Coding Answers:
Where’s Felix? (STEP 3)
1. How is Felix different from the toys?
Inference: he is a real dog, not a stuffed animal or toy
Student Reponses
He is a real dog.
Correct Incorrec
t
x
They look funny. (RQ) The toys look funny.
x
Because the girl is big and the toys are small.
(TMM) Because the girl is big and the toys are small.
He is alive. (TMM) Toys aren’t alive.
He’s not a toy. (expression)
He’s brown. He has big feet.
x
x
x
x
2. Why is the girl looking for Felix?
Critical Thinking: because he is hungry; because she is going to feed him; she thinks she lost him; she wants to play with him
Student Reponses
Correct Incorrec
t
He might mess things up.
He wants to eat. (TMM) He’s hungry.
She doesn’t know where he is. (WTT) She looked in
the tub, on her desk, on the table.
It’s her friend. (WI) It is good to have friends.
She wants to play with him.
Because that’s her friend. (TMM) She likes him.
x
x
x
x
x
x
When I Grow Up (STEP 3)
3. Which job would make her leave Earth?
Inference: astronaut; going to the moon
Student Reponses
Correct Incorrec
t
She likes to go there. (TMM) She likes to go to Earth.
x
Um, space? I can’t.
Astronaut.
She is going to the moon. (RQ) Going into space.
Points to page with picture. (TMM) She want to be
on a spaceship.
x
x
x
x
4. Why does the girl say that for now she is happy to be a kid?
Critical Thinking: she likes thinking about what she’ll do when she grows up; she has fun doing kid things; she doesn’t feel grown
up yet.
Student Reponses
Correct Incorrec
t
Because she wants to grow up.
She likes kid things.
x
x
I think it’s because she is just happy. (TMM) Because
she is reading her book.
x
Because she’s a kid and she can do everything and
help everybody.
x
She isn’t a grown up yet. (TMM) She likes doing the
things kids do.
x
Choosing Prompts:
Elizabeth’s Song (STEP 4)
3. What makes dancing fun with Fred fun?
Critical Thinking: they get to run around the house; Elizabeth likes playing with her toys
Student Response
Correct
She likes Fred and they both
like to dance in the house.
Because he’s a stuffed animal
and he’s furry.
They go out the door. Mom
gave Elizabeth a hug and a
kiss.
He feels happy.
She likes dancing. TMM
(They like to run around the
house.)
Dancing with Fred is fun
because maybe she have to go
to school to stay awake.
(because maybe she likes to
dance before going to
bed.)(because maybe she
thinks it’s so fun.)(she likes to
Not Enough
Information – Prompt
to Access Student
Thinking
TMM
Incorrect
X
WI
x
RQ
X
RQ
x
RQ
WI
X
(Too
Many
Prompts,
it seems)
X
put Fred up in the air. She
likes to make a silly face and
dance funny.)
6. Why does Elizabeth say, “We’re ready for bed?” at the end of the story?
Critical Thinking: she is tired; her mom puts her to bed; she is sleepy now; she has done the fun things she wanted to do
Student Response
Her mom comes in and turns
off the light.
Fred and Elizabeth were so
tired from all the dancing. I
can see her eyes close and
she is sleepy.
Because it was nighttime and
the moon was up because
she had a ball and she wants
to go to sleep.
It’s her bedtime. They’re
getting sleepy.
Because she is tired.
Correct
Not Enough Information – Incorrect
Prompt to Access Student
Thinking
WI
x
x
WI
(She used why and how
does she feel?)
x
x
x
Choosing Prompts:
Upside Down (STEP 4)
7. What are some things Peter sees upside down?
Factual: his name, the living room, a ball, etc.
Student Response
A cat, the rug, a door.
Correct
Not Enough Information – Incorrect
Prompt to Access Student
Thinking
X
His whole house.
He sees his picture, cat, chair, X
a ball.
Peter likes being upside
down.
TMM.
x
RQ
x
Actual Answers: My Friend Kendra (STEP 5)
1. Who was the first Kendra?
Factual: a toy; a stuffed rabbit
2. What happened to the first Kendra?
Factual: Lisa lost her at school
3. Why does Lisa name her invisible friend Kendra?
Inferential: it reminds her of her rabbit; she likes the name
4. Does Lisa’s mother think that Kendra is a real girl? How do you know from the story?
Inferential: No. She knows Lisa is pretending.
She pats her on the head when she talks about Kendra.
5. What kinds of things does Lisa pretend to do with Kendra?
Factual: run races; jump rope; clean her room; etc.
6. Why do you think Lisa says that Kendra does bad things at school, like making faces?
Inferential: because sometimes Lisa doesn’t like to do her work and sometimes she does
bad things like making faces
\
7. How does pretending to have a friend like Kendra help Lisa?
Inferential: it helps her decide what to do; it helps her clean her room when she doesn’t
like to; it helps her go to sleep
8. Why do you think Lisa pretends to have an invisible friend?
Critical Thinking: she doesn’t have to feel lonely; it makes her feel like she always has
someone to play with; sometimes it helps her to do things she doesn’t like
Coding Student Answers: My Friend Kendra (STEP 5)
Student A
1. A stuffed rabbit. 
Student B
1. The bunny. X, TMM
2. Lisa lost her bunny. 
2. The girl lost her at preschool. 
3. Because she was missing Kendra and she
was getting lonely. 
4. Yes, because she said she’s smart and fast
and silly and she goes everywhere with her.
X
5. Jump rope. X, TMM
3. Because that’s her favorite name. X, WI
6. Because Kendra can’t do her work good. X,
RQ
6. It makes her laugh and then she gets in
trouble. (WI) Because she doesn’t really want to
do it on her own. X
7. Because she helps her with things she can’t
do like jumping rope. X, TMM
7. She used to be lonely without her stuffed
animal. (WI) Because now she can go
anywhere with Kendra like her stuffed
animal X
8. She doesn’t pretend. (WTT) She has a new
friend. X
4. No, her mom can’t see her. (TMM) Only Lisa
and Max can see Kendra. Maybe it’s in her
imagination. 
5. Race, go to sleep, jump rope. 
8. Because she’s bored and all alone. (WI)
Because having Kendra makes her happy
because now she has someone to play with who
helps her do things that she can’t do. 
Coding Answers:
The Comedy Garage (STEP 6)
4. Why do people think the show is funny? Inferential: they think the jokes are funny; the jokes make them laugh
Student Reponses
Correct Incorrec
t
The audience was stomming (sic) their feet, crying
(supposed to be cheering-per teacher note) and
laughing
They think it’s funny because they like funny jokes.
Because Max and Linda are making funny jokes.
Because Max and Linda are making jokes. (TMM)
They make people laugh and that’s why it’s funny.
X, Q



