4th grade nonfiction passage about singing in rounds: 205 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
4th gradenonfictionsinging in rounds205 words
Singing a Round: Start Late on Purpose
Some songs sound best when nobody sings at the same time. A round is one of these songs. In a round, a group sings the very same tune, but each part starts at a different moment.
Here is how it goes. Suppose three groups sing a round. Group One starts the song alone. When Group One finishes the first line, Group Two begins at the start. A little later, Group Three jumps in. Now all three groups are singing different parts of the tune at once. Each group keeps going around to the beginning again, so the song can go on as long as the singers wish. That is why it is called a round.
It may seem like a mess. Yet something lovely happens. The notes from different parts fit together and make harmony, which is a blend of notes sung or played at once. A round only works if the composer wrote the tune carefully. Every spot in the tune has to sound pleasant when it meets any other spot.
Singing a round is also good practice. Each singer must keep to her own part, even while other voices sing something else nearby. That takes a lot of listening and a steady beat.
Questions
What is a round? in the text
When does Group Two begin singing? in the text
Why is it called a round? in the text
What is harmony? in the text
What must be true about the tune for a round to work? think about it
Why does singing a round take so much listening? think about it
Words to know
round
a song where singers start one after another
harmony
notes that sound pleasant when played or sung together
composer
a person who writes music
steady
regular and not changing speed
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Singing a Round: Start Late on Purpose
4th grade reading passage
Some songs sound best when nobody sings at the same time. A round is one of these songs. In a round, a group sings the very same tune, but each part starts at a different moment.
Here is how it goes. Suppose three groups sing a round. Group One starts the song alone. When Group One finishes the first line, Group Two begins at the start. A little later, Group Three jumps in. Now all three groups are singing different parts of the tune at once. Each group keeps going around to the beginning again, so the song can go on as long as the singers wish. That is why it is called a round.
It may seem like a mess. Yet something lovely happens. The notes from different parts fit together and make harmony, which is a blend of notes sung or played at once. A round only works if the composer wrote the tune carefully. Every spot in the tune has to sound pleasant when it meets any other spot.
Singing a round is also good practice. Each singer must keep to her own part, even while other voices sing something else nearby. That takes a lot of listening and a steady beat.
Questions
What is a round?
When does Group Two begin singing?
Why is it called a round?
What is harmony?
What must be true about the tune for a round to work?
Why does singing a round take so much listening?
Words to know
round: a song where singers start one after another
harmony: notes that sound pleasant when played or sung together
composer: a person who writes music
steady: regular and not changing speed
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/4/singing-a-round-start-late-on-purpose
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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 · 155 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6
Some songs sound best when singers do not start together. A round is one of them. In a round, a group sings the same tune. But each part starts at a different time.
Say three groups sing a round. Group One starts alone. When it finishes the first line, Group Two begins at the start. Soon Group Three joins. Now all three sing different parts at once. Each group goes back to the start when it ends. The song can go on and on. That is why it is a round.
It may sound like a mess, but it does not. The notes fit together to make harmony. Harmony is notes sung at the same time that sound good. A round works only if the tune is made with care. Every spot must sound nice with every other spot.
Singing a round is good practice. You keep your own part while others sing something else.
▲ This passage · 205 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.6
Some songs sound best when nobody sings at the same time. A round is one of these songs. In a round, a group sings the very same tune, but each part starts at a different moment.
Here is how it goes. Suppose three groups sing a round. Group One starts the song alone. When Group One finishes the first line, Group Two begins at the start. A little later, Group Three jumps in. Now all three groups are singing different parts of the tune at once. Each group keeps going around to the beginning again, so the song can go on as long as the singers wish. That is why it is called a round.
It may seem like a mess. Yet something lovely happens. The notes from different parts fit together and make harmony, which is a blend of notes sung or played at once. A round only works if the composer wrote the tune carefully. Every spot in the tune has to sound pleasant when it meets any other spot.
Singing a round is also good practice. Each singer must keep to her own part, even while other voices sing something else nearby. That takes a lot of listening and a steady beat.
■ Harder · 217 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.1
Certain songs sound their best when no two singers are performing the same words at the same moment. A round is one such song. In a round, an entire group sings an identical tune, yet each part begins at a different point in time.
Suppose three groups are singing a round. Group One starts the song alone. When Group One completes the first line, Group Two begins from the very beginning, and a little later Group Three joins in. By now all three groups are singing different portions of the tune simultaneously. Each group circles back to the start whenever it reaches the end, so the song may continue for as long as the singers like, which is the reason it is called a round.
