Mark’s Birthday Party-Short Story

About this printable Mark’s Birthday Party-Short Story reading passage (Grades 4-5)

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

Sample passage and quiz from Mark’s Birthday Party-Short Story

Mark’s Awesome Birthday Party

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.

Comprehension quiz (4 questions)

1. Where was Mark's birthday party held?

At a pizza restaurant

In his backyard

At Brandon's house

In the park

2. What was Mark's favorite gift that he received?

The cake

The tent

The new bike

The pizza

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

A bounce house

Video games

Tag

The sprinkler

4. How did Mark react when he saw his new bike?

He cried tears of joy

He sat in shock without moving

He told his mom it was the wrong color

He gave his dad a big hug

Common Core standards for Mark’s Birthday Party-Short Story

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.