2nd grade nonfiction passage about baby teeth and grown-up teeth: 129 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionbaby teeth and grown-up teeth129 words
The Wiggly Tooth Plan
Have you ever had a wiggly tooth? It feels strange, but it is a good sign. Your body has a plan.
You get two sets of teeth in your life. The first set is called baby teeth. They start to show when you are very small. Baby teeth are little, so they fit a little mouth.
As you grow, your jaw grows too. Then there is room for bigger teeth. Under each baby tooth, a grown-up tooth waits in the gum. It pushes up slowly. That makes the baby tooth loosen and wiggle. At last the baby tooth falls out, and the new tooth comes in.
Grown-up teeth have to last for a very long time. So brush them two times a day and visit the dentist.
Questions
What is the first set of teeth called? in the text
Where does a grown-up tooth wait? in the text
Why does a baby tooth start to wiggle? in the text
Why do grown-up teeth need good care? in the text
Why do you need bigger teeth as you grow? think about it
Words to know
wiggly
moving a little from side to side
jaw
the bone that holds your teeth and moves when you chew
gum
the soft pink part of the mouth around your teeth
loosen
get less tight and easier to move
dentist
a doctor who takes care of teeth
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Wiggly Tooth Plan
2nd grade reading passage
Have you ever had a wiggly tooth? It feels strange, but it is a good sign. Your body has a plan.
You get two sets of teeth in your life. The first set is called baby teeth. They start to show when you are very small. Baby teeth are little, so they fit a little mouth.
As you grow, your jaw grows too. Then there is room for bigger teeth. Under each baby tooth, a grown-up tooth waits in the gum. It pushes up slowly. That makes the baby tooth loosen and wiggle. At last the baby tooth falls out, and the new tooth comes in.
Grown-up teeth have to last for a very long time. So brush them two times a day and visit the dentist.
Questions
What is the first set of teeth called?
Where does a grown-up tooth wait?
Why does a baby tooth start to wiggle?
Why do grown-up teeth need good care?
Why do you need bigger teeth as you grow?
Words to know
wiggly: moving a little from side to side
jaw: the bone that holds your teeth and moves when you chew
gum: the soft pink part of the mouth around your teeth
loosen: get less tight and easier to move
dentist: a doctor who takes care of teeth
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/the-wiggly-tooth-plan
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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 · 93 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.7
Do you have a wiggly tooth? That is good! Your body has a plan.
You get two sets of teeth. The first set is baby teeth. They are small. They fit a small mouth.
You grow. Your jaw grows too. Now there is room for big teeth. A big tooth waits in the gum under each baby tooth. It pushes up. The baby tooth gets loose. It wiggles. Then it falls out. The big tooth comes in.
Big teeth must last a long time. Brush two times a day. Go see the dentist.
▲ This passage · 129 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4
Have you ever had a wiggly tooth? It feels strange, but it is a good sign. Your body has a plan.
You get two sets of teeth in your life. The first set is called baby teeth. They start to show when you are very small. Baby teeth are little, so they fit a little mouth.
As you grow, your jaw grows too. Then there is room for bigger teeth. Under each baby tooth, a grown-up tooth waits in the gum. It pushes up slowly. That makes the baby tooth loosen and wiggle. At last the baby tooth falls out, and the new tooth comes in.
Grown-up teeth have to last for a very long time. So brush them two times a day and visit the dentist.
■ Harder · 148 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.2
Have you ever noticed a wiggly tooth in your mouth? Although it feels peculiar, it is actually a healthy sign, because your body is following a careful plan.
During your life, you grow two complete sets of teeth. The first set, known as baby teeth, begins to appear when you are very young. Those teeth are tiny, which allows them to fit comfortably inside a tiny mouth.
As you grow, your jaw grows as well, and soon there is plenty of room for larger teeth. Beneath every baby tooth, a grown-up tooth waits patiently in the gum. It slowly pushes upward, which causes the baby tooth to loosen and wiggle. Eventually the baby tooth falls out, and the new tooth takes its place.
Grown-up teeth must last for many, many years. For that reason, you should brush them twice every day and visit the dentist regularly.
Do you have a wiggly tooth? That is good! Your body has a plan.
You get two sets of teeth. The first set is baby teeth. They are small. They fit a small mouth.
You grow. Your jaw grows too. Now there is room for big teeth. A big tooth waits in the gum under each baby tooth. It pushes up. The baby tooth gets loose. It wiggles. Then it falls out. The big tooth comes in.
Big teeth must last a long time. Brush two times a day. Go see the dentist.
Questions
What is the first set of teeth called?
Where does a big tooth wait?
Why does a baby tooth wiggle?
Why must you take care of big teeth?
Why do you need bigger teeth when you grow?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Wiggly Tooth Plan
Have you ever had a wiggly tooth? It feels strange, but it is a good sign. Your body has a plan.
You get two sets of teeth in your life. The first set is called baby teeth. They start to show when you are very small. Baby teeth are little, so they fit a little mouth.
As you grow, your jaw grows too. Then there is room for bigger teeth. Under each baby tooth, a grown-up tooth waits in the gum. It pushes up slowly. That makes the baby tooth loosen and wiggle. At last the baby tooth falls out, and the new tooth comes in.
Grown-up teeth have to last for a very long time. So brush them two times a day and visit the dentist.
Questions
What is the first set of teeth called?
Where does a grown-up tooth wait?
Why does a baby tooth start to wiggle?
Why do grown-up teeth need good care?
Why do you need bigger teeth as you grow?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Wiggly Tooth Plan
Have you ever noticed a wiggly tooth in your mouth? Although it feels peculiar, it is actually a healthy sign, because your body is following a careful plan.
During your life, you grow two complete sets of teeth. The first set, known as baby teeth, begins to appear when you are very young. Those teeth are tiny, which allows them to fit comfortably inside a tiny mouth.
As you grow, your jaw grows as well, and soon there is plenty of room for larger teeth. Beneath every baby tooth, a grown-up tooth waits patiently in the gum. It slowly pushes upward, which causes the baby tooth to loosen and wiggle. Eventually the baby tooth falls out, and the new tooth takes its place.
Grown-up teeth must last for many, many years. For that reason, you should brush them twice every day and visit the dentist regularly.
Questions
What is the first set of teeth called?
Where does a grown-up tooth wait before it comes in?
What makes a baby tooth begin to loosen and wiggle?
Why do grown-up teeth need careful brushing and dentist visits?
Why does your mouth need bigger teeth as you grow older?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Wiggly Tooth Plan
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.7)
Baby teeth.
In the gum, under the baby tooth.
The big tooth pushes up and makes it loose.
They must last a long time.
Your jaw grows, so there is more room for big teeth.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4)
Baby teeth.
In the gum, under the baby tooth.
The grown-up tooth pushes up and makes it loose.
They have to last for a very long time.
Your jaw gets bigger, so there is room for bigger teeth.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.2)
Baby teeth.
In the gum, beneath the baby tooth.
The grown-up tooth slowly pushes upward under it.
They must last for many years.
Your jaw grows larger, so there is room for larger teeth.
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 wiggly, jaw, gum, loosen and dentist 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.
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 129 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.4. 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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