The Roar in the Cupboard
From the cupboard under the stairs came a roar.
Ana put her head under the blanket.
Roar! Roar! It was loud and deep.
“Dad!” she called. “What is that?”
Dad came and took her hand.
They went down the stairs together.
Dad opened the cupboard a little.
It was the vacuum, with a long, dusty hose.
Dad had left it on, with a low hum.
“Let us give it a smile,” said Dad.
Ana drew a smile on it with chalk.
Dad swept up some crumbs, and the vacuum ate them.
The vacuum gave one happy roar.
“Good night, Roary,” said Ana.
That night, she slept all the way through.
Questions
- The roof
- The cupboard
- The yard
- A bear
- A cat
- A vacuum
- Dad
- Mom
- A pup
- She is cold
- She is not afraid any more
- She is sick
- A tiny bug
- A long hose
- A soft bed cover
Words to know
- cupboard: a closet for things
- blanket: a soft bed cover
- crumbs: tiny bits of food
- hose: a long bendy tube
Answer key: The Roar in the Cupboard
- B. The cupboard
- C. A vacuum
- A. Dad
- B. She is not afraid any more
- C. A soft bed cover
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“The Roar in the Cupboard” is a reading level 5 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 5 words a sentence, and to show 1 to 12 words on a screen. At most 6% of its words may be off the familiar-word list. Children in 2nd grade start at this level.
| This passage | 110 words, 15 screens, 5 multiple-choice questions with an answer key, and 4 vocabulary words with kid-sized meanings |
|---|---|
| Longest sentence at this level | 10 words |
| Words on a screen | 1 to 12 |
| Skills practised at this level | phonics (sounding words out), first sounds, sight words |
Reading level 5: 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.