It might seem like a jumble, but something lovely occurs. The notes from the different parts fit together to produce harmony, a blend of notes sung or played at once. A round succeeds only if the composer wrote the tune with great care, so that every spot in it sounds pleasant when it meets any other spot.
Singing a round is also valuable practice. Each singer has to hold on to her own part even as other voices sing something different close by, and that demands attentive listening and a steady beat.
Some songs sound best when singers do not start together. A round is one of them. In a round, a group sings the same tune. But each part starts at a different time.
Say three groups sing a round. Group One starts alone. When it finishes the first line, Group Two begins at the start. Soon Group Three joins. Now all three sing different parts at once. Each group goes back to the start when it ends. The song can go on and on. That is why it is a round.
It may sound like a mess, but it does not. The notes fit together to make harmony. Harmony is notes sung at the same time that sound good. A round works only if the tune is made with care. Every spot must sound nice with every other spot.
Singing a round is good practice. You keep your own part while others sing something else.
Questions
What is a round?
When does Group Two start?
Why is it called a round?
What is harmony?
What must be true about the tune?
Why does a round take careful listening?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Singing a Round: Start Late on Purpose
Some songs sound best when nobody sings at the same time. A round is one of these songs. In a round, a group sings the very same tune, but each part starts at a different moment.
Here is how it goes. Suppose three groups sing a round. Group One starts the song alone. When Group One finishes the first line, Group Two begins at the start. A little later, Group Three jumps in. Now all three groups are singing different parts of the tune at once. Each group keeps going around to the beginning again, so the song can go on as long as the singers wish. That is why it is called a round.
It may seem like a mess. Yet something lovely happens. The notes from different parts fit together and make harmony, which is a blend of notes sung or played at once. A round only works if the composer wrote the tune carefully. Every spot in the tune has to sound pleasant when it meets any other spot.
Singing a round is also good practice. Each singer must keep to her own part, even while other voices sing something else nearby. That takes a lot of listening and a steady beat.
Questions
What is a round?
When does Group Two begin singing?
Why is it called a round?
What is harmony?
What must be true about the tune for a round to work?
Why does singing a round take so much listening?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Singing a Round: Start Late on Purpose
Certain songs sound their best when no two singers are performing the same words at the same moment. A round is one such song. In a round, an entire group sings an identical tune, yet each part begins at a different point in time.
Suppose three groups are singing a round. Group One starts the song alone. When Group One completes the first line, Group Two begins from the very beginning, and a little later Group Three joins in. By now all three groups are singing different portions of the tune simultaneously. Each group circles back to the start whenever it reaches the end, so the song may continue for as long as the singers like, which is the reason it is called a round.
It might seem like a jumble, but something lovely occurs. The notes from the different parts fit together to produce harmony, a blend of notes sung or played at once. A round succeeds only if the composer wrote the tune with great care, so that every spot in it sounds pleasant when it meets any other spot.
Singing a round is also valuable practice. Each singer has to hold on to her own part even as other voices sing something different close by, and that demands attentive listening and a steady beat.
Questions
What is a round?
When does Group Two begin singing?
Why is the song called a round?
What is harmony?
What must be true of the tune for a round to succeed?
Why does singing a round demand so much careful listening?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Singing a Round: Start Late on Purpose
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6)
A song where all sing the same tune but start at different times.
When Group One finishes the first line.
Each group goes back to the start, so it goes around.
Notes sung at the same time that sound good.
Every spot must sound nice with every other spot.
You must keep your part while others sing something else.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.6)
A song where everyone sings the same tune but starts at different times.
When Group One finishes the first line.
Each group goes back to the start again, so the song goes around.
A blend of notes sung or played at the same time.
Every spot in it must sound pleasant with every other spot.
Singers must keep their own part while other voices sing something different.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.1)
A song in which everyone sings the same tune but starts at different times.
When Group One completes the first line.
Each group circles back to the start, so the song goes around.
A blend of notes sung or played at once.
Every spot in it must sound pleasant with every other spot.
Singers must hold on to their own part while other voices sing something different.
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 round, harmony, composer and steady 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 2 minutes 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 "Singing a Round: Start Late on Purpose"?
It was written for 4th grade. It has 205 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.6. 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 2 minutes 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?
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