Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources SUPER-FUN Reading & Writing Skill Builders 50 Motivating Reproducibles That Reach & Teach Every Learner! SCHOLASTIC PROFESSIONALBOOKS New York • Toronto • London • Auckland • Sydney • Mexico City • New Delhi • Hong Kong
Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the activity sheets from this book for classroom use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Cover design by Mo Bing Chan Cover illustration by Lori Osiecki Interior design by Ellen Matlach Hassell for Boultinghouse & Boultinghouse, Inc. Interior illustrations by Teresa Anderko, Heidi Chang, and Manuel Rivera ISBN: 0-439-06065-6 Copyright © 1998 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources Contents Appetite for April Fools . . . . . . . . . 31 My Summer Vacation . . . . . . . . . . 32 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Attack of the Massive Melon! . . . . 33 Mechanics and Usage . . . . . . . . 6 Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Grammar Cop and the case Be a Word Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 of the missing capital letters . . . . . . 6 PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES CAPITALIZATION It’s Greek to Me! WORD ROOTS . . . . . . 35 Grammar Cop and the Tasty Word Treats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Apology of Goldilocks . . . . . . . . . . . 7 PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES POSSESSIVES What’s an Eye Hat?. . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Grammar Cop and the Case of the Big Bad Wolf . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 COMPOUND WORDS ITS VERSUS IT’S A Ram Sang (Anagrams) . . . . . . . 38 VOCABULARY/SPELLING Grammar Cop and the Education of Snow White . . . . . . . . 9 Riddle Recipe SYNONYMS . . . . . . . . . 39 Hink Pink Riddle Recipe . . . . . . . . 40 YOUR, YOU’RE SYNONYMS Grammar Cop and the Case of the Worried Elf . . . . . . . . . 10 A Beastly Puzzle VOCABULARY . . . . . 41 Two Left Feet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 THEIR, THEY’RE, THERE SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS Grammar Cop and the Three Little Pigs’ Day in Court . . . 11 Catch a Word Worm VOCABULARY. . . . . 43 QUOTATION MARKS Rebuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Grammar Cop and a Tr + This! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Case of Monkey Business . . . . . . . 12 S + – i These!. . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 IDIOMS Say W + ?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Grammar Cop and the Case America S + – r. . . . . . . . . . 47 of the Emperor’s New Clothes . . . . 13 Reading Comprehension . . . . . 48 VERB TENSES Zapped! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Finish Me! Stories . . . . . . . . . . 14 To Bee or Not to Bee? . . . . . . . . . . 50 Lights, Camera, Yapping!. . . . . . . . 52 Go to the Head of the Class . . . . . . 14 A Crayon Is Born. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Kids in the Goldfields . . . . . . . . . . 56 Super Silly Circus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Jackie Robinson: American Hero . . . 58 E. B. White: The Author My Life as a ______ . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Who Spun Charlotte’s Web . . . . . . 60 Fright Night. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Reading Response . . . . . . . . . . 62 Gone to a Goofy Galaxy. . . . . . . . . 18 The Secret Soldier . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 OUTLINING/ORGANIZING IDEAS A Funny Fairy Tale . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Pack Your Bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Vote for Us! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Goofy Game Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 THINK WHILE READING Hollyweird. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 What Do You Think? . . . . . . . . . . . 65 PREDICTING/SUMMARIZING Seasoned Greetings . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Build a Story Pyramid . . . . . . . . . . 66 Nothing to Sneeze At! . . . . . . . . . . 24 Happy New You! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Goose on the Loose . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Downhill Disaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Oh, My Aching Heart! . . . . . . . . . . 28 Jungle Fever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Two at the Zoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources Introduction Make learning fun and kids will eat it up! That’s what we’ve done in Super-Fun Reading and Writing Skill Builders. The grammar, usage, mechanics, vocabulary, reading-comprehension, and reading-response activities in this book are so entertaining your students will clamor for seconds! Here are a few of the things on the menu: • Grammar Cop helps kids learn essential rules of grammar. • Finish-Me! Stories teach parts of speech. • Anagrams, Riddle, and Hink Pinks fortify students’ vocabularies. • Rebuses tickle the funny bone as they build spelling skills. • Reading Comprehension reproducibles provide a leg up when it comes to test-taking. • Graphic Organizers offer kids ready-to-go tools to organize their thoughts and respond in meaningful ways to the books they read. Use these instant, irresistible activities anytime of the day— from morning jump-starts to end-of-the day treats! Turn to them to teach essential rules of grammar, extend mini-lessons, enhance learning centers, or simply provide practice for kids struggling with a particular skill. No matter how you decide to use them, we guarantee that even your choosiest students will enjoy—and benefit from—these tasty morsels! —the editors 4
