3rd grade nonfiction passage about dental health: 132 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictiondental health132 words
Why We Brush Our Teeth
Your teeth have a hard outer layer called enamel. Enamel is strong, but it can wear away. Brushing helps protect it.
After you eat, tiny bits of food stay on your teeth. Germs in your mouth feed on this food. As they eat, they make a sticky film called plaque. Plaque makes acid, and the acid can make holes in teeth. These holes are called cavities.
Brushing for two minutes, two times a day, wipes plaque away. Toothpaste with fluoride makes enamel stronger. Flossing cleans the spaces between teeth, where a brush cannot reach.
Eating fewer sugary snacks helps too, because sugar is the favorite food of those germs. A dentist can check your teeth a few times a year to keep them healthy. Strong teeth help you chew, talk, and smile.
Questions
What is enamel? in the text
What do germs in your mouth make as they eat? in the text
What can the acid from plaque do to a tooth? in the text
How long and how often should you brush? in the text
Why is flossing important? in the text
Why might eating fewer sugary snacks help your teeth? think about it
Words to know
enamel
the hard outer layer of a tooth
plaque
a sticky film of germs that forms on teeth
cavities
small holes in teeth
fluoride
a mineral in toothpaste that makes teeth stronger
flossing
cleaning between teeth with a thin string
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why We Brush Our Teeth
3rd grade reading passage
Your teeth have a hard outer layer called enamel. Enamel is strong, but it can wear away. Brushing helps protect it.
After you eat, tiny bits of food stay on your teeth. Germs in your mouth feed on this food. As they eat, they make a sticky film called plaque. Plaque makes acid, and the acid can make holes in teeth. These holes are called cavities.
Brushing for two minutes, two times a day, wipes plaque away. Toothpaste with fluoride makes enamel stronger. Flossing cleans the spaces between teeth, where a brush cannot reach.
Eating fewer sugary snacks helps too, because sugar is the favorite food of those germs. A dentist can check your teeth a few times a year to keep them healthy. Strong teeth help you chew, talk, and smile.
Questions
What is enamel?
What do germs in your mouth make as they eat?
What can the acid from plaque do to a tooth?
How long and how often should you brush?
Why is flossing important?
Why might eating fewer sugary snacks help your teeth?
Words to know
enamel: the hard outer layer of a tooth
plaque: a sticky film of germs that forms on teeth
cavities: small holes in teeth
fluoride: a mineral in toothpaste that makes teeth stronger
flossing: cleaning between teeth with a thin string
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/why-we-brush-our-teeth
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 · 124 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4
Your teeth have a hard layer on the outside. It is called enamel. It is strong, but it can wear away. Brushing helps keep it safe.
When you eat, bits of food stay on your teeth. Germs in your mouth eat the food. Then they make a sticky film called plaque. Plaque makes acid. The acid can make holes in teeth. The holes are called cavities.
Brush for two minutes, two times a day. This wipes the plaque away. Toothpaste with fluoride makes enamel strong. Flossing cleans between your teeth. A brush can not reach there.
Eat fewer sweet snacks, too. Germs love sugar. A dentist can look at your teeth a few times a year. Strong teeth help you chew, talk, and smile.
▲ This passage · 132 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.8
Your teeth have a hard outer layer called enamel. Enamel is strong, but it can wear away. Brushing helps protect it.
After you eat, tiny bits of food stay on your teeth. Germs in your mouth feed on this food. As they eat, they make a sticky film called plaque. Plaque makes acid, and the acid can make holes in teeth. These holes are called cavities.
Brushing for two minutes, two times a day, wipes plaque away. Toothpaste with fluoride makes enamel stronger. Flossing cleans the spaces between teeth, where a brush cannot reach.
Eating fewer sugary snacks helps too, because sugar is the favorite food of those germs. A dentist can check your teeth a few times a year to keep them healthy. Strong teeth help you chew, talk, and smile.
■ Harder · 149 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.8
Each of your teeth is covered by a hard outer layer called enamel. Although enamel is strong, it can gradually wear away, and brushing is one of the best ways to protect it.
