Hey, you need to know this trick.

Using context is like

being a detective. You guess the meaning of unknown
words by looking at other words around them.

Directions: Use context clues to figure out the correct meaning of the underlined word.
Then circle the letter next to the correct meaning of the word.

December 5. It's time to get on the plane and depart for St. Thomas in the U.S.
Virgin Islands. We were jostled by the big crowd in the boarding area.
1. depart a. change b. enjoy C. come d. leave

2. jostled a. fastened b. curled C. pushed d. mixed

December 8. Yum! After getting up, we ate banana pancakes on the veranda
outside our room. Then we quickly bounded down to the beach to collect shells
and other washed-up sea treasures.
3. veranda a. decision b. porch C. planet d. sidewalk
4. bounded a. creeped . tied C. rushed d. dug

December 11. Today was spent lounging in beach hammocks and reading books.
For dinner we gobbled up conch fritters at the hotel restaurant. Yum again! Then
we moved over to the adjoining game room to play checkers
5. lounging a. relaxing b. snoring c. falling d. cleaning
6. adjoining a. basement b. attached d. separate
C. upper
December 14. This was our last day so we were off to Coral World, an underwater
observatory. As we walked through this awesome ocean museum, we got close-
up views of marine and coral life.
7. observatory a. building b. telescope C. tower d. shore
8. marine a. swamp b. sea C. soldier d. boat

Name Date:
Sadilehack Educational ®2002 3 Watson, Irvine, CA 9261SseFhone (8SS)SDL-RACK» www.slkack.aum
Reading Comprehension Publishing 16
 Be smart 1f you read something and it doesn't
make sense, read it again. Look for clues in the
sentence to help you.

Directions: Read the sentence. Now study it carefully to figure out the meaning of the word or
words in italics. Then write what the word or words mean.

1. Monday. Poor me! Here I sit in the bog. It's wet here, and the soil is so poor that I
can't get enough minerals from it.

Tuesday. Boy, I sure could use a juicy bug for a meal today. I'm a carnivorous plant
so that's the way I get extra nutrients.

3. Wednesday. Well, nothing is happening so I might as well check out my special

hinged leaves that can open and shut. They are two blade-like halves joined at
one side to form a trap. Looking good!

4. Thursday. Man, I am starved. I'll just exude some sweet-smelling fluids onto my
leaves. The fluids will ooze out all over the leaves. Some bug is sure to find that
tempting

5. Friday. Gottcha! A little bug just landed on my leaf trap, and I snapped it shut
around the tasty prey. This insect is now my food and cannot escape.

w
ww

Name Date:
Saddlehack Educational Publishing O2002
17 Watson. Irvine. CA 92618Phone (SS)SDL-BACK* ywKdlak.cum
Reading Comprehension
 Hey youl If you can't figure out the meaning of a
word by looking at the other words around it, look it
up in a dictionarY.

DirectionsDecide the correct meaning ofthe underlined word. Write it on the lines on the leaf.

When you pick a leaf from a plant, you are holding

something valuable.
a. a building b. a living, growing thing
Horses, sheep, and cattle graze on leaves for
nourishment.
a. touch gently b. feed

People also count on leaves for healthy eating9.

a. depend on b. name numbers

Cabbage, lettuce and spinach are leaves that have

great nutrients.
a. important b. large
In addition to being a food source, leaves provide many
useful products.
a. combining two b. as well as
numbers

Oil from the leaves of some plants is used to produce O.

perfumes and soaps.
a. make b. agricultural products

You season your food with the leaves from thyme,

parsley, and sage.
a. flavor b. special part of the year
Hair dye is another example of a good that comes from 8.
the leaves.
a. kind, honest b. something of economic
value

Name: Datez
Saddleback Educ:ational Publishing C©2002 3 Watson, Irvinc. CA
Reading Comprehensiom 18 92618*lhome(SSS}S1DL-RACK°xnwslkask.com
 I have an ideal Use ckues from around a word to help
you figure out its meaning9

Directions: Write 1 by the meaning of the word as it is used in the story. Write 2 by another
meaning for the word.