Name Mechanics and Usage: Capitalization Grammar Cop and the case of the missing capital letters The person who wrote this letter didn’t really understand the laws of capital letters. Can you help Grammar Cop find the mistakes? Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources Dear cinderella and Prince Charming, Directions: Circle the there must be a terrible mistake! the letters that should have been capitalized. Hint: stepsisters and I have not yet received an There are 19 mistakes. invitation to your wedding. i keep telling the stepsisters that the invitation will Remember these basic arrive soon. i’m getting worried that our laws of capital letters: invitation got lost. i hear you often have problems with the unicorns that deliver the • Names palace mail. Always capitalize someone’s proper name. I’m sure you intend to invite us! After (Example: Gina, Kenneth, all, you were always my special favorite. Tyrone) How i spoiled you! i let you do all the best chores around the house. are you still mad • Places about that trip to disney world? i don’t Always capitalize the know how we could have forgotten you! name of the town, city, anyway, florida is too hot in the summer. state, and country. (Example: I live in Orchard so cinderella, dear, please send along Beach, California, which another invitation as soon as you can. i is in the United States.) know how busy you are in your new palace. if you need any cleaning help, i can send •I one of your stepsisters along. they both Always capitalize the miss you so much! letter I when it stands for a person. (Example: I am Best wishes, in fourth grade, and I’m Your not really so wicked stepmother ten years old.) • First letter Always capitalize the first letter of the first word of a sentence. 5
Name Mechanics and Usage: Possessives Grammar Cop and the Apology of Goldilocks Goldilocks feels guilty about messing up the home of the three bears. She wants to make it up to them. But she doesn’t understand the laws of possessive words. Can you help Grammar Cop fill in the blanks? Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources Dear Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear, Directions: Wherever you I owe you guy an apology. I didn’t mean to see a box, decide whether the word needs an ’s, an s’ get my germ all over everyone porridge and or a plain s. Write your break Baby Bear chair. I didn’t say to myself, “I answer in the box. think I’ll head to the bear cottage and mess up their stuff.” I had been hiking through the wood , Remember these basic gathering rock for my science project. I had laws of possessives: stuffed all the rocks into my jacket pocket. When I sat down in Baby Bear chair, the rock • Singular possessive (’s) weight caused me to crush the chair. Use ’s when you want to show that something To make it up to you, I would like you to come to belongs to someone or my family house for dinner. I have a new chair something. (Example: That for Baby Bear. (I used all my baby-sitting money to is Bozo’s clown wig.) pay for it.) Please let me know if you can come. • Plural possessive (s’) Love, Use s’ when something Goldilocks belongs to more than one person. (Example: Those are P.S. I’ll be serving some of my the clowns’ wigs.) parent homemade honey. • Plural noun (s) Use a plain s when you simply want to show that there is more than one of something. (Example: There are lots of clowns in town. They are all wearing wigs.) 6
Name Mechanics and Usage: Its Versus It’s Grammar Cop and the Case of the Big Bad Wolf The wolf from “Little Red Riding Hood” is trying to tell his side of the story. But he doesn’t really understand the difference between its and it’s. Can you help Grammar Cop fill in the blanks? Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources I’m the wolf from “Little Red Riding Hood.” You Directions: The word its or it’s belongs in each of the probably know me as the guy who ate Grandma. I’m boxes. Choose the correct word and write it in. here to tell you all a big lie. Remember these basic Every bedtime story needs bad guy. But I laws of its and it’s: didn’t eat Grandma. I didn’t dress up in Grandma’s • It’s It’s is a contraction of “it nightgown and chase Little Red Riding Hood. I is.” A contraction is made up of two words that are didn’t get killed by a hunter. a big mistake. joined by an apostrophe. The apostrophe shows very simple. I was walking through the where one or more letters have been left out. woods. I saw a basket with lid (Example: It’s time for lunch.) open. I peeked inside and saw some cookies. I took • Its just one cookie. Its is the possessive form of “it.” The word its shows All of a sudden, someone yelled, “Hey! Put that that “it” owns something. (Example: The squirrel cookie back! mine!” dropped its acorn.) I looked over, and there was a little girl wearing a red cape and hood. She ran over and started yelling at me. She looked so scary! So I dropped the cookie. crumbs flew behind me. I ran all the way home. Little Red Riding Hood was so mad about her cookie. She started telling everyone that I had tried to eat her up. all lies. You have to believe me. So the next time someone tells you the story of “Little Red Riding Hood,” tell my side of the story. 7
Name Mechanics and Usage: Your, You’re Grammar Cop and the Education of Snow White Snow White has left the seven dwarfs’ cottage. She wants to explain her disappearance, but she doesn’t really understand the difference between your and you’re. Can you help Grammar Cop fill in the blanks? Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources Dear Dwarfs, Directions: The word your or you’re belongs in each probably wondering why I left. I have to of the boxes. Choose the correct word and write it in. admit I have gotten tired of strange habits. Remember these basic It seems like if not sneezing, then laws of your and you’re: sleeping or acting grumpy. • Your Your is the possessive Also, it turned out that the prince wasn’t for me. form of you. Use it when you are talking about As I said to him, “ really nice, but I don’t something that belongs to the person with whom you want to sit around castle all day while are speaking. (Example: I really like your new jeans. off slaying dragons.” Where did you get them?) The other day, I took a good look in the mirror. • You’re You’re is a contraction of Sure it said, “ the fairest of them all.” But it “you are.” Here’s a tip: Whenever you write you’re, also said, “Plan for future. What about read over the sentence and substitute you are for education? career?” you’re. If the sentence makes sense, you’ve made That was it. “Snow,” I said, “say good-bye to the right choice. (Example: I always tell people that dwarfs. going back to school.” you’re my best friend.) I hope I haven’t hurt feelings. I appreciate kindness. all very generous. But for now, on own. friend, Snow White 8
