2nd grade nonfiction passage about the first eyeglasses: 111 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionthe first eyeglasses111 words
The Glass Circles That Helped People Read
Many people find small print hard to read as they grow older. Long ago, they had no glasses to help them. The words just looked blurry.
Then, more than seven hundred years ago, makers in Italy had an idea. They shaped clear glass so it curved. A curved piece of glass can make small words look bigger.
They put two round pieces of glass into frames and joined them together. The first glasses had no arms. A person held them up or let them rest on the nose.
Soon more people wanted a pair. Glass makers began to make many of them. Today, glasses help people of every age see better.
Questions
What was hard for older people to read? in the text
Where did makers first shape glass for reading? in the text
What did a curved piece of glass do to small words? in the text
What did the first glasses not have? in the text
How did people keep the first glasses in place? think about it
Words to know
blurry
not clear, hard to see sharply
curved
bent in a round shape, not flat
frames
the parts that hold the glass of a pair of glasses
print
the letters and words on a page
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Glass Circles That Helped People Read
2nd grade reading passage
Many people find small print hard to read as they grow older. Long ago, they had no glasses to help them. The words just looked blurry.
Then, more than seven hundred years ago, makers in Italy had an idea. They shaped clear glass so it curved. A curved piece of glass can make small words look bigger.
They put two round pieces of glass into frames and joined them together. The first glasses had no arms. A person held them up or let them rest on the nose.
Soon more people wanted a pair. Glass makers began to make many of them. Today, glasses help people of every age see better.
Questions
What was hard for older people to read?
Where did makers first shape glass for reading?
What did a curved piece of glass do to small words?
What did the first glasses not have?
How did people keep the first glasses in place?
Words to know
blurry: not clear, hard to see sharply
curved: bent in a round shape, not flat
frames: the parts that hold the glass of a pair of glasses
print: the letters and words on a page
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/the-glass-circles-that-helped-people-read
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 · 93 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.4
Many people find small print hard to read as they get older. Long ago, they had no glasses. The words looked blurry.
Then, more than seven hundred years ago, makers in Italy had an idea. They shaped clear glass so it curved. Curved glass can make small words look bigger.
They put two round pieces of glass in frames and joined them. The first glasses had no arms. A person held them up or let them rest on the nose.
Soon more people wanted a pair. Now glasses help people of every age.
▲ This passage · 111 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1
Many people find small print hard to read as they grow older. Long ago, they had no glasses to help them. The words just looked blurry.
Then, more than seven hundred years ago, makers in Italy had an idea. They shaped clear glass so it curved. A curved piece of glass can make small words look bigger.
They put two round pieces of glass into frames and joined them together. The first glasses had no arms. A person held them up or let them rest on the nose.
Soon more people wanted a pair. Glass makers began to make many of them. Today, glasses help people of every age see better.
■ Harder · 130 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.6
As people grow older, many of them find that small print becomes difficult to read. Long ago, there were no glasses to help, so words on a page simply looked blurry.
Then, more than seven hundred years ago, glass makers in Italy came up with a remarkable idea. They shaped clear glass into a curved form, and a curved piece of glass can make small words appear much bigger.
They set two round pieces of glass into frames and joined the frames together. The earliest glasses had no arms, so a person had to hold them up or balance them on the nose.
Before long, more and more people wanted a pair, and glass makers began producing many of them. Today, glasses help people of every age see more clearly.
Many people find small print hard to read as they get older. Long ago, they had no glasses. The words looked blurry.
Then, more than seven hundred years ago, makers in Italy had an idea. They shaped clear glass so it curved. Curved glass can make small words look bigger.
They put two round pieces of glass in frames and joined them. The first glasses had no arms. A person held them up or let them rest on the nose.
Soon more people wanted a pair. Now glasses help people of every age.
Questions
What was hard for older people to read?
Where did makers first shape glass for reading?
What did curved glass do to small words?
What did the first glasses not have?
How did people keep the first glasses in place?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Glass Circles That Helped People Read
Many people find small print hard to read as they grow older. Long ago, they had no glasses to help them. The words just looked blurry.
Then, more than seven hundred years ago, makers in Italy had an idea. They shaped clear glass so it curved. A curved piece of glass can make small words look bigger.
They put two round pieces of glass into frames and joined them together. The first glasses had no arms. A person held them up or let them rest on the nose.
Soon more people wanted a pair. Glass makers began to make many of them. Today, glasses help people of every age see better.
Questions
What was hard for older people to read?
Where did makers first shape glass for reading?
What did a curved piece of glass do to small words?
What did the first glasses not have?
How did people keep the first glasses in place?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Glass Circles That Helped People Read
As people grow older, many of them find that small print becomes difficult to read. Long ago, there were no glasses to help, so words on a page simply looked blurry.
Then, more than seven hundred years ago, glass makers in Italy came up with a remarkable idea. They shaped clear glass into a curved form, and a curved piece of glass can make small words appear much bigger.
They set two round pieces of glass into frames and joined the frames together. The earliest glasses had no arms, so a person had to hold them up or balance them on the nose.
Before long, more and more people wanted a pair, and glass makers began producing many of them. Today, glasses help people of every age see more clearly.
Questions
What becomes difficult to read as people grow older?
Where did glass makers first shape glass for reading?
What can a curved piece of glass do to small words?
What did the earliest glasses not have?
How did people keep the earliest glasses in place?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Glass Circles That Helped People Read
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.4)
Small print.
In Italy.
It made them look bigger.
Arms.
They held them up or let them rest on the nose.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1)
Small print.
In Italy.
It made them look bigger.
Arms.
They held them up or let them rest on the nose.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.6)
Small print.
In Italy.
It can make them appear much bigger.
Arms.
They held them up or balanced them on the nose.
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 blurry, curved, frames and print 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 Glass Circles That Helped People Read"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 111 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.1. 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?
No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.
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