2nd grade nonfiction passage about crosswalk signals: 120 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictioncrosswalk signals120 words
The Walk Button Sends a Message
At a busy street corner, you may see a button on a pole. It has a little sign that says to push it and wait.
When you push the button, it sends a message to the traffic light. The light knows that someone wants to cross. After a short time, the cars get a red light. Then the walking sign turns on for you.
The button does not work right away. The light has to finish its turn first. That keeps the cars moving in a safe order.
Pushing the button once is enough. Pushing it again and again does not make the light change faster. So push it, wait, and look both ways before you step into the road.
Questions
Where is the walk button? in the text
What does the button send a message to? in the text
What do the cars get before the walking sign turns on? in the text
Does pushing the button many times make the light change faster? in the text
Why does the light make you wait a little? think about it
Words to know
button
a small part you push to make something happen
message
news that is sent from one place to another
traffic
cars and trucks moving along a road
cross
to go from one side of the road to the other
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Walk Button Sends a Message
2nd grade reading passage
At a busy street corner, you may see a button on a pole. It has a little sign that says to push it and wait.
When you push the button, it sends a message to the traffic light. The light knows that someone wants to cross. After a short time, the cars get a red light. Then the walking sign turns on for you.
The button does not work right away. The light has to finish its turn first. That keeps the cars moving in a safe order.
Pushing the button once is enough. Pushing it again and again does not make the light change faster. So push it, wait, and look both ways before you step into the road.
Questions
Where is the walk button?
What does the button send a message to?
What do the cars get before the walking sign turns on?
Does pushing the button many times make the light change faster?
Why does the light make you wait a little?
Words to know
button: a small part you push to make something happen
message: news that is sent from one place to another
traffic: cars and trucks moving along a road
cross: to go from one side of the road to the other
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/the-walk-button-sends-a-message
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 · 82 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.6
On a busy street corner, you may see a button on a pole. Push it and wait.
The button sends a message to the traffic light. The light knows that you want to cross. Soon the cars get a red light. Then the walking sign comes on.
The light does not change at once. It has to finish its turn. That keeps cars safe.
Push the button one time. Pushing it more does not make it faster. Wait, and look both ways.
▲ This passage · 120 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.7
At a busy street corner, you may see a button on a pole. It has a little sign that says to push it and wait.
When you push the button, it sends a message to the traffic light. The light knows that someone wants to cross. After a short time, the cars get a red light. Then the walking sign turns on for you.
The button does not work right away. The light has to finish its turn first. That keeps the cars moving in a safe order.
Pushing the button once is enough. Pushing it again and again does not make the light change faster. So push it, wait, and look both ways before you step into the road.
■ Harder · 130 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.6
At a busy street corner, you will often notice a button mounted on a pole, along with a small sign that tells you to push it and wait.
When you press the button, it sends a message to the traffic light, so the light knows that a person wants to cross. After a short while, the cars are given a red light, and then the walking sign turns on for you.
The button does not work instantly, because the light must first finish its turn. Waiting keeps the cars moving in a safe order.
Pressing the button one time is plenty. Pressing it again and again will not make the light change any faster, so press it once, wait patiently, and look both ways before you step into the road.
On a busy street corner, you may see a button on a pole. Push it and wait.
The button sends a message to the traffic light. The light knows that you want to cross. Soon the cars get a red light. Then the walking sign comes on.
The light does not change at once. It has to finish its turn. That keeps cars safe.
Push the button one time. Pushing it more does not make it faster. Wait, and look both ways.
Questions
Where is the walk button?
Who gets the message from the button?
What do the cars get before the walking sign comes on?
Does pushing the button more make the light faster?
Why does the light make you wait a little?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Walk Button Sends a Message
At a busy street corner, you may see a button on a pole. It has a little sign that says to push it and wait.
When you push the button, it sends a message to the traffic light. The light knows that someone wants to cross. After a short time, the cars get a red light. Then the walking sign turns on for you.
The button does not work right away. The light has to finish its turn first. That keeps the cars moving in a safe order.
Pushing the button once is enough. Pushing it again and again does not make the light change faster. So push it, wait, and look both ways before you step into the road.
Questions
Where is the walk button?
What does the button send a message to?
What do the cars get before the walking sign turns on?
Does pushing the button many times make the light change faster?
Why does the light make you wait a little?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Walk Button Sends a Message
At a busy street corner, you will often notice a button mounted on a pole, along with a small sign that tells you to push it and wait.
When you press the button, it sends a message to the traffic light, so the light knows that a person wants to cross. After a short while, the cars are given a red light, and then the walking sign turns on for you.
The button does not work instantly, because the light must first finish its turn. Waiting keeps the cars moving in a safe order.
Pressing the button one time is plenty. Pressing it again and again will not make the light change any faster, so press it once, wait patiently, and look both ways before you step into the road.
Questions
Where can you find the walk button at a busy corner?
Which part of the street does the button send a message to?
What do the cars receive just before the walking sign turns on?
Will pressing the button again and again make the light change faster?
Why must you wait a little after pressing the button?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Walk Button Sends a Message
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.6)
On a pole at a busy corner.
The traffic light.
A red light.
No, one push is enough.
It has to finish its turn to keep the cars safe.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.7)
On a pole at a busy street corner.
The traffic light.
A red light.
No, pushing it once is enough.
It has to finish its turn so the cars can move in a safe order.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.6)
On a pole, with a small sign beside it.
The traffic light.
A red light.
No, pressing it once is plenty.
The light has to finish its turn so the cars move in a safe order.
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 button, message, traffic and cross 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 Walk Button Sends a Message"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 120 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.7. 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.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. No sign-in, no ads.