Name Mechanics and Usage: Their, They’re, and There Grammar Cop and the Case of the Worried Elf Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources Santa’s head elf is worried. But he doesn’t know the difference among their, they’re, and there. Can you help him? Fill in the right word in the blanks. Directions: The word their, they’re, or there belongs in each of the boxes. Choose the correct word and write it in. Dear Santa, Remember these basic laws of their, they’re, is a problem with some of the elves. and there: acting very lazy. I know that Christmas isn’t • Their Their is the possessive until the end of December. But the elves aren’t ready. form of they. You use it when you want to say that Many of them can’t even find tools. I caught something belongs to a group of people. (Example: a group of doll-making elves playing with They went sledding, but they forgot their mittens.) Barbies. I saw some of the candy makers having a • They’re sword fight with candy canes. I inspected They’re is a contraction of they are. (Example: Mindy sleeping area, and I must tell you it’s a and Jessica are best friends. They’re always disgusting mess down . I found candy together.) wrappers and soda cans everywhere. • There There is a place. It is the Santa, I know that the elves are a good bunch. opposite of here. (Example: Australia is far all very sweet and nice. But like a away. I wonder if I’ll ever go there.) There is also a bunch of kids. We must ask them to improve pronoun used to introduce a sentence. (Example: work habits. We must make sure There is someone at the door.) ready for the big day. We need to make them responsible for cleaning up all of garbage. Most of all, we must make them understand that Santa’s elves! Let’s hope they get the message. Very sincerely Rocko, your head elf 9
Name Mechanics and Usage: Quotation Marks Grammar Cop and the Three Little Pigs’ Day in Court Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources The Three Little Pigs are trying to prove their case against the Big Bad Wolf. But they don’t know the rules for using quotation marks. Can you help Grammar Cop by adding the quotation marks in their story? One day the Three Little Pigs—Hambone, Porky, Directions: Add quotation and Daisy—agreed that Wolf had bothered them long marks to the story. enough. I hate to be a pig, Daisy said, but I think we should sue him. Remember these basic laws for quotation marks: A few weeks later, they went to court. The courtroom was packed with other animals. • Direct quotes Put quotation marks around What’s the problem? asked the judge. words that someone is Wolf won’t leave us alone, said Hambone. He actually saying. (Example: keeps blowing down our houses. “Are you positive,” Bill’s Porky said, He turned my house into a pigsty! mother asked, “that you The judge asked Wolf if the charges were true. want to put turnips on your They’re all hogwash, said Wolf. I’m not guilty. sandwich?”) The judge said that he didn’t know what to believe. Do you have witnesses? he asked the pigs. • Indirect quotes The pigs looked at the other animals for help. But Don’t put quotation marks they all said that they were scared of Wolf. around words that The pigs were losing hope when a flea jumped out summarize what someone of Wolf’s fur. I saw everything, she said. The pigs are said. (Example: Bill said telling the truth. Wolf is a real beast! that he likes to eat turnips What a relief, Daisy said. Maybe now we’ll all live at every meal.) Tip: Phrases happily ever after! such as said that or reported that are often good clues that you don’t need quotation marks.) 10
Name Mechanics and Usage: Idioms Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources Grammar Cop and a Case of Monkey Business An idiom is an expression that means something different from what its words literally mean. For example, if you have a frog in your throat, that doesn’t mean that you have swallowed a little green animal! It means your voice is scratchy and you sound like a frog when you talk. Can you help Grammar Cop understand the idioms below? Directions: Circle the correct animals in the following idioms. Then write what the idiom means. Check your answers in a dictionary. 1. raining (rats/cats) and (dogs/pigs) 2. making a mountain out of a (mole/ant)hill 3. a (fly/goat) in the ointment 4. a (whale/fish) out of water 5. (fox/wolf) in (sheep’s/elephant’s) clothing 6. crying (alligator/crocodile) tears 7. (bats/birds) in your belfry 8. you can’t make a silk purse out of a (cow’s/sow’s) ear 9. (snake/rabbit) in the grass 10. (ducks/birds) of a feather flock together 11
Name Mechanics 12 and Usage: Verb Tenses Grammar Cop and the Case of the Emperor’s New Clothes The emperor doesn’t know if he’s coming or going! He doesn’t know what he has done, what he is doing now, and what he will do later. Can you help Grammar Cop choose the right tense? Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources 1. There will be a big parade next Directions: Decide whether week. each underlined verb is in the past, present, or future 2. I have nothing to wear. tense. Write it in the blank. 3. I asked the tailors to make me Remember these basic a new cloak. laws of tenses: 4. They promised to make the • Past best cloak the villagers had The past tense of a verb ever seen. tells that something already happened. (Example: I 5. The tailors are working day and walked to school this night cutting and sewing. morning.) 6. The cloak is finished! • Present The present tense of a verb 7. I tried it on, and something was tells that something is very strange . . . happening now. (Example: It is raining today.) 8. But the tailors assured me that the townspeople will be • Future amazed. The future tense of a verb tells that something will 9. After the parade, all the people happen in the future. said they had never seen (Example: Tomorrow I will anything like my new cloak. play soccer.) 10. I tried to find the tailors to thank them, but they had left town.
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Go to the ask him or her to tell you Head of the Class the parts of speech under Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. Being back at school is . Today I ADJECTIVE 1 into class, as ever. 2. 23 PAST-TENSE VERB All the teachers were sitting at the kids’ desks! 3. ADJECTIVE “Good morning, !” 4. 4 5 ADJECTIVE they hollered . “Teach us about 5. YOUR LAST NAME 6 6. !” ADVERB 7 7. I tried to take roll call, but 8 PLURAL NOUN was reciting the Pledge of in 8. 9 YOUR TEACHER’S NAME . 9. NOUN 10 10. ran in apologizing, 11 FOREIGN LANGUAGE “ ! I’m sorry! My 11. 12 13 YOUR PRINCIPAL’S NAME ate my homework.” 12. EXCLAMATION “We’re late for our field trip to the Museum of 13. ZOO ANIMAL ,” someone shouted. 14. PLURAL NOUN 14 15. VERB I could barely keep up. I hope to get to at my regular desk tomorrow. 15 13
