Mark’s Birthday Party-Short Story

About this reader

This fiction passage about a child's birthday party with comprehension questions will keep your students engaged. They will use context to find the meaning of unknown words, refer to the text for specific answers, and sequence events with this reading activity.

Written by Jacqueline JulianoPublished by Workybooks

Preview

Sample passage and quiz content

CONTENT PREVIEW

Yesterday was the best day ever. But do you know why it was the best day ever? It was my 9th birthday! My parents threw me an epic birthday party. It was at my house in the backyard. My mom ordered a big tent for the adults to hang out under, while the kids took turns in the bounce house. The bounce house had a big slide that was super fast and it was so much fun! After we played for a bit, we all sat down for pizza. We had plain, pepperoni, veggie, hawaiian, and sausage. We might have ordered a little too much, because we had lots of leftovers. After pizza, it was time for cake. I love Star Wars, so my parents got me a Yoda cake. It was vanilla with green frosting. I didn’t think it could get any better, but it did. When we were finishing dessert, I heard Brandon, my best friend, yell “no way!” I turned around and my dad was wheeling out a brand new red bike. There was a big blue bow on its handlebars. My dad got me the bike I had been asking for all year! It was like a dream come true. I dropped my fork, jumped out of my seat, and ran to give my dad a huge hug. This birthday party was the best one I’ve ever had.

Where was Mark's birthday party held?

At a pizza restaurantIn his backyardAt Brandon's houseIn the park

What was Mark's favorite gift that he received?

The cakeThe tentThe new bikeThe pizza

What did Mark and his friends play in during the party?

A bounce houseVideo gamesTagThe sprinkler

How did Mark react when he saw his new bike?

He cried tears of joyHe sat in shock without movingHe told his mom it was the wrong colorHe gave his dad a big hug

Curriculum

Common Core standards covered

L.3.4.a

Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

RF.2.4

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

RF.2.4.a

Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

RF.3.4

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

RF.3.4.a

Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

RF.3.4.c

Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

RI.2.1

Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

RL.2.10

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2–3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

RL.3.1

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

RL.3.10

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2–3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

RL.3.3

Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

Who it's for