After you eat, tiny bits of food remain on your teeth, and the germs in your mouth feed on them. As these germs eat, they produce a sticky film known as plaque. Plaque creates acid, and the acid can eat small holes into teeth, which are called cavities.
Brushing for two minutes, twice a day, wipes the plaque away. Toothpaste containing fluoride helps make enamel stronger, and flossing cleans the narrow spaces between teeth that a brush cannot reach.
Eating fewer sugary snacks also helps, because sugar is the favorite food of those germs. Visiting a dentist a few times a year keeps your teeth healthy. Strong teeth let you chew, talk, and smile with confidence.
Your teeth have a hard layer on the outside. It is called enamel. It is strong, but it can wear away. Brushing helps keep it safe.
When you eat, bits of food stay on your teeth. Germs in your mouth eat the food. Then they make a sticky film called plaque. Plaque makes acid. The acid can make holes in teeth. The holes are called cavities.
Brush for two minutes, two times a day. This wipes the plaque away. Toothpaste with fluoride makes enamel strong. Flossing cleans between your teeth. A brush can not reach there.
Eat fewer sweet snacks, too. Germs love sugar. A dentist can look at your teeth a few times a year. Strong teeth help you chew, talk, and smile.
Questions
What is enamel?
What do germs make when they eat?
What can the acid do to a tooth?
How long and how often should you brush?
What does flossing do?
Why do fewer sweet snacks help your teeth?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why We Brush Our Teeth
Your teeth have a hard outer layer called enamel. Enamel is strong, but it can wear away. Brushing helps protect it.
After you eat, tiny bits of food stay on your teeth. Germs in your mouth feed on this food. As they eat, they make a sticky film called plaque. Plaque makes acid, and the acid can make holes in teeth. These holes are called cavities.
Brushing for two minutes, two times a day, wipes plaque away. Toothpaste with fluoride makes enamel stronger. Flossing cleans the spaces between teeth, where a brush cannot reach.
Eating fewer sugary snacks helps too, because sugar is the favorite food of those germs. A dentist can check your teeth a few times a year to keep them healthy. Strong teeth help you chew, talk, and smile.
Questions
What is enamel?
What do germs in your mouth make as they eat?
What can the acid from plaque do to a tooth?
How long and how often should you brush?
Why is flossing important?
Why might eating fewer sugary snacks help your teeth?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why We Brush Our Teeth
Each of your teeth is covered by a hard outer layer called enamel. Although enamel is strong, it can gradually wear away, and brushing is one of the best ways to protect it.
After you eat, tiny bits of food remain on your teeth, and the germs in your mouth feed on them. As these germs eat, they produce a sticky film known as plaque. Plaque creates acid, and the acid can eat small holes into teeth, which are called cavities.
Brushing for two minutes, twice a day, wipes the plaque away. Toothpaste containing fluoride helps make enamel stronger, and flossing cleans the narrow spaces between teeth that a brush cannot reach.
Eating fewer sugary snacks also helps, because sugar is the favorite food of those germs. Visiting a dentist a few times a year keeps your teeth healthy. Strong teeth let you chew, talk, and smile with confidence.
Questions
What is the hard outer layer of a tooth called?
What sticky film do germs produce as they feed on food in your mouth?
What can the acid that plaque creates do to a tooth?
How long and how often should a person brush?
What does flossing reach that a brush cannot?
Why might eating fewer sugary snacks protect your teeth?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why We Brush Our Teeth
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4)
The hard layer on the outside of a tooth.
Plaque, a sticky film.
It can make holes called cavities.
Two minutes, two times a day.
It cleans between teeth, where a brush can not reach.
Germs love sugar, so there is less plaque and acid.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.8)
The hard outer layer of a tooth.
Plaque, a sticky film.
It can make holes, called cavities.
For two minutes, two times a day.
It cleans between teeth, where a brush cannot reach.
Germs love sugar, so less sugar means less plaque and acid.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.8)
Enamel.
Plaque.
It can eat small holes into it, called cavities.
For two minutes, twice a day.
The narrow spaces between teeth.
Germs feed on sugar, so less sugar means less plaque and acid.
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 enamel, plaque, cavities, fluoride and flossing 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 6 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 3rd grade. It has 132 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.8. 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. 5 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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