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Super Silly Circus ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. YOUR CITY 2. Over the summer, the circus came to ADJECTIVE 3. . Not just any YOUR LAST NAME 1 4. 2 NOUN circus, it was the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and 5. ADJECTIVE Circus! My favorite performer was 6. 3 VERB + ER the tamer who was fearless and 7. ADVERB 4 8. . The tightrope 6 VERB 5 9. teetered 7 above the stage, NUMBER looking like she was about to . 10. 8 PLURAL NOUN We saw a -foot-tall man juggling 11. 9 NOUN while wearing a 12. 11 10 BODY PART on his . All day we ate 13. 12 PLURAL NOUN , peanuts, and popcorn 14. 13 ADJECTIVE until we felt . It really was 15. 14 ADJECTIVE ENDING IN EST the show on earth! 15 14
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and My Life as a ask him or her to tell you the parts of speech under 13 the blanks below. You give Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. YOUR FULL NAME 2. NOUN 3. My name is , but my friends ADJECTIVE 1 4. ANIMAL HOME call me . I was born in a 5. 2 ADJECTIVE . Life was 6. VERB 34 . I had to every 7. 56 NUMBER day at o’clock. As a teenager, 8. 7 NOUN I worked at the local market for 9. 8 PLURAL UNIT OF TIME several . That’s where I first learned 10. VERB 9 11. how to . After graduating from the 10 ADJECTIVE School, I went on to become the 12. 11 ADJECTIVE ENDING IN EST world’s . The 13. 12 NOUN 13 14. townspeople were so proud that they changed the YOUR LAST NAME school’s name to the Institute 15 15. 14 PLURAL NOUN for . 15
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Fright Night ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. Last time I went to a Halloween party, it was 1. ADJECTIVE really . One boy wore a 2. NOUN 3. 1 4. BODY PART 5. FARM ANIMAL on his . 6. PLURAL NOUN 23 7. PLURAL FOOD 8. A girl was walking a 4 on a leash! 9. YOUR NAME 10. VEGETABLE Another kid was putting 5 in his 11. ADJECTIVE 12. mouth! We played games. First we bobbed for 13. NOUN 14. PAST-TENSE VERB . Then we wanted to make a PAST-TENSE VERB 6 PLACE ADJECTIVE -o’-lantern, but we had no 7 pumpkin, just a . We started to 8 carve it, and a 9 10 jumped out! One of my friends . 11 We all 12 away, but it followed us! Then it swallowed my friends. I hid in the . When I came out, the thing had 13 left. I felt 14 that my friends were gone. At least I got all the candy! 16
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Gone to a Goofy Galaxy Give it to a partner and Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources ask him or her to tell you One morning, the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give 12 a word for each part of speech, and your partner and I were waiting for the school bus. Somehow, we writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. ADJECTIVE accidentally got on a flying 3 headed 2. FRIEND’S NAME 3. to the planet . When we landed, 4. NOUN 5. TEACHER’S LAST NAME 4 6. 7. ADJECTIVE we noticed the 5 sky. Soon, we were 8. ADJECTIVE 9. surrounded by the 6 beings who lived 10. NOUN 11. VERB there. Each had a 7 where its head 12. BODY PART 13. NOUN should have been. I saw one creature teaching its 14. NOUN YOUR TOWN OR CITY baby how to 8 with its nose! FRIEND’S NAME VERB All of a sudden, two beings grabbed us by the . They took us to the beautiful 9 , where their leader lived. She 10 gave me a 11 to bring back to . I didn’t have any gift to exchange, 12 so I gave the leader 13 instead. Finally, to celebrate our friendship, we all began to . 14 17
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and A Funny Fairy Tale ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. Once upon a time, a 1 princess 2. 3. ADJECTIVE named Snow 2 lived with her 4. NOUN 5. , wicked stepmother, the queen. 6. ADJECTIVE 7. ADJECTIVE 3 8. 9. NOUN One day the queen asked, “ 4 mirror 10. PAST-TENSE VERB 11. ADJECTIVE ENDING IN Y on the , who is the fairest of them 12. ADJECTIVE ENDING IN Y 13. TEACHER’S LAST NAME 5 14. NOUN all?” When the mirror answered “the princess,” ADJECTIVE ADJECTIVE the queen flew into a rage. Snow got so scared that NUMBER she and hid in the house of some ADVERB 6 dwarfs names Sneezy, Dopey, , 7 , and . The clever 8 9 queen disguised herself as an old 10 and gave Snow a poisoned 11 apple. Snow took one bite and fainted! Thank goodness a handsome, 12 prince came by. He times. Wouldn’t you kissed Snow 13 ever after! know it? They lived 14 18
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Vote for Us! ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under I’m and I’m running for the blanks below. You give a word for each part of 1 speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. class president. My 2 running mate, 1. , is running for class . YOUR NAME 3 4 2. ADJECTIVE We have some pretty ideas for 3. 5 YOUR PARTNER’S NAME making our class the in this school. 6 4. NOUN If elected, we’ll quickly get a friendly 5. 7 ADJECTIVE as our class mascot. Then we’ll demand that 6. class replace math class. We ADJECTIVE ENDING IN EST 8 7. NOUN promise to get lots of really yummy 8. 9 NOUN and served in the cafeteria. 9. PLURAL NOUN 10 We’ll also make sure that 11 lets 10. PLURAL ANIMAL 11. us instead of doing homework. YOUR TEACHER’S NAME 12 Best of all, we pledge to recruit 13 12. celebrities to join our class. So don’t be surprised VERB 13. to find sitting next to you. NUMBER GREATER THAN 1 leaders, 14. 14 15 FAMOUS PERSON If you want two fun and 15. ADJECTIVE vote for us! 19
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Goofy Game Day ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. NOUN Yesterday in gym class we were playing 2. FRIEND’S NAME 3. ball. 2 4. ADJECTIVE 5. NOUN 1 6. 7. EXCLAMATION was the captain of our 3 team, 8. PAST-TENSE VERB 9. TEACHER’S LAST NAME and my position was back. 10. PRINCIPAL’S LAST NAME 11. 4 12. ADVERB 13. VERB ENIDNG IN ING “33, 28, 57 !” The ball 14. 15. ADJECTIVE 5 ARTICLE OF CLOTHING through the air. 7 ADVERB NOUN 6 PAST-TENSE VERB passed to , who fumbled 8 . I grabbed the ball and started 9 . The players 10 11 came at me, trying to grab my . 12 I ran as 13 as I could all the way to the zone. I a 14 15 touchdown! 20
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Hollyweird ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. FRIEND’S NAME The book “ 1 and the 2. ADJECTIVE 3. ADVERB Mango” is being made into a 4. NUMBER 5. 2 6. PLURAL BODY PART 7. UNIT OF TIME movie. Guess who is playing the mango? I am and 8. ADJECTIVE 9. NOUN ! My costume is 4 10. EXCLAMATION 11. 3 12. PAST-TENSE VERB 13. VERB ENDING IN ING feet wide, and just my 5 stick out 14. YOUR STREET at the bottom. The first 6 of ADJECTIVE MOVIE STAR filming was a disaster. When the 7 crew pushed me onto the set, I began rolling wildly. Soon I was spinning like a 8 out of control. The director screamed, “ 9 !” as I through a wall. I started 10 down . 11 12 juice from my costume 13 squirted everywhere. I finally landed—right on top of ! 14 21