7. Why do the children want to put on another show the next week?
Critical Thinking: the first show was a success; they had fun; they might still be bored
Student Reponses
Because maybe next week they will be bored.
(TMM) They want to put Mittens in the show (WI)
Because they think she is a funny cat now and they
want people to laugh.
They want people to come and laugh. (TMM) So they
can get more people.
Correct Incorrec
t
X, L
X, L
The first show was very funny and the next one
might be really good too.
Because they would put the cat in show because the
cat will not be there only them. The cat will be up
there. The cat will not get out.

X, C
Choosing Prompts: Buttercup Bates, Private Eye (STEP 10)
1. Why does Mookie look up to Buttercup, even though she is younger?
Critical Thinking: she’s smart; she doesn’t give up; she can do things that he can’t; she helps him solve problems
Student Response
Correct
Not Enough Information –
Incorrect
Prompt to Access Student
Thinking
Because he can’t find his case to
X
the dog problems.
RQ
She doesn’t give up and looks at
clues.
WIS
x
He watches her. She helps him
when he needs it.
WIS
x
She can solve any mystery and
he knows that because not
everyone can do those things.
x
Buttercup is intelligent she helps
him with things he needs to do
like solve his problems.
x
4. Why does Mookie want to call in adult reinforcements when they find out where Ralph is?
Inferential: since they’re kids they could never get the dog back from an adult; he’s afraid; he doesn’t know what to do and thinks
an adult would know
Student Response
He wants them to find them
reinforcements to find mystery.
So they could find out the
woman’s name and ring the
buzzer.
They need to bring the dog back
to Mr. Webb
Because Mookie is confused
about what is going on. Maybe
an adult could help him figure
out what is going on.
She wanted to find the case of
who was the dog-napper and
who wasn’t.
Correct
Not Enough Information –
Prompt to Access Student
Thinking
TMM (and after that, perhaps
RQ)
Incorrect
X
RQ
RQ
X
TMM
RQ
X
Coding Answers:
Buttercup Bates, Private Eye (STEP 10)
1. How does the old Flower Delivery Trick work?
Factual: Buttercup phones the number she finds, pretends she has flowers that need
delivering and then asks for the address
2. What does Buttercup mean when she thinks that Angela might look “too nice” to be a
dog-napper? Inferential: she thinks that someone who steals a dog should look mean or
like a criminal
3. What makes Buttercup a good detective?
Critical Thinking: she’s brave and smart; she doesn’t give up, she can trick people to tell
her what she wants to know; she’s good at understanding clues
1. Why does Mookie look up to Buttercup, even though she is younger?
Critical Thinking: she’s smart; she doesn’t give up; she can do things that he can’t; she helps
him solve problems
2. Why does Buttercup think that “clever” should be her middle name?
Inferential: because the word describes her so well, it could be her name; she knows how to
trick people into giving her answers
3. Why does Buttercup use tricks to discover where Ralph is instead of just asking
people?
Critical Thinking: if they had taken the dog, they probably wouldn’t tell her the truth
anyway; she needs to be sneaky to find out what she wants to know; she suspects everyone
and doesn’t want to let anyone know what she is up to
\
4. Why does Mookie want to call in adult reinforcements when they find out where
Ralph is?
Inferential: since they’re kids they could never get the dog back from an adult; he’s afraid;
he doesn’t know what to do and thinks an adult would know
5. At the end of the story, why does Mr. Webb offer to pay Mookie double what he had
promised?
Inferential: he caused Mookie a lot of trouble and worry and wants to make it up to him
Actual Student Responses: Buttercup Bates, Private Eye
Student A
Student B
Student
Written Answer: First you
call the person tell
something then ask for
address then you go to the
house. X
Written Answer: The old
flower delivery trick works
by calling a person’s phone
number saying we have
flowers for you and ask for
your address. Then say
sorry these are not for you.