One daya thirsty crow was flying in rings above a roadside when she was lucky
enough to spot a pitcher in the middle of the road. She landed and hopped over to
it quickly. She dipped her beak into the narrow neck of the pitcher expecting a
cool drink, but no luck. There was only a little water at the very bottom of the
pitcher and no way to get at it. She thought hard.
"I could fly to town and find a straw so I could suck out the water," she thought.
"No. By the time I get back here, some other crow will surely claim my find."
Finally she had an idea. She picked up little pebbles and dropped
them one by one into the pitcher. Aftera while, the water
rose higher and higher as the pebbles filled the bottom of
the pitcher. When the water got close to the top, she
stuck in her beak and sipped a long, cool drink.
Moral: Necessity is the mother of invention
-Aesop

1. crow 5. little
a. a loud sharp cry a. a short time or distance
b. a large black bird b. a small amount

2. rings 6. straw
a. circles a. a tube for sipping
b. to make the sound of a bell b. hay

3. pitcher 7. back
a. a container with a handle a. to return

b. a baseball player b. behind your chest

4. spot 8. rose
a. to see a. moved upward
b. a mark or stain b. a flower

Name: Date:
Saddleback Educational e2002 3 Watson, Irvire, CA 92618Phone
Reading Comprehension Publishing 19 (S8S)SDL-BACK° uwslack.com
 D Words, words, and more words. Many words have
more than one meaning, so they can be used in
different ways.

Directions Read all the meanings and predict the words before you do the activity.
Write the letters to show two meanings for each word.

MeaningS Words with More

a. a place to play Than One Meaning
b. a cube or piece 1. block
C. to stop and leave

d. a place in a barn
2. park U
e. a plot of ground B. fray
f. put in the way of

g. a notice to pay 4. bill

h. a fight
5. blue
i. a beak

i t o hold off 6. crop

k. a coloor
7. bed
plants
m. a place to sleep 8. stall

n. to cut

O. being sad

p. worn or ragged

Name: Date
Sadáleback Educational Publishing C20O2 3Watson, Irvine, CA 926ls*Thene (88S)SDL- BACK° www.slkack.com
Reading Comprehension 20
 Hey, whiz kid. Remember that categorizing
information helps to get it into your brain's
memorY board.

Direction These signal clues may tell you that something is about to happen or emphasize
something important. Here are some signal words and phrases. Write them under
the corect heading.

@ in addition most of all near across

little by little more first again

a key point beyond durin9 since
.furthermore above all next to a major factor

Where-a place Sequence- time and order

3.

4.

Continuation more ideas coming Importance- be sure to note this

4.

Name Date:
Reading Comprehension Saddleback Educational Publishing ©2002 Watson, Irvine, CA 926l8el'hone (S8S)SDL-BACK° waWsilback.com
21
 Hold it! Before you start this job, think out loud
and get your brain in gear. Say signal words that
have to do with time or
order.

Directions: Read how Amy plans and writes her first report. Look for a word or a phrase that
gives you a signal about the order in which she does things or the time at which she
does things. Circle the word or the phrase and then write each of them on the lines.

Immediately after getting this assignment,

Amy began to think. First, she had to
choose a topic. Finally, she decided to write
her report about Navajo Indians. Her
teacher told her that after she picked a
topic, the next step was to write a list of
questions she wanted her report to answer.
Little by little, Amy came up with five 5.
questions. That felt like a good start. Once
that was done, she had to decide where to
find the information she needed. She read 7.
three books and one magazine article about
8.
Navajo Indians. While she did that, she
wrote careful notes on small cards. Then
9.
came the real work-making an outline.
With her teacher's help, she organized her 10. .
information into an A, B, C framework.
After writing her rough 11.
draft, Amy fixed a few LLLlaiinliaaaLILLLL
12.
mistakes and madea
few changes to her 13.
report. She typed her
final report on the
computer, printed it out,
and handed it in on
time. Whew! That wasn't
so bad after all.

Name: Date:
Saddleback Educatiomal Publishing ®2002
Realing Comprehension Watsn, Irvinc, CA 92618*Thone
(5)>DL.-BACK° xamslkack.sun
 Of course, you don't know this vocabulary.
That's wby dictionaries were invented. Use one.
Go for it!

Directions Read each sentence. Look up the word in bold print in a dictionary, The
write a few words to define the word. Now decide if the sentence is true or
false. Write T(True) or F (False).