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Seasoned Greetings ask him or her to tell you the parts of speech under Dear , the blanks below. You give a word for each part of 1 speech, and your partner Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources writes it in the blank. holidays to you! I hope Then he or she writes the words in the story and 2 reads the story aloud. 1. the weather has been 3 and the food 2. 3. FRIEND’S NAME . I also hope you get 5 4. ADJECTIVE 5. ADJECTIVE 4 6. ADJECTIVE 7. NUMBER presents, especially that 6 you’ve 8. NOUN 9. been asking for! 10. PLURAL FOOD 11. ANIMAL I’ve been very busy. I tried to learn how to cook 12. 13. BODY PART cranberry , but they tasted terrible. 14. ADJECTIVE 15. 7 NOUN ADJECTIVE Even my pet 8 wouldn’t eat them. MOVIE STAR I also went sledding down Killer Mountain, and— ADVERB YOUR NAME this is the bad part—I bruised my . It really hurts. 9 My parents have been just 10 , 11 and though. They helped me build a 12 in the backyard. It was really looks like 13 ! Yours , 14 15 22
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Nothing to Sneeze At! ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. ADJECTIVE Be , everyone! Winter is flu 2. ADJECTIVE 3. 1 4. VERB 5. ADVERB season. Take care of yourself so you don’t get 6. 7. NOUN . Whenever you 3 8. NOUN 9. ADJECTIVE 2 10. VERB ENDING IN ING 11. NOUN outside, make sure you are dressed . 12. NOUN 13. NUMBER 4 14. NOUN NOUN Button up your , and always wear OCCUPATION 5 a to keep warm. Be sure not to go 6 out when your hair is . 7 You can tell you are getting sick when your nose starts 8 and you have a ache. If you think you have a 9 fever, take your temperature. Put a thermometer in your and leave it there for 11 10 to eat lots of minutes. It’s also a good idea Remember, a 12 noodle soup. 14 a day keeps the 13 away! 23
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Happy New You! ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. I just made the 1 New Year’s ADJECTIVE ENDING IN EST resolution ever! I promised to clean up my very 2. ADJECTIVE room. I started under my bed, 3. 2 PLURAL NOUN where I found some smelly . I also 4. ADJECTIVE 3 5. found my long-lost collection of 4 FAMOUS PERSON posters. I for joy! 6. 56 PAST-TENSE VERB I shoved them all in my closet, which got so full 7. ADJECTIVE that a box of 8. 7 8 PLURAL NOUN fell on my . “ ,” 9. BODY PART 9 10 10. I muttered . I took everything out 11 SILLY SOUND and tried to stuff it into my dresser. 11. 12 ADVERB Well, the dresser was full of 12. 13 ADVERB . What could I do but put 13. 14 ADJECTIVE everything in the only space left—under my bed. 14. PLURAL NOUN 15. See, keeping resolutions isn’t hard at all when ADJECTIVE you’re as as I am! 15 24
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Goose on the Loose ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under My friend 1 must be the great- the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. great-great-great-grandchild of Mother Goose. 2. 3. FRIEND’S NAME My friend had a party last week. Besides me, the 4. COLOR 5. NOUN guests were Little Boy , Peter Peter 6. 7. ADJECTIVE 2 8. ADJECTIVE 9. PLURAL INSECT Eater, and a 10. 11. VERB 34 12. VERB 13. VERB woman who lived in a shoe. For dinner, we had 14. ADJECTIVE 15. NUMBER four and twenty 5 6 NOUN NOUN baked in a pie. When the pie was opened, we all ADJECTIVE FRIEND’S NAME began to . Then we played games 7 like -around-a-rosy and here we 8 round the berry 9 10 bush. We sang a song of 11 pence and danced to tunes like “Rock-a-bye Baby, on the Top” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, 12 Little .” The party ended after three 13 mice ran by and 14 15 jumped over the moon. 25
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Downhill Disaster ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under For winter break I had the the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. vacation! We went skiing on ADJECTIVE ENDING IN EST 1 2. Mount 2 . I took ADJECTIVE 3 3. the lift straight to the top. My NOUN 4 4. were on, my goggles were in NOUN 5 5. place, and I was ready to . The PLURAL ARTICLE OF CLOTHING 6 6. snow was perfectly , so I started VERB 7 7. going really fast. Soon, I was zooming down the ADJECTIVE mountain faster than a speeding . 8. NOUN 8 9. I couldn’t stop! , I tried to grab ADVERB 9 10. onto a tree, but then a 10 jumped ANIMAL onto the back of my skis. We to 11. 11 PAST-TENSE VERB the ground and started tumbling and rolling, 12. ADJECTIVE 13. turning into a giant 12 snowball! ADVERB At the bottom, we crashed into the lodge and 14. ADJECTIVE landed 13 , right in front of the trip! fireplace. What a 14 26
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Oh, My Aching Heart! ask him or her to tell you the parts of speech under Dear , the blanks below. You give a word for each part of 1 speech, and your partner Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources writes it in the blank. I have watched you from afar for many Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. now. I can be silent no longer. FRIEND’S NAME 2 The time has come to tell you how I feel. I think 2. you’re really smart and . PLURAL UNIT OF TIME 3 3. ADJECTIVE Whenever you are near me in 4. 4 VERB ENDING IN ING class, I feel inside. I think you 5 5. ADJECTIVE might be the person I have ever 6. 6 ADJECTIVE ENDING IN EST met. You are the apple of my . 7. 7 BODY PART If you want to find out who I am, meet me at 3:30 8. behind Principal ’s office. I’ll be the CELEBRITY’S LAST NAME 8 9. NOUN one wearing the on my head. Until 10. 9 PLURAL NOUN then, please accept this bunch of as 11. 10 ADVERB a sign of my affection. 12. ADJECTIVE Yours 11 , 12 admirer 13. Your ADJECTIVE ENDING IN ER 14 and 14. P.S. It is to VERB 13 lose than never to love at all. 27
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Jungle Fever ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. PAST-TENSE VERB 2. PIECE OF CLOTHING 3. I up this morning and saw a PAST-TENSE VERB 1 4. ADJECTIVE lion wearing my . I thought I was 5. 2 NUMBER dreaming, so I my eyes. Suddenly, 3 6. ADJECTIVE a noise came from the kitchen. 7. 4 ADJECTIVE monkeys and a 8. PLURAL NOUN 56 rhinoceros were sitting on top of the kitchen table 9. eating . PLURAL BODY PART 8 10. 7 ADVERB “We brush our after every meal,” 11. 9 TEAM SPORT they said . I looked outside and 12. 10 FRIEND’S NAME saw elephants playing using 13. 11 PIECE OF SPORTS EQUIPMENT as the ! 12 13 14. ADJECTIVE Now I know the true meaning of, 14 “It’s a jungle out there!” 28
