The Octopus Who Got Out
Olive was a giant Pacific octopus. She lived in a big tank at the aquarium. She had eight long, soft arms.
One morning the workers found the tank lid loose. Olive was not inside. They found her in a bucket by the sink.
The next morning it happened again. Olive was fine, behind a box. The workers wondered how she did it.
Ben was a worker. "An octopus can squeeze through a tiny space," he said. "Olive only needs a little gap."
That night the workers hid and watched. Olive's arms crept out from under the lid. Her skin turned rock-colored to blend in.
She slid across the floor, as quiet as a shadow. Octopuses are mostly active at night. Olive was wide awake.
"I think she is bored," said Ben. "Octopuses are smart. Olive needs something to think about."
Next the workers put a shrimp in a clear jar. They screwed the lid on tight. They put the jar in Olive's tank.
Olive found the jar right away. She turned it, tapped it and twisted the lid. All night she worked at it.
Pop! The lid came off, and Olive ate her shrimp. She stayed in her tank, too busy to wander.
Questions
- In the next tank
- In a bucket by the sink
- In the jar
- The workers let her out
- She jumped over the lid
- She squeezed through a tiny gap
- A shrimp
- A rock
- A crab shell
- She was lost
- She was angry
- She was bored and needed puzzles
- She slipped out again
- She stayed in her tank
- She stopped eating
- Having nothing to do
- Very hungry
- Tired out
Words to know
- octopus: a sea animal with arms
- aquarium: a place with fish tanks
- workers: people at a job
- squeeze: press through a space
- bored: having nothing to do
- wander: go off on your own
Answer key: The Octopus Who Got Out
- B. In a bucket by the sink
- C. She squeezed through a tiny gap
- A. A shrimp
- C. She was bored and needed puzzles
- B. She stayed in her tank
- A. Having nothing to do
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“The Octopus Who Got Out” is a reading level 7 story. Every Peabody story at this level is written and checked to keep sentences to 10 words or fewer, to aim at an average of 6 words a sentence, and to show 12 to 30 words on a screen. At most 8% of its words may be off the familiar-word list. Children in 3rd grade start at this level.
| This passage | 203 words, 10 screens, 6 multiple-choice questions with an answer key, and 6 vocabulary words with kid-sized meanings |
|---|---|
| Longest sentence at this level | 10 words |
| Words on a screen | 12 to 30 |
| Skills practised at this level | phonics (sounding words out), sight words, spelling |
Reading level 7: 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.