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Tom and the Big Fish: reading passage and questions

A free printable short story reading passage, written at a grade 1 reading level (Peabody level 6; 220 words) with 5 comprehension questions and an answer key. No sign-up.

Name: ____________________Date: ____________

Tom and the Big Fish

Tom sat on the dock with his fishing pole. The sun was warm and the water was still.

He waited and waited. A little fish swam by. It did not even look at his hook.

Then, tug! Something pulled hard on the line. Tom held on with both hands.

"A big fish!" he yelled. "It must be the biggest fish in the lake!"

The pole bent down low. Tom pulled and pulled. His arms began to shake.

With one last pull, the line came up. Splash! Water flew everywhere.

It was not a fish at all. It was one old boot, full of mud and water.

Tom laughed and laughed. "That is the worst fish I ever caught," he said.

He tipped the boot over. Out came the water. Then out hopped a tiny green frog!

The frog sat on the dock and blinked at Tom. "Ribbit," it said, as if to say thank you.

Tom looked at the boot. "I know," he said. "I will make you a home."

He set the boot by the water, top turned up. He put a flat rock by the door.

The frog hopped right in. Then it peeked out at Tom from the top.

Tom did not catch a fish that day. But he made a friend, and a house for him.

Questions

1. Why does Tom think he has a big fish?
  1. The line pulls very hard
  2. He sees it jump
  3. His friend tells him
2. What comes up on the line?
  1. A big fish
  2. A frog
  3. An old boot
3. What hops out of the boot?
  1. A crab
  2. A tiny frog
  3. A fish
4. How does Tom feel when he sees the boot?
  1. Angry, he throws it
  2. He laughs
  3. Sad, he cries
5. What does Tom make with the boot?
  1. A home for the frog
  2. A hat
  3. A boat

Words to know

  • dock: walkway over water
  • tug: a hard pull
  • boot: a tall shoe
  • blinked: shut eyes fast

Answer key: Tom and the Big Fish

  1. A. The line pulls very hard
  2. C. An old boot
  3. B. A tiny frog
  4. B. He laughs
  5. A. A home for the frog

For the teacher: how this passage is levelled

“Tom and the Big Fish” is a reading level 6 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 20 words on a screen. At most 7% of its words may be off the familiar-word list. Readers reach this level by climbing, not by grade.

This passage220 words, 14 screens, 5 multiple-choice questions with an answer key, and 4 vocabulary words with kid-sized meanings
Longest sentence at this level10 words
Words on a screen12 to 20
Skills practised at this levelphonics (sounding words out), first sounds, sight words

Reading level 6: 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.