2nd grade nonfiction passage about farrier and horse hooves: 139 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionfarrier and horse hooves139 words
The Farrier Fits a Horseshoe
A horse walks on its hooves all day. Hooves are hard, like your fingernails, and they keep growing. A farrier is a worker who takes care of horse hooves.
First, the farrier trims the hoof, just as you might trim a nail. The horse does not feel pain from the trim. Next, the farrier looks at the hoof to see its size and shape. Every horse is a bit different.
Some horses wear metal shoes to keep their hooves from wearing down on hard roads. The farrier heats a metal bar until it glows and bends it into a U shape. Then the farrier cools the shoe and fits it onto the hoof with small nails.
A farrier needs strong arms and a calm voice. A horse that feels calm will stand still, and that makes the work safer.
Questions
What is a farrier? in the text
What are hooves like? in the text
Why do some horses wear metal shoes? in the text
What shape does the farrier bend the metal bar into? in the text
Why does a farrier use a calm voice? think about it
Words to know
farrier
a worker who trims hooves and fits horseshoes
hooves
the hard parts on the feet of horses
trim
to cut a little off the edge
bends
curves something so it is not straight
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Farrier Fits a Horseshoe
2nd grade reading passage
A horse walks on its hooves all day. Hooves are hard, like your fingernails, and they keep growing. A farrier is a worker who takes care of horse hooves.
First, the farrier trims the hoof, just as you might trim a nail. The horse does not feel pain from the trim. Next, the farrier looks at the hoof to see its size and shape. Every horse is a bit different.
Some horses wear metal shoes to keep their hooves from wearing down on hard roads. The farrier heats a metal bar until it glows and bends it into a U shape. Then the farrier cools the shoe and fits it onto the hoof with small nails.
A farrier needs strong arms and a calm voice. A horse that feels calm will stand still, and that makes the work safer.
Questions
What is a farrier?
What are hooves like?
Why do some horses wear metal shoes?
What shape does the farrier bend the metal bar into?
Why does a farrier use a calm voice?
Words to know
farrier: a worker who trims hooves and fits horseshoes
hooves: the hard parts on the feet of horses
trim: to cut a little off the edge
bends: curves something so it is not straight
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/the-farrier-fits-a-horseshoe
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 0.6
A horse walks on its hooves all day. Hooves are hard, like your nails. They keep growing. A farrier is a worker who cares for hooves.
First, the farrier trims the hoof. It does not hurt the horse. Then the farrier looks at the size and shape. Each horse is a bit different.
Some horses wear metal shoes. The shoes keep hooves from wearing down on hard roads. The farrier heats a bar until it glows. Then the farrier bends it into a U. The shoe is cooled and put on with small nails.
A farrier needs strong arms and a calm voice. A calm horse stands still. That is safer.
▲ This passage · 139 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.6
A horse walks on its hooves all day. Hooves are hard, like your fingernails, and they keep growing. A farrier is a worker who takes care of horse hooves.
First, the farrier trims the hoof, just as you might trim a nail. The horse does not feel pain from the trim. Next, the farrier looks at the hoof to see its size and shape. Every horse is a bit different.
Some horses wear metal shoes to keep their hooves from wearing down on hard roads. The farrier heats a metal bar until it glows and bends it into a U shape. Then the farrier cools the shoe and fits it onto the hoof with small nails.
A farrier needs strong arms and a calm voice. A horse that feels calm will stand still, and that makes the work safer.
■ Harder · 144 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.4
A horse stands and walks on its hooves all day long. Hooves are hard, much like your fingernails, and they never stop growing. A farrier is a skilled worker who takes care of them.
To begin, the farrier trims the hoof, just as you might trim a nail, and the horse feels no pain from it. After that, the farrier studies the size and shape of the hoof, because every horse is slightly different.
Some horses wear metal shoes, which protect their hooves from wearing down on hard roads. The farrier heats a metal bar until it glows and then bends it into a U shape. Once the shoe has cooled, the farrier fits it onto the hoof with small nails.
A farrier needs strong arms and a calm, gentle voice. A relaxed horse will stand still, and that makes the work much safer.
A horse walks on its hooves all day. Hooves are hard, like your nails. They keep growing. A farrier is a worker who cares for hooves.
First, the farrier trims the hoof. It does not hurt the horse. Then the farrier looks at the size and shape. Each horse is a bit different.
Some horses wear metal shoes. The shoes keep hooves from wearing down on hard roads. The farrier heats a bar until it glows. Then the farrier bends it into a U. The shoe is cooled and put on with small nails.
A farrier needs strong arms and a calm voice. A calm horse stands still. That is safer.
Questions
What is a farrier?
What are hooves like?
Why do some horses wear metal shoes?
What shape is the metal bent into?
Why does a farrier use a calm voice?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Farrier Fits a Horseshoe
A horse walks on its hooves all day. Hooves are hard, like your fingernails, and they keep growing. A farrier is a worker who takes care of horse hooves.
First, the farrier trims the hoof, just as you might trim a nail. The horse does not feel pain from the trim. Next, the farrier looks at the hoof to see its size and shape. Every horse is a bit different.
Some horses wear metal shoes to keep their hooves from wearing down on hard roads. The farrier heats a metal bar until it glows and bends it into a U shape. Then the farrier cools the shoe and fits it onto the hoof with small nails.
A farrier needs strong arms and a calm voice. A horse that feels calm will stand still, and that makes the work safer.
Questions
What is a farrier?
What are hooves like?
Why do some horses wear metal shoes?
What shape does the farrier bend the metal bar into?
Why does a farrier use a calm voice?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Farrier Fits a Horseshoe
A horse stands and walks on its hooves all day long. Hooves are hard, much like your fingernails, and they never stop growing. A farrier is a skilled worker who takes care of them.
To begin, the farrier trims the hoof, just as you might trim a nail, and the horse feels no pain from it. After that, the farrier studies the size and shape of the hoof, because every horse is slightly different.
Some horses wear metal shoes, which protect their hooves from wearing down on hard roads. The farrier heats a metal bar until it glows and then bends it into a U shape. Once the shoe has cooled, the farrier fits it onto the hoof with small nails.
A farrier needs strong arms and a calm, gentle voice. A relaxed horse will stand still, and that makes the work much safer.
Questions
What is a farrier?
What are hooves like?
Why do some horses wear metal shoes?
What shape does the farrier bend the glowing metal bar into?
Why does a farrier speak in a calm, gentle voice?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Farrier Fits a Horseshoe
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.6)
A worker who cares for horse hooves.
Hard, like nails, and they keep growing.
The shoes keep hooves from wearing down on hard roads.
A U.
A calm horse stands still, and that is safer.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.6)
A worker who takes care of horse hooves.
They are hard, like fingernails, and they keep growing.
The shoes keep their hooves from wearing down on hard roads.
A U shape.
A calm horse stands still, which makes the work safer.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.4)
A skilled worker who takes care of horse hooves.
They are hard like fingernails, and they never stop growing.
The shoes protect their hooves from wearing down on hard roads.
A U shape.
A relaxed horse will stand still, which makes the work safer.
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 farrier, hooves, trim and bends 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 "The Farrier Fits a Horseshoe"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 139 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.6. 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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