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and Two at the Zoo ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. The whole thing was an accident. My friend 2. 3. FRIEND’S NAME and I just wanted to spend a 4. ADJECTIVE 5. YOUR TOWN 1 6. 7. FRIEND’S NAME day at the Zoo. 8. NOUN 23 9. 10. ANIMAL Who knew that 4 would slip 11. ADJECTIVE 12. on a 5 and bump into the 13. NOUN 14. VERB cage? The door sprang open, and 15. NOUN ADJECTIVE 6 FRIEND’S NAME ADJECTIVE the creature inside, which was VERB NOUN 7 eating a , ran out of the cage. It 8 went nuts! I’ve never seen an animal 9 like that before! The zookeeper came out with a giant to catch the 10 11 beast. The zookeeper’s eyesight wasn’t good. He caught 12 instead. Don’t worry— cage my friend now lives in a 13 and can 14 with a 15 all day long, or even play . 29
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Appetite for April Fools Give it to a partner and Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources ask him or her to tell you All morning on April 1st, we tried to play tricks the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. on our teacher, who only said , “Just ADVERB you wait.” 1 2. YOUR TEACHER’S NAME 3. At lunchtime, 2 yelled, “Food fight!” ADVERB 4. , threw a FRIEND’S NAME 34 5. cream pie that way. The teacher NOUN 5 6. ducked, and the pie hit 6 in the face! YOUR PRINCIPAL’S NAME 7. “Yee ha!” the principal yelled and threw a tray of NOUN 8. spaghetti and 7 balls! Before long, ADJECTIVE 9. eggs and ham were flying! The janitor PLURAL FRUIT 8 10. started throwing very ripe . Soon, we PLURAL NOUN 9 11. were covered with macaroni and 10 or had PLURAL NOUN 12. peanut butter and 11 coming out of our ears. FEMALE MOVIE STAR 13. Finally, , our principal’s mom, PAST-TENSE VERB 12 14. in. When sauce hit 13 14 ADJECTIVE her in the nose, she hollered, “ENOUGH!” The fight was over. Even principals have to listen to their mothers. 30
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Give it to a partner and My Summer Vacation ask him or her to tell you Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give a word for each part of speech, and your partner writes it in the blank. Then he or she writes the words in the story and reads the story aloud. 1. What a 1 summer I had at Camp 2. 3. ADJECTIVE ! I played tricks 4. ANIMAL 5. 23 6. BODY PART 7. LIQUID on everyone. Once, I replaced everyone’s shampoo 8. 9. PLURAL NOUN with . Next, I put big 5 10. ADJECTIVE 11. NOUN 4 12. ADJECTIVE 13. NOUN in their backpacks and daddy legs 14. ADJECTIVE 15. 6 VERB ENDING IN ING EXCLAMATION in their food! But then the tables turned. One night NUMBER after we told spooky 7 stories, I fell VERB ENDING IN ING NOUN asleep feeling scared and . A sound 8 like a loud 9 woke me. I thought I saw a ghost 10 11 toward me! You could hear me screaming “ !” from miles 12 13 away! Someone turned on a flashlight, and I saw everyone 14 and laughing. The ghost flapping in the wind. The was a 15 31 joke was on me.
Name Finish Me! Story Don’t read this story yet! Attack of the Massive Melon! Give it to a partner and ask him or her to tell you I decided that I was going to grow the parts of speech under the blanks below. You give the garden in the world. I used a a word for each part of speech, and your partner 1 writes it in the blank. Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources Then he or she writes the to dig holes in the backyard, then I words in the story and reads the story aloud. 2 1. spread seeds and 3 all around. Pretty ADJECTIVE ENDING IN EST soon, my garden started looking . I had 2. NOUN 4 3. planted 5 seeds, but a watermelon PLURAL NOUN started out of the ground! It grew 4. 6 ADJECTIVE and grew. This watermelon became bigger than 5. NOUN ! Mom said we should eat it before 6. 7 VERB ENDING IN ING it turned . So every day I climbed 7. FAMOUS PERSON 8 up a , then leaped 8. 9 10 ADJECTIVE to the top of the melon and cut off huge pieces. 9. ADVERB We made watermelon shakes, peanut butter and 10. watermelon sandwiches, and with NOUN 11. 11 FAVORITE FOOD watermelon sauce. I’ve eaten almost nothing but 12. NUMBER 13. melon for the last 12 months! Mom BODY PART said, “Don’t look a gift horse in the .” 14. 13 VERB I sure learned a lesson: Don’t bite off more than you can ! 14 32
Name Prefixes and Suffixes Be a World Builder The shapes below are building blocks. Cut out the shapes and build as many houses as you can. There is one rule: Each house must spell a word, using a base word (roof). But not every house has to look like the example. Some houses have two floors or no chimney. Keep a list of all the words you build. EXAMPLE: The chimneys are prefixes: re en en un dis pre joy Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources able The roofs are base words: courage play = enjoyable joy like Each floor is a suffix: view kind ly able ment ous er ness BONUS: Use at least five of your words to write a story about one of the houses you built. For example, you could write about what happens in the house called enjoyable. 33
Name Word Roots It’s GREEK to Me! Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources How is an astronaut like an ancient Greek? a. They both wear long robes. b. They both love Greek myths. c. They both have Greek names. THE ANSWER: c. Many English words contain Greek roots. Take the word astronaut, for example. Astro is Greek for “star.” Naut means “sailor.” So astronaut means “star sailor.” A DIRECTIONS: All of the word roots to the left are Greek. Take a root from column A and combine it tele = at a distance with a root from column B to make eleven words. photo = light sym = together 1. astro = star 2. micro = small 3. bio = life 4. 5. B 6. 7. phone = sound 8. phony = sound 9. pathy = feeling 10. graphy = writing 11. logy = word or study scope = aim or target BONUS: Look up the following words in the dictionary: decathlon, helicopter, kindergarten, parachute, porcupine, stegosaurus. On a separate sheet of paper, write what their roots mean and what languages they come from. 34
Name Prefixes and Suffixes Tasty Word Treats After a long night of trick or treating, it’s fun to unload your sack and see what’s inside. The three candies below are full of prefixes, base words, and suffixes. Take one part from each candy to make a new word. Write the six words in the blanks. Prefixes Base words Suffixes Base words can stand Prefixes attach to the on their own. Suffixes attach to the front of a word and give end of a word to change Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources it a new meaning. its meaning. de appear able dis en courage ance ed mis light ful re un like ly ment mark spell 35
