1st grade fiction passage about a family tradition of funny pancakes: 93 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradefictiona family tradition of funny pancakes93 words
Dad's Lumpy Pancake Club
On Sundays, Dad made pancakes. They were never round. One looked like a cloud. One looked like a boot.
Wren used to say, "Dad, they are lumpy."
Dad only winked. "Welcome to the Lumpy Pancake Club," he said.
So Wren made up a rule. Each person must say what their pancake looks like. Wren saw a whale. Her brother saw a hat.
Now Wren loves Sundays. She likes the lumpy ones best, and the syrup too. Next week, she will make the batter with Dad. She hopes it will look like a bunny.
Questions
When did Dad make pancakes? in the text
What did one pancake look like? in the text
What was Wren's new rule? in the text
What did Wren's brother see in his pancake? in the text
Why did Wren start to like the lumpy pancakes? think about it
Words to know
lumpy
bumpy and not smooth or flat
winked
closed one eye quickly as a joke
rule
something that tells people what to do
syrup
a thick, sweet liquid for pancakes
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Dad's Lumpy Pancake Club
1st grade reading passage
On Sundays, Dad made pancakes. They were never round. One looked like a cloud. One looked like a boot.
Wren used to say, "Dad, they are lumpy."
Dad only winked. "Welcome to the Lumpy Pancake Club," he said.
So Wren made up a rule. Each person must say what their pancake looks like. Wren saw a whale. Her brother saw a hat.
Now Wren loves Sundays. She likes the lumpy ones best, and the syrup too. Next week, she will make the batter with Dad. She hopes it will look like a bunny.
Questions
When did Dad make pancakes?
What did one pancake look like?
What was Wren's new rule?
What did Wren's brother see in his pancake?
Why did Wren start to like the lumpy pancakes?
Words to know
lumpy: bumpy and not smooth or flat
winked: closed one eye quickly as a joke
rule: something that tells people what to do
syrup: a thick, sweet liquid for pancakes
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/dads-lumpy-pancake-club
Share
One passage, three levels
The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.
● Easier · 70 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.7
On Sundays, Dad made pancakes. They were never round. One looked like a cloud. One looked like a boot.
Wren said, "Dad, they are lumpy."
Dad winked. "Welcome to the Lumpy Pancake Club," he said.
So Wren made a rule. Each one says what a pancake looks like. Wren saw a whale. Her brother saw a hat.
Now Wren loves Sundays. She likes the lumpy ones best, and the syrup.
▲ This passage · 93 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9
On Sundays, Dad made pancakes. They were never round. One looked like a cloud. One looked like a boot.
Wren used to say, "Dad, they are lumpy."
Dad only winked. "Welcome to the Lumpy Pancake Club," he said.
So Wren made up a rule. Each person must say what their pancake looks like. Wren saw a whale. Her brother saw a hat.
Now Wren loves Sundays. She likes the lumpy ones best, and the syrup too. Next week, she will make the batter with Dad. She hopes it will look like a bunny.
■ Harder · 89 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.9
Every Sunday morning, Dad made pancakes for the whole family. They were never perfectly round. One looked like a fluffy cloud, and another looked like a boot.
Wren used to complain, "Dad, they are so lumpy."
Dad only winked. "Welcome," he said, "to the Lumpy Pancake Club."
So Wren invented a rule. Everyone had to say what their pancake looked like. Wren saw a whale, and her brother saw a hat.
Now Wren loves Sunday mornings. She likes the lumpy pancakes best of all, along with the sweet syrup.
On Sundays, Dad made pancakes. They were never round. One looked like a cloud. One looked like a boot.
Wren said, "Dad, they are lumpy."
Dad winked. "Welcome to the Lumpy Pancake Club," he said.
So Wren made a rule. Each one says what a pancake looks like. Wren saw a whale. Her brother saw a hat.
Now Wren loves Sundays. She likes the lumpy ones best, and the syrup.
Questions
When did Dad make pancakes?
What did one pancake look like?
What was Wren's rule?
What did Wren's brother see?
Why did Wren like the lumpy pancakes?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Dad's Lumpy Pancake Club
On Sundays, Dad made pancakes. They were never round. One looked like a cloud. One looked like a boot.
Wren used to say, "Dad, they are lumpy."
Dad only winked. "Welcome to the Lumpy Pancake Club," he said.
So Wren made up a rule. Each person must say what their pancake looks like. Wren saw a whale. Her brother saw a hat.
Now Wren loves Sundays. She likes the lumpy ones best, and the syrup too. Next week, she will make the batter with Dad. She hopes it will look like a bunny.
Questions
When did Dad make pancakes?
What did one pancake look like?
What was Wren's new rule?
What did Wren's brother see in his pancake?
Why did Wren start to like the lumpy pancakes?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Dad's Lumpy Pancake Club
Every Sunday morning, Dad made pancakes for the whole family. They were never perfectly round. One looked like a fluffy cloud, and another looked like a boot.
Wren used to complain, "Dad, they are so lumpy."
Dad only winked. "Welcome," he said, "to the Lumpy Pancake Club."
So Wren invented a rule. Everyone had to say what their pancake looked like. Wren saw a whale, and her brother saw a hat.
Now Wren loves Sunday mornings. She likes the lumpy pancakes best of all, along with the sweet syrup.
Questions
On which day did Dad make pancakes?
What did two of Dad's pancakes look like?
What rule did Wren invent?
What did Wren's brother see in his pancake?
Why do you think Wren began to enjoy the lumpy pancakes?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Dad's Lumpy Pancake Club
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.7)
On Sundays.
A cloud, or a boot.
Each one says what their pancake looks like.
A hat.
The game made them fun.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9)
On Sundays.
A cloud, or a boot.
Each person says what their pancake looks like.
A hat.
The game made them fun, so the odd shapes were a treat.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.9)
On Sundays.
One looked like a cloud and another looked like a boot.
Everyone had to say what their pancake looked like.
A hat.
The guessing game turned the odd shapes into something fun to share.
Free at teach.peabody.kids
How to use it
Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.
Ideas for class
Before reading, put lumpy, winked, rule and syrup on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the story will be about.
Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 1 minute to read aloud.
Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
Question 5 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
Ask students to retell the story in three sentences: how it began, what the problem was, and how it ended.
Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.
It was written for 1st grade. It has 93 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 0.9. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.
What do the questions ask?
There are five. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 1 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.
How long does it take to read?
About 1 minute read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.
Can I print it?
Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.
Is this passage from a published book?
No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. No sign-in, no ads.