Example:
I A rainy day might make you mope. act gloomy

1. You have to obey a judge's mandate.

2. The best place to find an ermine is in the garage.

3. You usually feel euphoric after flunking a test.

4. A tarmac is worn on the head.

5. A robber is a culprit.

6. You can enjoy eating a big, juicy gherkin.

7. Intricate directions may be hard to follow.

8. Perchance you will have a car someday.

9. A gibbon is as small as a
mouse
10. You might hear a carillon at a church.

11. You could say a kindergartner is a neophyte.

12. It is improbable that your teacher will call on you.

13. A cowling is a bird that is found on farms.

14. You can rectify a mistake.

15. A minister can be said to have virtue.

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Read1ng Comprehension Sadileback Exhucational 'ublishing ©2002 23 Witm, Irvine. CA 92618»Thone (58895t-BACK swwsilbaxkcam
 As you read each word in the glossary, make a
picture in your mind.

DirectionsRead the glossary page. Use it to answer the questions.

GLOSSARY
amphibian-An animal that lives in the hibernate-To spend the winter in a
water during its early life and then on sleep-like state.
land as an adult. Frogs, toads, and
salamanders are amphibians.
nocturna-Active at night.

aquatic-Living in water. salamander-An animal that looks like a

small lizard. It lives in or near fresh water.
cold-blooded-An animal whose blood fat structure covering the bodies
changes temperature with the temperature scale-A
of some amphibians and reptiles.
of the air. Amphibians are cold-blooded.
tubercles-Warts or bumps
clutch-A group of eggs. on the skin.
gills-Organs used to breathe under wate webbing--The thin skin that
herpetologist-A person who studies connects the toes of some
amphibians and/or reptiles. frogs and toads.

1. List two facts about amphibians..

2. Where might you find tubercles?.

3. If a frog is nocturnal, when would it probably hunt

forfood?
4. What is one feature of a frog's foot?
5. Where would you go to find a salamander? .
6. What would happen to a toad's body temperature in
cold weather?.

7. Suppose you could hibernate. What would you do?.

8. A group of eggs is called a-
9. Would you like to be a herpetologist? Why or why not?

10. What do you think is a good name for the book from
which this glossary came?

Cam Date
Sauktleback Educational Publishing ©202
Reading Comprehension 25 Watwm, Irvine. CA 9261seFhome (88S)SDL-BACK *wlkaskcn
 / Check yourself by rereading the sentences after you
correct them. This is self-questioning. Make sense?

DirectionsUse the glossary to correct the sentences. Draw a line through the word
or words in each sentence that are incorrect. Write the correct word or
words on the line.

Glossary of Word Usage may be, maybe-May be is a verb

Help for problem words or phrases phrase. Maybe is an adverb
meaning perhaps.
a, an-Use a before words that
might of--Use might have.
start with a consonant. Use an nowheres-Use nowhere.
before words that begin with a
vowel. off of-Ofis unnecessary. Omit it.
a
lot-A lot is always two words. is an overworked word.
Alot is a common spelling mistake.
pretty-This
Pick a synonym.
can, may-Can means ability. May to-Add -d to the
suppose to, use

means permission. ends of the words-supposed, used.

1. Teachers have heard alot of homework excuses, and here are a few silly ones. .

2. "I have an solar calculator, and it was cloudy last night.".

3. "May be l am allergic to pencils and pens"

4. "I'm pretty sure I did my homework, but maybe I dreamed it."

5. "I was forced to eat it because it might of fallen into enemy hands."

6. "I put it on the hood of the car, and now it's nowheres to be found.".

7. "My doctor says that I am not suppose to do anything that makes me sick."

8. " Oh, I may always do it tomorrow."

Name: Date
Rcading Comprehension Saidiehack Educational Publshing O2002 26 3Watson, Irvinc, CA 9261S [hone (8)SDIL-BACK slbuskcum
 Read and work with a partner. It's awesome how
thinking out loud helps you become a better reader!

Directions First, read each set of sentences all the way through without stopping. Then, fill in
the missing word. Last, underline the word or words that provide clues about the
missing word. Answers may vary.

1. Well, I was hoping to have a good. year. It would be

great to have a year of education in which things went smoothly.

2. Howeve, it looks as if this year Miss Madison's class is going to be strange and
like all the others. Something unusual always seems
to happen.

3. During the first week of school, my mom mentioned that she knew someone with
the same surname as my teacher. She said that she had gone to high school with a
girl whose name was Madison.

