2nd grade nonfiction passage about sign language interpreter: 134 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionsign language interpreter134 words
Hands That Talk: A Sign Language Interpreter
Some people cannot hear. Many of them talk with their hands. This is called sign language. Each sign has a shape and a motion. Signs make words and sentences.
What if a person who signs goes to a meeting? The other people do not sign. An interpreter can help. She listens to what people say. Then she signs the words, so everyone can follow along. When the person signs an answer, she says the words out loud.
This job takes lots of skill. An interpreter has to pay close attention and think fast. She must know two ways of talking very well. She also keeps what she hears private, so people can trust her.
You may see an interpreter near a stage at a show. Her hands tell the story while the singers sing.
Questions
What is sign language? in the text
What does an interpreter do when someone speaks? in the text
What does the interpreter do when the person who signs answers? in the text
Why must an interpreter think fast? think about it
Where might you see an interpreter at a show? in the text
Words to know
sign
a hand shape and motion that stands for a word
interpreter
a person who changes words from one way of talking to another
skill
something you can do well because you learned it
private
not shared with other people
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Hands That Talk: A Sign Language Interpreter
2nd grade reading passage
Some people cannot hear. Many of them talk with their hands. This is called sign language. Each sign has a shape and a motion. Signs make words and sentences.
What if a person who signs goes to a meeting? The other people do not sign. An interpreter can help. She listens to what people say. Then she signs the words, so everyone can follow along. When the person signs an answer, she says the words out loud.
This job takes lots of skill. An interpreter has to pay close attention and think fast. She must know two ways of talking very well. She also keeps what she hears private, so people can trust her.
You may see an interpreter near a stage at a show. Her hands tell the story while the singers sing.
Questions
What is sign language?
What does an interpreter do when someone speaks?
What does the interpreter do when the person who signs answers?
Why must an interpreter think fast?
Where might you see an interpreter at a show?
Words to know
sign: a hand shape and motion that stands for a word
interpreter: a person who changes words from one way of talking to another
skill: something you can do well because you learned it
private: not shared with other people
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/hands-that-talk-a-sign-language-interpreter
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 · 109 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9
Some people cannot hear. Many of them talk with their hands. This is sign language. Each sign has a shape and a move. Signs make words.
Say a person who signs goes to a meeting. The others do not sign. An interpreter can help. She listens to the words. Then she signs them. Now everyone can follow. When the person signs back, she says the words out loud.
This job takes skill. She has to think fast. She has to know two ways to talk. She keeps what she hears private. That way, people trust her.
You may see an interpreter near a stage. Her hands tell the song.
▲ This passage · 134 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1
Some people cannot hear. Many of them talk with their hands. This is called sign language. Each sign has a shape and a motion. Signs make words and sentences.
What if a person who signs goes to a meeting? The other people do not sign. An interpreter can help. She listens to what people say. Then she signs the words, so everyone can follow along. When the person signs an answer, she says the words out loud.
This job takes lots of skill. An interpreter has to pay close attention and think fast. She must know two ways of talking very well. She also keeps what she hears private, so people can trust her.
You may see an interpreter near a stage at a show. Her hands tell the story while the singers sing.
■ Harder · 153 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.6
Some people cannot hear at all, or they hear only a little. Many of them communicate with their hands, which is known as sign language. Every sign has its own shape and motion, and signs can be combined to form words and complete sentences.
Suppose a person who signs attends a meeting with people who do not sign. An interpreter can make the meeting possible. She listens carefully to what people say and signs their words, so that everyone can follow along. When the signing person replies, the interpreter speaks the words aloud.
This job demands a great deal of skill. An interpreter must concentrate closely and think quickly, and she must know two ways of communicating extremely well. She also keeps everything she hears private, so that people can trust her.
At a show, you may notice an interpreter standing near the stage while her hands tell the story of the song.
Some people cannot hear. Many of them talk with their hands. This is sign language. Each sign has a shape and a move. Signs make words.
Say a person who signs goes to a meeting. The others do not sign. An interpreter can help. She listens to the words. Then she signs them. Now everyone can follow. When the person signs back, she says the words out loud.
This job takes skill. She has to think fast. She has to know two ways to talk. She keeps what she hears private. That way, people trust her.
You may see an interpreter near a stage. Her hands tell the song.
Questions
What is sign language?
What does an interpreter do when people speak?
What does she do when the person signs back?
Why must an interpreter think fast?
Where might you see an interpreter at a show?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Hands That Talk: A Sign Language Interpreter
Some people cannot hear. Many of them talk with their hands. This is called sign language. Each sign has a shape and a motion. Signs make words and sentences.
What if a person who signs goes to a meeting? The other people do not sign. An interpreter can help. She listens to what people say. Then she signs the words, so everyone can follow along. When the person signs an answer, she says the words out loud.
This job takes lots of skill. An interpreter has to pay close attention and think fast. She must know two ways of talking very well. She also keeps what she hears private, so people can trust her.
You may see an interpreter near a stage at a show. Her hands tell the story while the singers sing.
Questions
What is sign language?
What does an interpreter do when someone speaks?
What does the interpreter do when the person who signs answers?
Why must an interpreter think fast?
Where might you see an interpreter at a show?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Hands That Talk: A Sign Language Interpreter
Some people cannot hear at all, or they hear only a little. Many of them communicate with their hands, which is known as sign language. Every sign has its own shape and motion, and signs can be combined to form words and complete sentences.
Suppose a person who signs attends a meeting with people who do not sign. An interpreter can make the meeting possible. She listens carefully to what people say and signs their words, so that everyone can follow along. When the signing person replies, the interpreter speaks the words aloud.
This job demands a great deal of skill. An interpreter must concentrate closely and think quickly, and she must know two ways of communicating extremely well. She also keeps everything she hears private, so that people can trust her.
At a show, you may notice an interpreter standing near the stage while her hands tell the story of the song.
Questions
What is sign language?
What does an interpreter do when people speak?
What does the interpreter do when the signing person replies?
Why must an interpreter be able to think quickly?
Where might you notice an interpreter at a show?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Hands That Talk: A Sign Language Interpreter
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9)
Talking with your hands.
She signs the words so everyone can follow.
She says the words out loud.
People keep talking, so she must sign the words right away.
Near the stage.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1)
Talking with your hands, using shapes and motions.
She signs the words so everyone can follow along.
She says the words out loud.
People keep talking, so she has to change the words into signs right away.
Standing near the stage.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.6)
A way of communicating with the hands, using shapes and motions.
She signs their words so everyone can follow along.
She speaks the words aloud.
People keep talking, so she has to turn their words into signs right away.
Standing near the stage.
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 sign, interpreter, skill and private 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 4 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 "Hands That Talk: A Sign Language Interpreter"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 134 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.1. 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.