Name Compound Words Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources What’s an Eye Hat? Koko is a very special gorilla. She can communicate with her human friends. She understands more than 100 spoken words, and she is an expert (for an animal!) in sign language—both understanding signs and making them. Koko sometimes invents her own signs. She also puts together two or more words to describe a new word. Draw a line from each word in the left column to Koko’s definition in the right column. 1. mask a. white-tiger 2. ring b. bottle-match 3. zebra c. bad-mad-you 4. monster d. finger-bracelet 5. Pinocchio doll e. surprise-devil 6. lighter f. eye-hat 7. insult g. my-cold-cup 8. ice-cream cone h. elephant-baby BONUS: Make up your own Koko-like compound words and challenge a friend to define them. 36
Name Vocabulary / Spelling east A Ram Sang (ANAGRAMS) seat eats An anagram is a word or phrase made by rearranging the letters teas in another word or phrase. See how many anagrams you can sate make for each of the words below. (The first one is done for you.) Each word has at least two anagrams. Remember that some letters often go together, such as st or ea. Also, some letters can make more than one sound, for example the c in cat and face. Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources taps acre pools tales shape snap plate times BONUS: Find all the words you can using letters from Tyrannosaurus rex. For example, run and sat. 37
Name Synonyms Riddle Recipe Follow the recipe below to make up riddles to challenge a friend. 1. Pick a subject: pig Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources 2. Make a list of synonyms 5. hPaumt tbhuelahncbea,chkaomnn: esia related words: These are your riddle answers. and wseHhuoniobrcndgjytes,c:c.lsAotwpctieahndneeis,aha,oeuiolnrprukasy,o,hbuaaomfodinki,cdmtairobuenodlaau,rttseyy,ndooauunrt 6. tNhoewanmsawkeer’uspdeyofiunritrioidnd:le using 3. How do you take a pig to the hospital? Take oafnfythweorfdirsfrtolmetttehre, lelisatv:inhga:mam Answer: in an hambulance Drop 4. aLmisbt uwloarndcse,thaamt nbeesgiian with am: What ldooseysouitscamlleimt worhye?n a pig Answer: hamnesia Now make up you own riddle. 38
Name Synonyms Hink Pink Riddle Recipe Follow the recipe below to make up hink pinks to challenge a friend. 1. Make a list of pairs of words that Now make up you own hink pink. rhyme. Choose one rhyming pair to Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources be your riddle answer: soggy froggy glad lad happy pappy Hint: A rhyming dictionary is helpful. 2. Make up a riddle question. Make a list of words that have the same meaning as each word in your rshaymmeinmg eaannsiwnegr.a(rWe ocradlsledwisthyntohneyms.) They do not have to rhyme. The synonyms will become part of your riddle question. soggy froggy wet amphibian damp toad Hint: A book called a thesaurus is full of synonyms. 3. Pick one word from each column and make up your riddle question: What do you call a wet amphibian? or What do you call a damp toad? Answer: a soggy froggy! 39
Name Vocabulary A Beastly Puzzle How many three- and four-letter animal names can you find in this puzzle? Words can be spelled by moving from letter to letter along the lines connecting the circles. For example, you can form the word DOG by starting at the D, moving southwest to the O and then north to the G. There are six more animals names in the puzzle. Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources AR G ED BOF CI W NL 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. BONUS: There are lots of other words in this puzzle that aren’t names of animals. Find as many as you can. 40
Name Synonyms and Antonyms Two Left Feet These shoes are all mixed up! You can pair them off. Each shoe contains a word that is a synonym for a word on another shoe. Synonyms are words that have the same or almost the same meaning. Put each pair of shoes together by coloring them the same color. Use a different color for each pair. Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources sensible popular enormous rich wealthy good-looking primitive massive early reasonable favorite attractive Lace up those synonym shoes! Each of the shoelaces has a word that is an antonym for a pair of shoes above. Antonyms are words that have the opposite meanings. Color each lace the same color as the pair of shoes that is its opposite. foolish needy ugly little unwanted modern BONUS: Create antonym socks. Challenge a friend to match them to the shoes. 41
Name Vocabulary Catch a Word Worm Are you an early bird? Catch this worm! Starting from the top—the worm’s head—connect the worm’s body parts until you reach its tail. Don’t leave any spaces. You can connect only parts that form words when stuck together. You can move left, right, down, or diagonally. The first two are done for you. Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources for down let beg pre card dis all power ful rain in pare own over friend new to self bee quen do frog day out much way car four light tray pie pet under teen pin push go fight take tow work house cake see field truck ring cave book less trip tie around seat man skate on phone belt ate from end near water line bug June ice us job knee up jar tree pick board off hill crumb pig at ant rim side beach fall dance tack lock walk farm BONUS: Make a list of all the other words you can find by connecting two body parts. 42
Name Rebuses Tr + This! A rebus (re + ) is a sentence or phrase that uses letters, pictures, and symbols instead of words. Can you figure out each rebus below? The first one is done for you. 1 Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources h + gold – g = hold y + orange – ange = your horn – n + sevens – ven = horses hold your horses 2 Answer 3 Answer 4 Answer BONUS: Make up a rebus for this sentence: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Challenge a friend to solve it. 43
Name Rebuses S + – i These! A rebus (re + ) is a sentence or phrase that uses letters, pictures, and symbols instead of words. Can you figure out each rebus below? The first one is done for you. Hint: All of these rebuses contain animal words. 1 mitts – m = it’s radio – dio + lightning – light = raining Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources =c + hats – h = cat d + frogs – fr = dogs it’s raining cats and dogs 2 Answer 3 Answer 4 Answer BONUS: Make up a rebus for this sentence: When I go to sleep, I like to count sheep. Challenge a friend to solve it. 44
