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Sounds I Hear

Kindergarten nonfiction passage about the sense of hearing: 42 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

Kindergarten nonfiction the sense of hearing 42 words

Sounds I Hear

I hear with my ears. I hear a bell. Ding, dong! I hear a drum. Boom, boom!

I hear a cat say meow. I hear rain go pat, pat, pat.

Some sounds are loud. Some sounds are soft. I like to listen.

Questions

  1. What do I hear with? in the text

  2. What sound does the bell make? in the text

  3. What sound does the rain make? in the text

  4. What are two kinds of sounds? in the text

  5. Which is louder, a drum or a cat saying meow? think about it

Words to know

hear
to take in sound with your ears
loud
having a big sound
soft
quiet and gentle
listen
to pay attention to a sound
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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 · 33 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -2.3

I hear with my ears. I hear a bell. Ding, dong! I hear a drum. Boom!

I hear a cat. Meow! I hear rain. Pat, pat!

Some sounds are loud. Some are soft.

▲ This passage · 42 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -1.6

I hear with my ears. I hear a bell. Ding, dong! I hear a drum. Boom, boom!

I hear a cat say meow. I hear rain go pat, pat, pat.

Some sounds are loud. Some sounds are soft. I like to listen.

■ Harder · 60 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5

I hear with my two ears. I can hear a bell go ding, dong, and I can hear a drum go boom, boom.

I can hear a cat say meow, and I can hear the rain go pat, pat, pat on the roof.

Some sounds are very loud and some sounds are soft. I love to listen to them all.

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 hear, loud, soft and listen 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 under a 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.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Sounds I Hear"?

It was written for Kindergarten. It has 42 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about below 1. 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?

Under a 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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