Name: ____________________Date: ____________
The Hen Who Hisses
It is dim in the pen.
Hiss, hiss, hiss!
The pups sit.
“Is it a pup?” said Chip.
It is not a pup!
It is Fran, the hen!
Fran can not cluck.
“Cluck?” said Fran. “No!”
Fran can hiss and hiss!
The pups hiss in the dim.
Fran can sit in the pen.
Questions
1. What makes the hiss?
- A pup
- Fran the hen
- A cat
2. What can Fran not do?
- Sit
- Hop
- Cluck
3. Where do the pups sit?
- In a pen
- On a bus
- In a tub
4. Why do the pups hiss with Fran?
- They are mad
- They like her
- They are lost
Words to know
- pen: a fenced spot
- cluck: a hen's sound
- hiss: a long, soft sound
Answer key: The Hen Who Hisses
- B. Fran the hen
- C. Cluck
- A. In a pen
- B. They like her
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“The Hen Who Hisses” is a reading level 2 story. Every Peabody story at this level is written and checked to keep sentences to 6 words or fewer, to aim at an average of 4 words a sentence, and to show 1 to 6 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 | 53 words, 11 screens, 4 multiple-choice questions with an answer key, and 3 vocabulary words with kid-sized meanings |
|---|---|
| Longest sentence at this level | 6 words |
| Words on a screen | 1 to 6 |
| Skills practised at this level | first sounds, rhymes |
Reading level 2: the limits, a real sample and the free games. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: use the questions to talk about the story, not to grade a child.