Name Rebuses Say W + ? A rebus (re + ) is a sentence or phrase that uses letters, pictures, and symbols instead of words. Can you figure out each rebus below? The first one is done for you. Hint: All of these rebuses stand for famous sayings. 1 Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources l + book – b = look bee + four = before you sleep – s = leap look before you leap 2 Answer 3 Answer 4 Answer BONUS: Make up a rebus for this saying: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Challenge a friend to solve it. 45
Name Rebuses America S + – r A rebus (re + ) is a sentence or phrase that uses letters, pictures, and symbols instead of words. Can you figure out each rebus below? The first one is done for you. Hint: All of these rebuses stand for songs about America. 1 this l + hand – h = land is Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources y + oar = your l + and = land “This Land Is Your Land” 2 Answer 3 Answer 4 Answer BONUS: Make up a rebus for this song: “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” Challenge a friend to solve it. 46
Name Reading Comprehension Zapped! by Emily Costello Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources Getting struck by lightning is serious. Lightning-strike victims don’t just get up, shake themselves off, and go home. A bolt of lightning is powerful. It can contain billions of volts of electricity—enough to flash on all the lights in a medium-size town. If you were hit by all that energy, bad things would happen: • Lightning’s heat would instantly turn your sweat to steam. That steam could burn your skin and blow off your clothes and shoes. • Electricity would race through your eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. It would cloud your vision and burst your eardrums. • The explosive force of lightning could break your bones. • Your muscles—including your heart—could stop working. Each year, about 100 people in America die from lightning strikes. Another 400 Americans are struck but live. That sounds like a lot of people. But more than 270 million people live in the United States. That means that only one out of every 540,000 Americans get struck every year. Want to be extra sure you’re not one of them? Here are some ways to avoid getting zapped: • Stay inside a solid building during severe thunderstorms. You’ll also be safe in a car, as long as it isn’t a convertible. • Avoid metal pipes, appliances, and the telephone during a storm—don’t take a shower or use your computer. Lightning can travel through metal and wires. • If you must stay outside during a thunderstorm, keep away from high places, water, and tall objects. They attract lightning. • If you can’t find shelter, crouch down to make yourself as short as possible. The best advice? The safest place to be during a thunderstorm in inside reading a good book. 47
Name Reading Comprehension A Stormy Riddle Read the article on page 48. Then fill in the circle next to the best answer or ending for each sentence. Use your answers to solve the riddle at the bottom of the page. Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources 1. This article is mostly about 6. Which is safest during a thunderstorm? ⅜ A. how many people live in America. ⅜ B. driving a car in a storm. ⅜ V. a swimming pool ⅜ C. what causes thunderstorms. ⅜ W. a tall tower ⅜ D. getting struck by lightning. ⅜ X. a tent ⅜ Y. a solid building 2. Lightning is powerful because it 7. In the article, it is clear that a ⅜ E. comes from far away. convertible is a ⅜ F. flashes. ⅜ G. makes rain fall. ⅜ Z. sofa. ⅜ H. contains a lot of energy. ⅜ A. truck. ⅜ I. comes in bolts. ⅜ B. toy car. ⅜ C. car with a top that folds down. 3. Getting hit by lightning can ⅜ D. car that is broken. ⅜ J. give you special powers. 8. In the United States, people are struck ⅜ K. seriously injure or kill you. by lightning ⅜ L. make you crave pizza. ⅜ M. make your hair curl. ⅜ E. rarely. ⅜ F. often. 4. If you are caught outside during a ⅜ G. only when they are in cars. thunderstorm, you should ⅜ H. only when the sun is out. ⅜ I. only in cities. ⅜ N. climb a mountain. ⅜ O. stay away from water. 9. The author of the article thinks it is ⅜ P. stand under a tree. ⅜ Q. stand up as tall as you can. ⅜ J. boring to watch lightning. ⅜ K. fun to get struck by lightning. 5. Each year, lightning kills ⅜ L. exciting to drive in a storm. ⅜ M. silly to be afraid of nature. ⅜ R. 1 person. ⅜ N. smart to be safe. ⅜ S. 100 Americans. ⅜ T. 400 Americans. ⅜ U. 540,000 Americans. Match the number under each line below to one of the questions you just answered. Write the letter of your answer on the line to solve the riddle. Why did the man drive during a lightning storm? His car ! 988181 524735 48
Name Reading Comprehension Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders © Scholastic Teaching Resources To Bee or Not to Bee? by Emily Costello W here have all the honeybees gone? Last summer was less “buzzy” than usual. That’s because not many honeybees were humming around. What happened? No one knows for sure, but scientists have several theories based on facts they’ve observed. Some scientists think the cold winter last year killed a lot of the bees. Unlike most insects, bees usually live through the winter. They spend the cold months inside their warm hives, eating honey. Last winter was extra long and cold. The bees might have run out of food before spring. But Michael Amspoker, a scientist and beekeeper, says that honeybees in America have a bigger problem than cold weather. A mite that is harmful to bees has invaded the United States from other parts of the world. The mite, called the Varroa (va-RO-uh) mite, is a “flat little bean-shaped critter that lives on the bees’ bodies,” Amspoker says. The mites live by sucking the bees’ body fluids. That weakens—and probably kills—the bees. The mites are bad news for humans, too. Bees pollinate plants that produce many foods that humans eat. Bees also make honey and wax that humans use. Scientists are fighting to save the honeybees. They have a secret weapon! A type of bee called the Yugo bee knows how to fight off the Varroa mites. The Yugo bees come from an area in Europe that was once Yugoslavia. They pick the mites up with their legs and crush them in their jaws. Scientists will help American beekeepers introduce the Yugo queens into honeybee colonies here. Those Yugo queens should lay eggs that will hatch into a new generation of bees. Scientists hope that those baby bees will take after their mothers and know how to kill Varroa mites. Will the scientists’ experiment work? Wait until spring. Then see if you hear more buzzing. 49
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