The Dog and the Bone: reading passage and questions
A free printable fable reading passage, written at a grade 1 reading level (Peabody level 4; 63 words) with 5 comprehension questions and an answer key. No sign-up.
For teachers: standards and questions with an answer key
Common Core standards
RL.1.2 · Grade 1 · Retelling, theme or central message. Asks the child to retell a short fable and say its lesson: what the dog does and what the last line teaches.
RL.1.3 · Grade 1 · Characters, settings and events. Asks about the character, the setting and the events in order: the bone, the log, the water and the splash.
What does the dog have at the start?Show answerA bone. The book says: “He has a bone.”
What does the dog see when he looks down into the water?Show answerA dog and a big bone. The book says: “A dog! A bone! That bone is big!”
Think and search (Put clues from the book together.)
Why does the bone go splash?Show answerThe dog opens his mouth to bark at the dog he sees in the water, so the bone drops out and falls in. The book says: “He opens his mouth. Bark! Bark! Splash! Down it goes.”
Who was the dog in the water?Show answerIt was the dog himself, seen in the water. The book says: “Who was that dog? It was him!”
On my own (Use the book to think further.)
What lesson does the last line teach, and when could you use it?Show answerBe happy with what you have and do not grab for more. Answers will vary on when to use it. The book says: “Love what you have.”
Written and checked by hand against the book. Standards codes are the Common Core’s own; the lines are ours.
The Dog and the Bone: questions
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Right there: The answer is stated in the book.
What does the dog have at the start?
______________________________________________
What does the dog see when he looks down into the water?
______________________________________________
Think and search: Put clues from the book together.
Why does the bone go splash?
______________________________________________
Who was the dog in the water?
______________________________________________
On my own: Use the book to think further.
What lesson does the last line teach, and when could you use it?
______________________________________________
peabody.kids/library/the-dog-and-the-bone
Answer key: The Dog and the Bone
RL.1.2, RL.1.3
A bone. (Right there; RL.1.3)
A dog and a big bone. (Right there; RL.1.3)
The dog opens his mouth to bark at the dog he sees in the water, so the bone drops out and falls in. (Think and search; RL.1.3)
It was the dog himself, seen in the water. (Think and search; RL.1.2)
Be happy with what you have and do not grab for more. Answers will vary on when to use it. (On my own; RL.1.2)
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“The Dog and the Bone” is a reading level 4 story. Every Peabody story at this level is written and checked to keep sentences to 8 words or fewer, to aim at an average of 5 words a sentence, and to show 1 to 8 words on a screen. At most 6% of its words may be off the familiar-word list. Readers reach this level by climbing, not by grade.
This passage
63 words, 17 screens, 5 multiple-choice questions with an answer key, and 5 vocabulary words with kid-sized meanings
Longest sentence at this level
8 words
Words on a screen
1 to 8
Skills practised at this level
phonics (sounding words out), first sounds, sight words
