2nd grade nonfiction passage about bird watching for beginners: 135 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionbird watching for beginners135 words
How to Watch Backyard Birds
You can learn a lot by watching birds. You do not need to go far. Many birds visit a backyard or a park.
First, find a quiet spot. Sit still, and speak softly. Birds fly away from loud noises and quick moves.
Next, look and listen. Look up in the trees. Look on the ground. Birds sing and chirp, so listen for them too.
Then, notice what you see. What color is the bird? Is it big or small? What shape is its beak? What is it eating? A notebook helps you remember. You can draw the bird or write a few words.
You may use a bird book to find the name of the bird.
Last, stay back. Never chase a bird or touch a nest. Be kind, and the birds will keep coming.
Questions
Where can you watch birds? in the text
Why should you sit still and speak softly? in the text
What are two things to notice about a bird? in the text
How can a notebook help you? in the text
Why should you never touch a nest? think about it
Words to know
quiet
making very little sound
chirp
a short, high bird sound
notice
to see or pay attention to something
nest
a home that a bird builds for its eggs
beak
the hard mouth part of a bird
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
How to Watch Backyard Birds
2nd grade reading passage
You can learn a lot by watching birds. You do not need to go far. Many birds visit a backyard or a park.
First, find a quiet spot. Sit still, and speak softly. Birds fly away from loud noises and quick moves.
Next, look and listen. Look up in the trees. Look on the ground. Birds sing and chirp, so listen for them too.
Then, notice what you see. What color is the bird? Is it big or small? What shape is its beak? What is it eating? A notebook helps you remember. You can draw the bird or write a few words.
You may use a bird book to find the name of the bird.
Last, stay back. Never chase a bird or touch a nest. Be kind, and the birds will keep coming.
Questions
Where can you watch birds?
Why should you sit still and speak softly?
What are two things to notice about a bird?
How can a notebook help you?
Why should you never touch a nest?
Words to know
quiet: making very little sound
chirp: a short, high bird sound
notice: to see or pay attention to something
nest: a home that a bird builds for its eggs
beak: the hard mouth part of a bird
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/how-to-watch-backyard-birds
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 · 126 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.2
You can learn a lot by watching birds. You do not need to go far. Many birds visit a yard or a park.
First, find a quiet spot. Sit still. Speak softly. Birds fly away from loud noises and quick moves.
Next, look and listen. Look up in the trees. Look on the ground. Birds chirp, so listen too.
Then, notice the bird. What color is it? Is it big or small? What is its beak like? What is it eating? A notebook helps you remember. You can draw the bird or write a few words.
A bird book can tell you the bird's name.
Last, stay back. Do not chase a bird. Do not touch a nest. Be kind, and the birds will come back.
▲ This passage · 135 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4
You can learn a lot by watching birds. You do not need to go far. Many birds visit a backyard or a park.
First, find a quiet spot. Sit still, and speak softly. Birds fly away from loud noises and quick moves.
Next, look and listen. Look up in the trees. Look on the ground. Birds sing and chirp, so listen for them too.
Then, notice what you see. What color is the bird? Is it big or small? What shape is its beak? What is it eating? A notebook helps you remember. You can draw the bird or write a few words.
You may use a bird book to find the name of the bird.
Last, stay back. Never chase a bird or touch a nest. Be kind, and the birds will keep coming.
■ Harder · 165 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.7
You can learn a surprising amount simply by watching birds, and you do not have to travel far to do it. Plenty of birds visit a backyard or a nearby park.
To begin, find a quiet spot where you can sit still and speak softly, because birds tend to fly away from loud noises and sudden movements.
Next, look and listen carefully. Search the branches of the trees and the ground below them, and pay attention to any birds that sing or chirp.
After that, notice details about each bird you see. What color is it? Is it large or small? What shape is its beak? What is it eating? A notebook helps you remember what you observed, and you can either sketch the bird or jot down a few words. A bird book can then help you find its name.
Finally, keep your distance. Never chase a bird or touch a nest. If you are gentle and kind, the birds will keep coming back.
You can learn a lot by watching birds. You do not need to go far. Many birds visit a yard or a park.
First, find a quiet spot. Sit still. Speak softly. Birds fly away from loud noises and quick moves.
Next, look and listen. Look up in the trees. Look on the ground. Birds chirp, so listen too.
Then, notice the bird. What color is it? Is it big or small? What is its beak like? What is it eating? A notebook helps you remember. You can draw the bird or write a few words.
A bird book can tell you the bird's name.
Last, stay back. Do not chase a bird. Do not touch a nest. Be kind, and the birds will come back.
Questions
Where can you watch birds?
Why should you sit still and speak softly?
What are two things to notice about a bird?
How can a notebook help you?
Why should you not touch a nest?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
How to Watch Backyard Birds
You can learn a lot by watching birds. You do not need to go far. Many birds visit a backyard or a park.
First, find a quiet spot. Sit still, and speak softly. Birds fly away from loud noises and quick moves.
Next, look and listen. Look up in the trees. Look on the ground. Birds sing and chirp, so listen for them too.
Then, notice what you see. What color is the bird? Is it big or small? What shape is its beak? What is it eating? A notebook helps you remember. You can draw the bird or write a few words.
You may use a bird book to find the name of the bird.
Last, stay back. Never chase a bird or touch a nest. Be kind, and the birds will keep coming.
Questions
Where can you watch birds?
Why should you sit still and speak softly?
What are two things to notice about a bird?
How can a notebook help you?
Why should you never touch a nest?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
How to Watch Backyard Birds
You can learn a surprising amount simply by watching birds, and you do not have to travel far to do it. Plenty of birds visit a backyard or a nearby park.
To begin, find a quiet spot where you can sit still and speak softly, because birds tend to fly away from loud noises and sudden movements.
Next, look and listen carefully. Search the branches of the trees and the ground below them, and pay attention to any birds that sing or chirp.
After that, notice details about each bird you see. What color is it? Is it large or small? What shape is its beak? What is it eating? A notebook helps you remember what you observed, and you can either sketch the bird or jot down a few words. A bird book can then help you find its name.
Finally, keep your distance. Never chase a bird or touch a nest. If you are gentle and kind, the birds will keep coming back.
Questions
Where might you go to watch birds?
Why should you sit still and speak softly near birds?
What are two details to notice about a bird?
How can a notebook help a bird watcher?
Why is it important never to touch a nest?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: How to Watch Backyard Birds
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.2)
In a yard or a park.
Birds fly away from loud noises and quick moves.
Any two of: its color, its size, its beak, what it eats.
You can draw the bird or write words to help you remember.
It could scare the birds or harm the eggs, so you should stay back and be kind.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4)
In a backyard or a park.
Birds fly away from loud noises and quick moves.
Any two of: its color, its size, the shape of its beak, what it is eating.
You can draw the bird or write words to help you remember it.
It could frighten the birds or harm the eggs and babies, so you should be kind and stay back.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.7)
A backyard or a nearby park.
Birds tend to fly away from loud noises and sudden movements.
Any two of: its color, its size, the shape of its beak, what it is eating.
You can sketch the bird or write a few words to remember what you observed.
It could frighten the birds or harm the eggs and chicks, so you should keep your distance and be kind.
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 quiet, chirp, notice, nest and beak 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 "How to Watch Backyard Birds"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 135 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 0.4. 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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