2nd grade nonfiction passage about tally marks and counting votes: 119 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictiontally marks and counting votes119 words
Tally Marks and the Class Pet Vote
A class wants a pet. Should it be a fish, a turtle, or a hamster? The teacher says, "Let's vote."
Each child gets one vote. The teacher draws one line for each vote. These lines are called tally marks. When there are four lines, the fifth line goes across them like a gate. Now you have a group of five.
Counting by fives is fast. You say five, ten, fifteen. Then you add the lines that are left.
The fish gets one group of five and two lines. That is seven votes. The turtle gets two groups of five. That is ten votes. The hamster gets six votes.
The turtle has the most votes. The class gets a turtle.
Questions
What are the lines the teacher draws called? in the text
How does the fifth tally mark look? in the text
How many votes did the fish get? in the text
Which pet got the most votes? in the text
Why is it fast to count tally marks in groups of five? think about it
Words to know
vote
a choice that you give to pick something
tally
a line you draw to help you keep count
group
a number of things that are together
hamster
a small furry pet with round cheeks
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Tally Marks and the Class Pet Vote
2nd grade reading passage
A class wants a pet. Should it be a fish, a turtle, or a hamster? The teacher says, "Let's vote."
Each child gets one vote. The teacher draws one line for each vote. These lines are called tally marks. When there are four lines, the fifth line goes across them like a gate. Now you have a group of five.
Counting by fives is fast. You say five, ten, fifteen. Then you add the lines that are left.
The fish gets one group of five and two lines. That is seven votes. The turtle gets two groups of five. That is ten votes. The hamster gets six votes.
The turtle has the most votes. The class gets a turtle.
Questions
What are the lines the teacher draws called?
How does the fifth tally mark look?
How many votes did the fish get?
Which pet got the most votes?
Why is it fast to count tally marks in groups of five?
Words to know
vote: a choice that you give to pick something
tally: a line you draw to help you keep count
group: a number of things that are together
hamster: a small furry pet with round cheeks
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/tally-marks-and-the-class-pet-vote
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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 · 92 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3
A class wants a pet. A fish, a turtle, or a hamster? The teacher says, "Let's vote."
Each child gets one vote. The teacher draws a line for each vote. These are tally marks. Four lines, then the fifth goes across like a gate. That makes five.
Count by fives. Five, ten, fifteen. Then add the lines left.
Fish get one group of five and two lines. That is seven. Turtle gets two groups of five. That is ten. Hamster gets six.
Turtle has the most votes. The class gets a turtle.
▲ This passage · 119 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.1
A class wants a pet. Should it be a fish, a turtle, or a hamster? The teacher says, "Let's vote."
Each child gets one vote. The teacher draws one line for each vote. These lines are called tally marks. When there are four lines, the fifth line goes across them like a gate. Now you have a group of five.
Counting by fives is fast. You say five, ten, fifteen. Then you add the lines that are left.
The fish gets one group of five and two lines. That is seven votes. The turtle gets two groups of five. That is ten votes. The hamster gets six votes.
The turtle has the most votes. The class gets a turtle.
■ Harder · 136 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.2
A class would like to have a classroom pet. Should it be a fish, a turtle, or a hamster? The teacher announces, "Let's hold a vote."
Each child gets exactly one vote, and the teacher draws one line for every vote that is cast. These lines are called tally marks. After four lines, the fifth line crosses over them like a gate, and that makes a group of five.
Counting by fives is much faster than counting one by one. You say five, ten, fifteen, and then you add the lines that remain.
The fish earns one group of five and two extra lines, which is seven votes. The turtle gets two groups of five, which is ten votes. The hamster receives six votes.
Because the turtle has the most votes, the class chooses a turtle.
A class wants a pet. A fish, a turtle, or a hamster? The teacher says, "Let's vote."
Each child gets one vote. The teacher draws a line for each vote. These are tally marks. Four lines, then the fifth goes across like a gate. That makes five.
Count by fives. Five, ten, fifteen. Then add the lines left.
Fish get one group of five and two lines. That is seven. Turtle gets two groups of five. That is ten. Hamster gets six.
Turtle has the most votes. The class gets a turtle.
Questions
What are the lines called?
How does the fifth mark look?
How many votes did the fish get?
Which pet got the most votes?
Why is it fast to count groups of five?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Tally Marks and the Class Pet Vote
A class wants a pet. Should it be a fish, a turtle, or a hamster? The teacher says, "Let's vote."
Each child gets one vote. The teacher draws one line for each vote. These lines are called tally marks. When there are four lines, the fifth line goes across them like a gate. Now you have a group of five.
Counting by fives is fast. You say five, ten, fifteen. Then you add the lines that are left.
The fish gets one group of five and two lines. That is seven votes. The turtle gets two groups of five. That is ten votes. The hamster gets six votes.
The turtle has the most votes. The class gets a turtle.
Questions
What are the lines the teacher draws called?
How does the fifth tally mark look?
How many votes did the fish get?
Which pet got the most votes?
Why is it fast to count tally marks in groups of five?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Tally Marks and the Class Pet Vote
A class would like to have a classroom pet. Should it be a fish, a turtle, or a hamster? The teacher announces, "Let's hold a vote."
Each child gets exactly one vote, and the teacher draws one line for every vote that is cast. These lines are called tally marks. After four lines, the fifth line crosses over them like a gate, and that makes a group of five.
Counting by fives is much faster than counting one by one. You say five, ten, fifteen, and then you add the lines that remain.
The fish earns one group of five and two extra lines, which is seven votes. The turtle gets two groups of five, which is ten votes. The hamster receives six votes.
Because the turtle has the most votes, the class chooses a turtle.
Questions
What are the lines that the teacher draws called?
How does the fifth tally mark look?
How many votes did the fish receive?
Which pet received the most votes?
Why is counting tally marks in groups of five so quick?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Tally Marks and the Class Pet Vote
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3)
Tally marks.
It goes across the four lines like a gate.
Seven votes.
The turtle.
You count by fives, not one by one.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.1)
Tally marks.
It goes across the four lines like a gate.
Seven votes.
The turtle.
You can count by fives instead of counting every line one by one.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.2)
Tally marks.
It crosses over the four lines like a gate.
Seven votes.
The turtle.
You can count by fives instead of counting every line one at a time.
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 vote, tally, group and hamster 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 "Tally Marks and the Class Pet Vote"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 119 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 0.1. 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?
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