4. I just let that go in one ear and out the It's a big world
and many people have the same name.

5. However, several days later Mom came to school to pick me up for a

appointment. I needed to get my teeth cleaned.

6. That's when Mom came face-to-face with Miss Madison. They did know each other
after all! As they hugged and laughed,
I just wanted to .
It was so embarrassing!
7. Oh, my gosh, I can't believe my and my
teacher were high school buddies. Well, it could
be worse. At least they were
mom

Un
and not enemies.

Name: Date
Reading Comprehension Sadileback Educational Publishing ©2002 i Watson, Irvine, CA
92618 Phone(S88)SL-BACK® uwwslkack.com
 Is this tricky? Not if you use what you know and
keep your eyes peeled for cues like repeating words,
familiar expressions, synonyms, o r antonyms.

Directions Read the paragraph all the way through without stopping. Then on the
lines at the bottom of the page, write the missing words. Last, write the word
or words in the paragraph that provide clues about each missing word.

Do you know anything about adobe? Adobe is the Spanish word for a clay brick
that is dried by the sun. It is also the word for the soil from which the clay 1 is
made. Adobe soils can be found in many parts of the western 2. In fact, this
kind of soil covers many thousands of square miles of our country. Yes. Adobe soil is
great for 3 . because it is very fertile soil and produces plentiful crops. Adobe can
be easily molded when it is moist, but when it is 4 it is extremely hard. For that
reason, adobe has been used for thousands ofyears to make bricks for_5. For
example, the Pueblo Indians of the southwest used adobe bricks to build their
dwellings. To make the bricks, straw is mixed into the moist clay soil. Then the
bricks are molded and dried in the sun for 7 to 14 days. You can imagine that after
baking in the 6._ for that long
the bricks are as hard as 7. Not only have
adobe bricks been used in the past for building
homes, but in parts of the United States and
-

some
Mexico, they continue to be used in the _8.
Now you know something about adobe.

Missing Word Clue Word or Words

4.

8.

Name: Date:
Reading Comprehension Saddieback Educational Publishing 2002 28 3 Watson, Irvine, CA 9261SeFhone (SSS}SDL-RACK*www.ilkack.com
 Whoa! 1f you don't understand a
direction
reread it until it makes sense

Directions Follow the directions. Check () each direction as you do it.

CANADA

RockyMntainstates
Midwestern States

SgutherhStatse
Southwesterh States

MEXIC0

Color the Pacific Coast States region blue.

Color the New England region red.
uColor the Rocky Mountain States region brown. N
Color the Southwestern States region orange.
UColor the Southern States region green.
UColor the Midwestern States region purple. W O
Color the Middle Atlantic States region yellow.
Draw a star on the state in which you were born.
Put a checkmark on the state in which you live.
UPut a blue circle on the northernmost New England state.
Name: Date:
Reading Cmprehension Sauileback Ehacational Publishing ©2002
29 Watsm, Irvine, (CA 92618»Thne (89S|-BACK° awnslback.cm
 Don't go nuts! Just read the whole recipe before
you start.

Directions: Read the recipe, then answer the questions.

Monkey's Delight
Ingredients
3 bananas 3 tablespoons flour
Lemon juice 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Cinnamon 2 tablespoons chopped nuts
3 tablespoons quick-cooking 2 tablespoons margarine
rolled oats
Directions
1. Cut bananas into 1/4-inch slices. 6. With a fork, mix in margarine until
2. Lay them in a pie plate. the mix is crumbly.
3. Brush the slices with lemon juice. 7. Sprinkle crumb mix over the bananas.
4. Sprinkle them with cinnamon. 8. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 to 15
Mix in a bowl: rolled oats, brown minutes.
sugar, nuts. 9. Serve warm.

1. How many servings does this recipe make?

2. What do you do first?
3. What is the third step?
4. What kind of fruits do you need to buy for this recipe?
5. What do you need to cut the bananas?
6. How do you get lemon juice?.
7. What would happen if you left out the bananas?

8. What could you add to make this dessert more yummy?.

9. Yikes! You are allergic to nuts. What can you do to still enjoy this dessert?.

10. What would you need to do if you wanted to serve this dessert to 10 hungry people
or chimps?

Name: Date
Realing Comprehension Saxhleback Educatiomal Publushing ©2002 30 3Watson, Irvine, CA 92618eThone (88S)SDL-RACK° uww.slkxkcum