2nd grade nonfiction passage about the abacus: 116 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionthe abacus116 words
Counting with Beads on an Abacus
Long before calculators, people needed a way to count and add. Shopkeepers had to add up what people owed. So they used a tool called an abacus.
An abacus is a wooden frame with thin rods. Each rod holds beads that can slide back and forth. The beads on one rod are ones. The beads on the next rod are tens.
To add, a person slides beads to one side. Each bead moved is one more. When the ones are all used up, the person moves a bead on the tens rod instead.
An abacus was used in many places around the world. Some people still use one today. They can work with it very fast.
Questions
Who needed to add up what people owed? in the text
What is an abacus made of? in the text
What do the beads on the next rod stand for? in the text
How does a person add on an abacus? in the text
Why did people long ago use an abacus? think about it
Words to know
calculators
small machines that do math for you
shopkeepers
people who own or run a small store
abacus
a frame with beads that is used to count and add
rods
long, thin sticks
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Counting with Beads on an Abacus
2nd grade reading passage
Long before calculators, people needed a way to count and add. Shopkeepers had to add up what people owed. So they used a tool called an abacus.
An abacus is a wooden frame with thin rods. Each rod holds beads that can slide back and forth. The beads on one rod are ones. The beads on the next rod are tens.
To add, a person slides beads to one side. Each bead moved is one more. When the ones are all used up, the person moves a bead on the tens rod instead.
An abacus was used in many places around the world. Some people still use one today. They can work with it very fast.
Questions
Who needed to add up what people owed?
What is an abacus made of?
What do the beads on the next rod stand for?
How does a person add on an abacus?
Why did people long ago use an abacus?
Words to know
calculators: small machines that do math for you
shopkeepers: people who own or run a small store
abacus: a frame with beads that is used to count and add
rods: long, thin sticks
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/counting-with-beads-on-an-abacus
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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 · 94 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.3
Long before calculators, people needed a way to count. Shopkeepers had to add up what people owed. So they used an abacus.
An abacus is a wooden frame with thin rods. Each rod has beads that slide. The beads on one rod are ones. The beads on the next rod are tens.
To add, a person slides beads to one side. Each bead is one more. When the ones are used up, the person moves a bead on the tens rod.
An abacus was used in many places. Some people still use one now.
▲ This passage · 116 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5
Long before calculators, people needed a way to count and add. Shopkeepers had to add up what people owed. So they used a tool called an abacus.
An abacus is a wooden frame with thin rods. Each rod holds beads that can slide back and forth. The beads on one rod are ones. The beads on the next rod are tens.
To add, a person slides beads to one side. Each bead moved is one more. When the ones are all used up, the person moves a bead on the tens rod instead.
An abacus was used in many places around the world. Some people still use one today. They can work with it very fast.
■ Harder · 134 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.6
Long before the invention of calculators, people still needed a dependable way to count and add. Shopkeepers, for example, had to total up what their customers owed, so they relied on a tool called an abacus.
An abacus is a wooden frame crossed by thin rods, and each rod holds beads that can slide back and forth. The beads on one rod stand for ones, while the beads on the neighboring rod stand for tens.
To add, a person slides beads to one side, and each bead that moves counts as one more. Once all the ones have been used up, the person moves a bead on the tens rod instead.
The abacus was used in many places around the world, and some people still use one today, often working with it astonishingly fast.
Long before calculators, people needed a way to count. Shopkeepers had to add up what people owed. So they used an abacus.
An abacus is a wooden frame with thin rods. Each rod has beads that slide. The beads on one rod are ones. The beads on the next rod are tens.
To add, a person slides beads to one side. Each bead is one more. When the ones are used up, the person moves a bead on the tens rod.
An abacus was used in many places. Some people still use one now.
Questions
Who needed to add up what people owed?
What is an abacus made of?
What do the beads on the next rod stand for?
How does a person add on an abacus?
Why did people long ago use an abacus?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Counting with Beads on an Abacus
Long before calculators, people needed a way to count and add. Shopkeepers had to add up what people owed. So they used a tool called an abacus.
An abacus is a wooden frame with thin rods. Each rod holds beads that can slide back and forth. The beads on one rod are ones. The beads on the next rod are tens.
To add, a person slides beads to one side. Each bead moved is one more. When the ones are all used up, the person moves a bead on the tens rod instead.
An abacus was used in many places around the world. Some people still use one today. They can work with it very fast.
Questions
Who needed to add up what people owed?
What is an abacus made of?
What do the beads on the next rod stand for?
How does a person add on an abacus?
Why did people long ago use an abacus?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Counting with Beads on an Abacus
Long before the invention of calculators, people still needed a dependable way to count and add. Shopkeepers, for example, had to total up what their customers owed, so they relied on a tool called an abacus.
An abacus is a wooden frame crossed by thin rods, and each rod holds beads that can slide back and forth. The beads on one rod stand for ones, while the beads on the neighboring rod stand for tens.
To add, a person slides beads to one side, and each bead that moves counts as one more. Once all the ones have been used up, the person moves a bead on the tens rod instead.
The abacus was used in many places around the world, and some people still use one today, often working with it astonishingly fast.
Questions
Who needed to total up what customers owed?
What is an abacus made of?
What do the beads on the neighboring rod stand for?
How does a person add on an abacus?
Why did people long ago rely on an abacus?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Counting with Beads on an Abacus
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.3)
Shopkeepers.
A wooden frame with rods and beads.
Tens.
They slide beads to one side.
There were no calculators, so it helped them add.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5)
Shopkeepers.
A wooden frame with thin rods and beads.
Tens.
They slide beads to one side, one for each number.
There were no calculators, so it helped them add.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.6)
Shopkeepers.
A wooden frame crossed by thin rods that hold beads.
Tens.
They slide beads to one side, and each bead counts as one more.
Calculators had not been invented, so it gave them a way to add.
Free at teach.peabody.kids
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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 calculators, shopkeepers, abacus and rods on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text 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 write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.
What reading level is "Counting with Beads on an Abacus"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 116 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.5. 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.
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