Written Answer: She mean
that a beautiful person
wouldn’t do that. So she also
means that a lady wouldn’t
do that.
X
Written Answer: Buttercup
means that she does not
look like a dognapper at all
because like all nappers,
nappers look mean and she
look very nice like a regular
person would look.
Written Answer: She calls somebody,
pretends she has flowers for them, gets
their address and hangs up. I know this
because on page 4 it says, I dial the
number on the paper. A woman
answers “Hello, this is Buttercup’s
flower shop. We have some flowers for
you. What’s your address?” “I’m at 1425
53rd street, apartment 6L.” “Oh sorry,
we made a mistake the flowers are not
for you!” Hang up. 
Written Answer: She means like a dog
stealer that catches dogs from the wild.
I know this because dog-nappers catch
dogs and put them inside a pound cage.
X-PE

Written Answer: Buttercup
Written Answer: What
is a good detective because
makes Buttercup a good
she is on the case and
detective is her tricks
doesn’t give up. I think she
because one trick helps her
is responsible. I think this
know where to go-old
because she is not giving up
flower trick. Next, gum trick,
if it doesn’t work because
she put gum on a collar and
detective don’t do that.
the take it off to read what
X
the collar says because the
gum has what it says
printed on the collar.
X
She can solve any mystery
He knows Buttercup is a
and he knows because that
good detective and he can
because not everyone can do trust her to help him find
those things. 
Ralph. 
Because she was clever in
She had a lot of clever ideas
the story when she did the
like the FDT, hot dog, gum,
flower delivery trick (WTT)
etc. RQ She is reallt clever
She knows she’s clever so it
she knows how to get the
should be her middle name.
address and get the dog to

come.

Because she probably
A good detective doesn’t ask
doesn’t want the lady to
questions, adds up clues RQ
think she’s a dog-napper; she be if she had asked Anglea
doesn’t want the lady to
she probably wouldn’t have
know she came to take Ralph said she kidnapped Ralph so
back. Detectives use tricks. X she has to use words.
Written Answer: She is brave and smart
because she doesn’t give up and she
tricks people to get what she wants. I
know this because brave means not
giving up and smart means to be clever
or to tricking someone into doing what
she wants.
X
He looks up to Buttercup because her
has a problem that he needs help with.
(TMM) Buttercup will help her because
she is a private eye. 
Because she’s sneaky and it describes
her. She tricked someone in the story
with the flower example. 
She use tricks because she’s clever and
does not need anyone to help her.
(TMM) She is like a spy agent, tries to be
someone without getting caught. 
Because Mookie is confused
about what is going on.
(TMM) Maybe an adult could
help him figure out what is
going on.

Because he was sorry about
all the trouble he caused and
he wanted to make it up to
him so he offered to pay him
double. 

He knows adults are
smarter than kids and could
deal with crimes, like police
officers RQ and will help
him find Ralph with no
problem.

