2nd grade nonfiction passage about hermit crab shells: 130 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionhermit crab shells130 words
Pip the Hermit Crab Finds a Roomier Home
Pip was a little hermit crab. He lived on a sandy beach, and he carried a shell on his back. It was his home.
One day, Pip felt squeezed. His shell was too small. He had grown, but the shell had not. A hermit crab cannot grow a new shell, so Pip had to find a bigger one.
He walked along the beach. He peeked into a shell and said, "Too tight." He tried another one. "Too big!" he said. At last he found a shell that was just right.
Pip quickly slipped out of his old shell and into the new one. Then he wiggled to get comfy. Another small hermit crab came by and took the old shell. It fit her well.
Now Pip had room to grow.
Questions
Where did Pip live? in the text
Why did Pip feel squeezed? in the text
What did Pip say about the second shell? in the text
Who took the old shell? in the text
Why did Pip have to look for a new shell? think about it
Words to know
hermit
an animal that carries a shell as its home
squeezed
pressed in a space that is too small
peeked
looked quickly at something
wiggled
moved with small quick turns
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Pip the Hermit Crab Finds a Roomier Home
2nd grade reading passage
Pip was a little hermit crab. He lived on a sandy beach, and he carried a shell on his back. It was his home.
One day, Pip felt squeezed. His shell was too small. He had grown, but the shell had not. A hermit crab cannot grow a new shell, so Pip had to find a bigger one.
He walked along the beach. He peeked into a shell and said, "Too tight." He tried another one. "Too big!" he said. At last he found a shell that was just right.
Pip quickly slipped out of his old shell and into the new one. Then he wiggled to get comfy. Another small hermit crab came by and took the old shell. It fit her well.
Now Pip had room to grow.
Questions
Where did Pip live?
Why did Pip feel squeezed?
What did Pip say about the second shell?
Who took the old shell?
Why did Pip have to look for a new shell?
Words to know
hermit: an animal that carries a shell as its home
squeezed: pressed in a space that is too small
peeked: looked quickly at something
wiggled: moved with small quick turns
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/pip-the-hermit-crab-finds-a-roomier-home
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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 · 107 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3
Pip was a little hermit crab. He lived on a sandy beach. He carried a shell on his back. It was his home.
One day, Pip felt squeezed. His shell was too small. He had grown, but the shell had not. Pip had to find a bigger one.
He walked on the beach. He peeked in a shell. "Too tight," he said. He tried another. "Too big!" he said. Then he found one that was just right.
Pip slipped out of his old shell and into the new one. Another small hermit crab took the old shell. It fit her well.
Now Pip had room to grow.
▲ This passage · 130 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.7
Pip was a little hermit crab. He lived on a sandy beach, and he carried a shell on his back. It was his home.
One day, Pip felt squeezed. His shell was too small. He had grown, but the shell had not. A hermit crab cannot grow a new shell, so Pip had to find a bigger one.
He walked along the beach. He peeked into a shell and said, "Too tight." He tried another one. "Too big!" he said. At last he found a shell that was just right.
Pip quickly slipped out of his old shell and into the new one. Then he wiggled to get comfy. Another small hermit crab came by and took the old shell. It fit her well.
Now Pip had room to grow.
■ Harder · 142 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.8
Pip was a little hermit crab who lived on a sandy beach, and he carried a shell on his back that served as his home.
One morning, Pip felt uncomfortably squeezed. He had grown a bit, but his shell had stayed the same size. Since a hermit crab cannot grow a new shell, Pip understood that he needed to find a larger one.
He wandered along the beach and peeked inside a shell. "Too tight," he muttered. He tried another one. "Much too big!" he declared. At long last, he found a shell that was just right.
Pip swiftly slipped out of his old shell and into the new one, then wiggled around until he felt comfortable. Soon another small hermit crab came along and claimed the old shell, and it fit her perfectly.
Pip was a little hermit crab. He lived on a sandy beach. He carried a shell on his back. It was his home.
One day, Pip felt squeezed. His shell was too small. He had grown, but the shell had not. Pip had to find a bigger one.
He walked on the beach. He peeked in a shell. "Too tight," he said. He tried another. "Too big!" he said. Then he found one that was just right.
Pip slipped out of his old shell and into the new one. Another small hermit crab took the old shell. It fit her well.
Now Pip had room to grow.
Questions
Where did Pip live?
Why did Pip feel squeezed?
What did Pip say about the second shell?
Who took the old shell?
Why did Pip need a new shell?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Pip the Hermit Crab Finds a Roomier Home
Pip was a little hermit crab. He lived on a sandy beach, and he carried a shell on his back. It was his home.
One day, Pip felt squeezed. His shell was too small. He had grown, but the shell had not. A hermit crab cannot grow a new shell, so Pip had to find a bigger one.
He walked along the beach. He peeked into a shell and said, "Too tight." He tried another one. "Too big!" he said. At last he found a shell that was just right.
Pip quickly slipped out of his old shell and into the new one. Then he wiggled to get comfy. Another small hermit crab came by and took the old shell. It fit her well.
Now Pip had room to grow.
Questions
Where did Pip live?
Why did Pip feel squeezed?
What did Pip say about the second shell?
Who took the old shell?
Why did Pip have to look for a new shell?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Pip the Hermit Crab Finds a Roomier Home
Pip was a little hermit crab who lived on a sandy beach, and he carried a shell on his back that served as his home.
One morning, Pip felt uncomfortably squeezed. He had grown a bit, but his shell had stayed the same size. Since a hermit crab cannot grow a new shell, Pip understood that he needed to find a larger one.
He wandered along the beach and peeked inside a shell. "Too tight," he muttered. He tried another one. "Much too big!" he declared. At long last, he found a shell that was just right.
Pip swiftly slipped out of his old shell and into the new one, then wiggled around until he felt comfortable. Soon another small hermit crab came along and claimed the old shell, and it fit her perfectly.
Now Pip had plenty of room to grow.
Questions
Where did Pip live?
Why did Pip feel uncomfortably squeezed?
What did Pip say about the second shell he tried?
Who claimed the old shell?
Why did Pip have to search for a larger shell?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Pip the Hermit Crab Finds a Roomier Home
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3)
On a sandy beach.
His shell was too small.
That it was too big.
Another small hermit crab.
He had grown, and the old shell did not grow.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.7)
On a sandy beach.
His shell was too small.
That it was too big.
Another small hermit crab.
A hermit crab cannot grow its own shell, so he needed a bigger one.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.8)
On a sandy beach.
His shell had stayed the same size while he grew.
That it was much too big.
Another small hermit crab.
A hermit crab cannot grow its own shell, so he needed one that was bigger.
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 hermit, squeezed, peeked and wiggled 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 "Pip the Hermit Crab Finds a Roomier Home"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 130 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 0.7. 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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