2nd grade nonfiction passage about watch repair worker: 137 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionwatch repair worker137 words
Inside a Watch Fixer's Tiny Shop
Inside a watch are many tiny parts. Some are no bigger than a grain of sand. A worker who fixes watches needs a steady hand and a lot of patience.
When a watch stops, the fixer opens the back with a thin tool. She puts a small lens over one eye, which makes the parts look bigger. She looks for a bent piece, a bit of dust, or a spring that has worn out.
She lifts the little parts out with tweezers and lays them on a soft cloth, in order. This way she remembers where each one goes. Then she cleans them and puts them back together, one by one.
A watch fixer works in a quiet place and breathes slowly. A sneeze could blow a part away! When the watch ticks again, she feels proud.
Questions
How big are some parts inside a watch? in the text
What does the small lens do? in the text
What tool does she use to lift the tiny parts? in the text
Why does she lay the parts on a cloth in order? think about it
Why does she work in a quiet place? think about it
Words to know
steady
not shaking or moving around
patience
staying calm while something takes a long time
lens
a piece of curved glass that makes things look bigger
tweezers
a small tool with two arms for picking up tiny things
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Inside a Watch Fixer's Tiny Shop
2nd grade reading passage
Inside a watch are many tiny parts. Some are no bigger than a grain of sand. A worker who fixes watches needs a steady hand and a lot of patience.
When a watch stops, the fixer opens the back with a thin tool. She puts a small lens over one eye, which makes the parts look bigger. She looks for a bent piece, a bit of dust, or a spring that has worn out.
She lifts the little parts out with tweezers and lays them on a soft cloth, in order. This way she remembers where each one goes. Then she cleans them and puts them back together, one by one.
A watch fixer works in a quiet place and breathes slowly. A sneeze could blow a part away! When the watch ticks again, she feels proud.
Questions
How big are some parts inside a watch?
What does the small lens do?
What tool does she use to lift the tiny parts?
Why does she lay the parts on a cloth in order?
Why does she work in a quiet place?
Words to know
steady: not shaking or moving around
patience: staying calm while something takes a long time
lens: a piece of curved glass that makes things look bigger
tweezers: a small tool with two arms for picking up tiny things
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/inside-a-watch-fixers-tiny-shop
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 · 111 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.2
A watch has many tiny parts. Some are as small as a grain of sand. A watch fixer needs a steady hand. She needs patience too.
When a watch stops, she opens the back. She puts a small lens over one eye. It makes the parts look big. She looks for a bent part, dust, or a worn spring.
She lifts parts out with tweezers. She puts them on a soft cloth in order. Then she remembers where each goes. She cleans them. She puts them back, one by one.
The shop is quiet. She breathes slowly. A sneeze could blow a part away! When the watch ticks, she feels proud.
▲ This passage · 137 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8
Inside a watch are many tiny parts. Some are no bigger than a grain of sand. A worker who fixes watches needs a steady hand and a lot of patience.
When a watch stops, the fixer opens the back with a thin tool. She puts a small lens over one eye, which makes the parts look bigger. She looks for a bent piece, a bit of dust, or a spring that has worn out.
She lifts the little parts out with tweezers and lays them on a soft cloth, in order. This way she remembers where each one goes. Then she cleans them and puts them back together, one by one.
A watch fixer works in a quiet place and breathes slowly. A sneeze could blow a part away! When the watch ticks again, she feels proud.
■ Harder · 147 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.6
Inside every watch are countless tiny parts, and some are no larger than a grain of sand. A person who repairs watches needs a remarkably steady hand and a great deal of patience.
Whenever a watch stops running, the repairer opens the back with a thin tool. She places a small lens over one eye, which makes the parts appear much bigger. Then she searches for a bent piece, a speck of dust, or a spring that has worn out.
Using tweezers, she lifts the delicate parts out and arranges them on a soft cloth, in order, so that she remembers where each one belongs. After cleaning them, she carefully puts them back together, one at a time.
A watch repairer works in a quiet place and breathes slowly, because a sneeze could blow a part away. When the watch begins to tick again, she feels proud.
A watch has many tiny parts. Some are as small as a grain of sand. A watch fixer needs a steady hand. She needs patience too.
When a watch stops, she opens the back. She puts a small lens over one eye. It makes the parts look big. She looks for a bent part, dust, or a worn spring.
She lifts parts out with tweezers. She puts them on a soft cloth in order. Then she remembers where each goes. She cleans them. She puts them back, one by one.
The shop is quiet. She breathes slowly. A sneeze could blow a part away! When the watch ticks, she feels proud.
Questions
How big are some parts in a watch?
What does the small lens do?
What does she use to lift the parts?
Why does she put the parts on a cloth in order?
Why is her shop quiet?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Inside a Watch Fixer's Tiny Shop
Inside a watch are many tiny parts. Some are no bigger than a grain of sand. A worker who fixes watches needs a steady hand and a lot of patience.
When a watch stops, the fixer opens the back with a thin tool. She puts a small lens over one eye, which makes the parts look bigger. She looks for a bent piece, a bit of dust, or a spring that has worn out.
She lifts the little parts out with tweezers and lays them on a soft cloth, in order. This way she remembers where each one goes. Then she cleans them and puts them back together, one by one.
A watch fixer works in a quiet place and breathes slowly. A sneeze could blow a part away! When the watch ticks again, she feels proud.
Questions
How big are some parts inside a watch?
What does the small lens do?
What tool does she use to lift the tiny parts?
Why does she lay the parts on a cloth in order?
Why does she work in a quiet place?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Inside a Watch Fixer's Tiny Shop
Inside every watch are countless tiny parts, and some are no larger than a grain of sand. A person who repairs watches needs a remarkably steady hand and a great deal of patience.
Whenever a watch stops running, the repairer opens the back with a thin tool. She places a small lens over one eye, which makes the parts appear much bigger. Then she searches for a bent piece, a speck of dust, or a spring that has worn out.
Using tweezers, she lifts the delicate parts out and arranges them on a soft cloth, in order, so that she remembers where each one belongs. After cleaning them, she carefully puts them back together, one at a time.
A watch repairer works in a quiet place and breathes slowly, because a sneeze could blow a part away. When the watch begins to tick again, she feels proud.
Questions
How big are some of the parts inside a watch?
What does the small lens do for the repairer?
What does she use to lift the delicate parts out?
Why does she arrange the parts on a cloth in order?
Why does she work in a quiet place and breathe slowly?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Inside a Watch Fixer's Tiny Shop
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.2)
As small as a grain of sand.
It makes the parts look big.
Tweezers.
So she remembers where each part goes.
A sneeze or hard breath could blow a tiny part away.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8)
Some are no bigger than a grain of sand.
It makes the parts look bigger.
Tweezers.
So she remembers where each part goes.
A sneeze or a strong breath could blow a tiny part away.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.6)
Some are no larger than a grain of sand.
It makes the parts appear much bigger.
Tweezers.
So that she remembers where each part belongs.
A sneeze or a strong breath could blow a tiny part away.
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 steady, patience, lens and tweezers 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 "Inside a Watch Fixer's Tiny Shop"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 137 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.8. 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. 3 ask for something the text says directly and 2 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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