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Mateo and the Stuck Kite

5th grade fiction passage about kite and a tall tree: 231 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade fiction kite and a tall tree 231 words

Mateo and the Stuck Kite

On a breezy Saturday, Mateo took his new red kite to the park, where the wind was perfect. The kite climbed higher and higher until it looked as small as a ladybug, and Mateo laughed as he let out more string.

Then a strong gust swept across the field. The kite swooped sideways, dipped, and landed in the top of a very tall oak tree. Mateo tugged on the string, but the kite only wiggled, and when he tugged again, the string snapped tight. The kite was stuck.

Mateo felt his stomach sink. He had saved his allowance for two months to buy that kite. He thought about climbing the tree, but the first branch was far above his head. He also knew that climbing a tall tree alone was not safe.

His neighbor, Mr. Ortiz, was walking his dog nearby. Mateo ran over and explained the problem. Mr. Ortiz studied the tree and said, "I have a long pole with a hook at home that I use for the apple trees. Wait here, and I will get it."

Ten minutes later, Mr. Ortiz returned. He lifted the pole, caught the string, and gently pulled until the kite slid free. It floated down into Mateo's hands without a single tear.

"Thank you!" said Mateo. This time he flew the kite in the middle of the open field, far from every tree.

Questions

  1. Where did Mateo's kite get stuck? in the text

  2. How long had Mateo saved his allowance for the kite? in the text

  3. Why did Mateo not climb the tree himself? in the text

  4. How did Mr. Ortiz get the kite down? in the text

  5. Why did Mateo fly the kite in the open field the second time? think about it

Words to know

gust
a sudden strong rush of wind
swooped
dropped down quickly through the air
allowance
money a child gets regularly to spend or save
neighbor
a person who lives close to you
explained
told in a way that is easy to understand
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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 · 233 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2

On a breezy Saturday, Mateo took his new red kite to the park. The wind was just right. The kite climbed higher and higher. It looked as small as a ladybug. Mateo laughed and let out more string.

Then a strong gust of wind swept across the field. The kite swooped to the side. It dipped and landed in the top of a very tall oak tree. Mateo tugged on the string, but the kite only wiggled. He tugged again, and the string pulled tight. The kite was stuck.

Mateo felt sick. He had saved his allowance for two months to buy that kite. He thought about climbing the tree, but the first branch was far above his head. He knew it was not safe to climb a tall tree alone.

His neighbor, Mr. Ortiz, was walking his dog nearby. Mateo ran to him and told him the problem. Mr. Ortiz looked at the tree. "I have a long pole with a hook at home," he said. "I use it for my apple trees. Wait here. I will get it."

Ten minutes later, Mr. Ortiz came back. He lifted the pole and caught the string. He pulled gently until the kite slid free. It floated down into Mateo's hands without a tear.

"Thank you!" said Mateo. This time he flew the kite in the middle of the open field, far from every tree.

▲ This passage · 231 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.3

On a breezy Saturday, Mateo took his new red kite to the park, where the wind was perfect. The kite climbed higher and higher until it looked as small as a ladybug, and Mateo laughed as he let out more string.

Then a strong gust swept across the field. The kite swooped sideways, dipped, and landed in the top of a very tall oak tree. Mateo tugged on the string, but the kite only wiggled, and when he tugged again, the string snapped tight. The kite was stuck.

Mateo felt his stomach sink. He had saved his allowance for two months to buy that kite. He thought about climbing the tree, but the first branch was far above his head. He also knew that climbing a tall tree alone was not safe.

His neighbor, Mr. Ortiz, was walking his dog nearby. Mateo ran over and explained the problem. Mr. Ortiz studied the tree and said, "I have a long pole with a hook at home that I use for the apple trees. Wait here, and I will get it."

Ten minutes later, Mr. Ortiz returned. He lifted the pole, caught the string, and gently pulled until the kite slid free. It floated down into Mateo's hands without a single tear.

"Thank you!" said Mateo. This time he flew the kite in the middle of the open field, far from every tree.

■ Harder · 240 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.3

On a breezy Saturday, Mateo carried his brand-new red kite to the park. The wind was ideal. The kite climbed higher and higher until it appeared as tiny as a ladybug, and Mateo laughed as he let out more string.

Suddenly a powerful gust swept across the field. The kite swooped sideways, dipped, and came to rest in the uppermost branches of an enormous oak tree. Mateo tugged on the string, but the kite merely wiggled. He tugged again, and the string pulled taut. The kite was hopelessly stuck.

Mateo felt his stomach sink. He had saved his allowance for two entire months to buy that kite. He considered climbing the tree, but the lowest branch was far above his head, and he understood that climbing a tall tree by himself was not safe.

His neighbor, Mr. Ortiz, happened to be walking his dog nearby. Mateo hurried over and described the problem. Mr. Ortiz examined the tree carefully and said, "I own a long pole with a hook on the end that I use for my apple trees. Wait here, and I will fetch it."

Ten minutes later, Mr. Ortiz returned. He raised the pole, hooked the string, and gently drew it down until the kite slid free. It floated into Mateo's hands without a single tear.

"Thank you!" said Mateo. This time he flew the kite in the middle of the open field, far away from every tree.

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 gust, swooped, allowance, neighbor and explained 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 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 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 "Mateo and the Stuck Kite"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 231 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.3. 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 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?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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