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Two pages: the fluency passage (student copy) and the comprehension quiz. Use your browser print dialog and choose portrait.

Can a Groundhog Tell the Weather?

Fluency Quick Check — student copy · Diphthongs — oi, oy /oi/; ou, ow /ow/ (review)

Name: ________________ Date: __________

Every year on February 2nd, people gather to see if a groundhog will predict more winter or an early spring. Learn all about Groundhog Day, what it means, and how this fun tradition got started!

It is a cold, cloudy morning in February. There is a crowd gathered on the lawn. It is Groundhog Day!

On Groundhog Day, people watch the groundhog to see if he will spot his shadow. The groundhog has a choice. If he sees his shadow, he will go back underground. This means six more weeks of winter!

If the groundhog does not see his shadow, spring is close! The groundhog will stay out of his den. People clap because they are glad winter will end soon.

Is the Groundhog Always Right?

Sometimes the groundhog sees his shadow, and sometimes he does not. Most people agree that groundhogs are not good at telling when spring will come. Groundhog Day is just

Teacher scoring (122 words)

Errors: ______ · Time: ______ sec · Accuracy: ______% · WCPM: ______

Prosody (circle): 1 · 2 · 3 · 4

Stop the timer where the passage words end (end of page 8), but let the reader finish the page for a natural stop.

Can a Groundhog Tell the Weather?

Comprehension Quiz — student copy

Name: ________________ Date: __________

  1. 1. Which word from the book is a compound word?

    A. amount

    B. groundhog

    C. caught

    D. choice

  2. 2. Which word has the same middle sound as "caught"?

    A. loud

    B. lawn

    C. choice

    D. house

  3. 3. Choose the correct diphthong to complete the word: am__nt.

    A. ow

    B. ou

    C. oi

    D. oy

  4. 4. When is Groundhog Day?

    A. March

    B. June

    C. February

    D. May

  5. 5. What does it mean if a groundhog sees its shadow?

    A. Spring will come early.

    B. There will be six more weeks of winter.

    C. It will be a cloudy spring.

    D. There will be ten more weeks of spring.

  6. 6. Which statement is NOT a fact from the book?

    A. A groundhog is a rodent that lives under the ground.

    B. Another name for a groundhog is a woodchuck.

    C. Groundhogs sleep all winter.

    D. Groundhog Day is fun!

Answer key: 1-B · 2-B · 3-B · 4-C · 5-B · 6-D · Laprea Education / Developing Decoders