

The kids brainstormed and tried to solve their problem. Each player reached an arm down into the sewer to see if the ball could be reached. No one had any luck, though. Sandy went to get a baseball bat from her house, but that didn’t help. Jerry and Denise got a broom and a mop from their house, but neither tool worked.

Just then, an older neighbor came outside. He noticed that the kids were trying to solve the problem of getting the ball out of the sewer. He walked up to the kids and asked if they needed help. The kids had never spoken to him before because he mostly stayed in his house.

The old man went into his garage. He returned to the sewer with a garden tool that had a long handle. He handed the tool over to Mike.

“Well, son,” he said. “It looks like you’re the right person for the job. You kicked this ball, so you need to bring it back.”

Mike got down on all fours. He was able to reach the ball. He carefully moved the tool and the ball at the same time until it was back in his hands. Success!

“Thank you so much, sir,” Mike said to the old man. “You really saved the day!”

Answer the following questions about the story

Who kicked the ball that went down the hill into the sewer?
What household items did not work as the kids tried to retrieve the kickball?
When did the kids play kickball each week?
Where was the kickball game played?
Why was Mike responsible for getting the ball out of the sewer?
How did Mike feel after he scored a homerun for his team?

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