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The Spelling Bee Jitters

3rd grade fiction passage about feeling nervous: 142 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

3rd grade fiction feeling nervous 142 words

The Spelling Bee Jitters

Eli had practiced all week for the class spelling bee, but when he stood up in front of everyone, his hands began to shake and his mind went blank.

"Your word is because," said Miss Park.

Eli could not remember a single letter. His face felt hot, and he looked down at his shoes.

Then he remembered what his sister had taught him. When you feel nervous, you should take a slow breath. He breathed in for three counts and out for three counts, and the room seemed quieter.

"Can you use the word in a sentence?" Eli asked. Miss Park did, and Eli began to say the letters slowly: b, e, c, a, u, s, e.

"Correct!" said Miss Park. The class clapped, and Eli smiled. He was still a little nervous, but now he knew that he could handle it.

Questions

  1. What did Eli do all week to get ready? in the text

  2. What word did Miss Park give Eli? in the text

  3. What did Eli's sister teach him to do when he felt nervous? in the text

  4. What did Eli ask Miss Park to do? in the text

  5. How do you know Eli was nervous at first? think about it

  6. Why did the room seem quieter after Eli breathed slowly? think about it

Words to know

practiced
did something again and again to get better
blank
empty, with nothing in it
nervous
a little afraid or worried
breath
the air you take in and let out
correct
right, with no mistakes
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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 · 127 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0

Eli practiced all week for the class spelling bee. But he stood up in front of everyone. His hands shook. His mind went blank.

"Your word is because," said Miss Park.

Eli could not think of one letter. His face felt hot. He looked at his shoes.

Then he thought of what his sister taught him. When you feel nervous, take a slow breath. He breathed in for three counts. He breathed out for three counts. The room felt quieter.

"Can you use the word in a sentence?" Eli asked. Miss Park did. Eli said the letters slowly: b, e, c, a, u, s, e.

"Correct!" said Miss Park. The class clapped. Eli smiled. He was still a little nervous. But he knew he could do it.

▲ This passage · 142 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5

Eli had practiced all week for the class spelling bee, but when he stood up in front of everyone, his hands began to shake and his mind went blank.

"Your word is because," said Miss Park.

Eli could not remember a single letter. His face felt hot, and he looked down at his shoes.

Then he remembered what his sister had taught him. When you feel nervous, you should take a slow breath. He breathed in for three counts and out for three counts, and the room seemed quieter.

"Can you use the word in a sentence?" Eli asked. Miss Park did, and Eli began to say the letters slowly: b, e, c, a, u, s, e.

"Correct!" said Miss Park. The class clapped, and Eli smiled. He was still a little nervous, but now he knew that he could handle it.

■ Harder · 153 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.7

Eli had practiced diligently all week for the class spelling bee, but when he rose to his feet in front of the whole room, his hands began to tremble and his mind went completely blank.

"Your word is because," said Miss Park.

Eli could not recall a single letter. His face grew hot, and he stared down at his shoes.

Then he remembered the advice his sister had given him. When you feel nervous, you should take a slow, deep breath. He breathed in for three counts and out for three counts, and gradually the room seemed quieter.

"Could you use the word in a sentence?" Eli asked. Miss Park obliged, and Eli began to spell the word slowly: b, e, c, a, u, s, e.

"Correct!" said Miss Park. The class applauded, and Eli smiled. He was still a little nervous, but now he knew that he was able to handle it.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put practiced, blank, nervous, breath and correct on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the story 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 retell the story in three sentences: how it began, what the problem was, and how it ended.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "The Spelling Bee Jitters"?

It was written for 3rd grade. It has 142 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.5. 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 six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 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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