Webb got him into a
problem RQ he should have
told Angela RQ because of
what he got him into and
forgetting to tell Angela.
X (L)
They wanted to call reinforcements
because they needed to find out if the
dog was okay or not. (TMM) They need
to call adults because the owners might
be armed.
X-L
He wanted to pay Mookie double
because he is a really good owner and
because Mr. Webb is happy he took such
good care of him. X-Q
Coding Written Answers:
Help! My Desk is Haunted!
1. Why doesn’t Daniel have his own desk at school?
Factual: he’s new to school and there aren’t enough desks for him to have one
2. Why does everyone in class come to believe that Daniel’s desk is haunted?
Critical Thinking: something bad happens to whoever is sitting in it; the kids want some way to explain why things are going
badly for Daniel and Leo; everyone in the class thinks alike; they’re scared
3. How does having a “haunted” desk help Daniel make friends at his new school?
Critical Thinking: it forces him to talk to the other kids to find out what’s going on; it makes him more interesting to other kids;
it’s the first time he’s talked to his classmates
Questio
n
Studen Student Response
t
A
B
1
C
D
E
He was new. His teacher ordered a desk
but it never seemed to come.
Because the other desk belonged to
someone else. It had writing all over it. It
was very old and dirty.
Correct
Incorrec
t

X
C
Daniel does not have his own desk
because he was a new kid from Florida.
X
L
Because he is new kid at the school
X
L
X
L
Daniel didn’t have his own desk because
he was new to Logan Elementary School
and moved to Chicago from Florida.
F
A
B
C
2
D
E
F
3
A
Because he just moved to Chicago from
Florida.
X
L
Yes, because it had bad luck a lot times.
He broke his new pencil. He flunked his
spelling test. His glasses broke.
Because he let other people sit in it and
one person’s foot got broke. He flunked
his spelling test.
X,
L
Everyone in the class come to believe
because it is old and it has a scary look to
it.
X,
Q
Because a lot of times he gets tricked like
one time when Daniel bent over to get
his book his pants ripped and when he
got his book and got up Daniel bumped
his head.
They think the desk is haunted because
bad things are happening like people
getting hurt.
I think that because first when it was the
spelling test, his book fell and papers
started to fall. And the other reason the
desk is haunted is because Leo had
twisted his ankle and he had crutches.
X,
L
He wants to know who was Ike Mills.
X,
L

X,
L
X,
QC
B
C
D
E
F
They listen when he shows his haunted
desk. He shares his desk with other
people and talks to them.

The haunted desk helps Daniel make
friends because he was new and he has a
scary personality.
X,
C
Because Daniel did funny things with the
desk and they seen that Daniel was
telling the truth about Ike Mills.

I think Daniel was making friends when
there was a haunted desk because they
where talking to each other and some
time that is how you make friends.
Because in the text it said that all the
kid’s were exited about the haunted desk.
X,
L
X,
L
Coding Written Answers: The Magic Ring
(12)
Answers:
1. Why does Martin spend all the family’s money on a cat?
Inferential: he feels sorry for the cat; he wants a friend
2. Why isn’t the Princess happy after she marries Martin?
Critical Thinking: she thinks she should marry a prince, not someone who was born poor;
she doesn’t think Martin deserves her; she doesn’t love Martin
3. How does Misha the cat get the ring back for Martin?
Factual: she catches the king of the palace mice and says that she’ll eat him if he doesn’t
help her
1. Why does Martin’s mother send him away?
Inferential: she’s angry because of the way he spent the money; she can’t afford to
support him; she thinks he needs to learn to take care of himself. Note: He spent the
money on the cat is insufficient for this answer. If the student gives this response ask, Why
is that important?
2. Why do you think the beautiful lady tells Martin that the ring’s power must be kept
a secret?
Critical Thinking: he might get hurt if people find out about the ring; she wants Martin to
understand that he must be careful with his power; she knows people would try to steal the
ring if they knew its power
3. How does the Princess learn the source of Martin’s power?
Factual: she gives him a potion that makes him tell the truth
4. Why does the King lock Martin in the tower?
Inferential: he thinks it is Martin’s fault that the crystal palace is gone and his daughter
has run away
5. Why does Martin ask for golden armor and a dashing black horse before he goes
back to the Princess?
Critical Thinking: he wants to try harder to please his wife; he thinks it will make the
Princess love him; it makes him feel more like a prince
Actual Student Responses: The Magic Ring
Student A
Student B
1. Written Answer: Martin wanted to save
the cat because he feels sorry for it.
X

2. Written Answer: He’s not wearing in
gold armor and does not have a black
horse.
X, L
3. Written Answer: Misha the cat threatens
the king of the palace mice and the king
of the palace mice sends another mouse
to get the ring out of the princess’s
mouth when she was asleep.

1. He uses the last money on a cat instead
of on some grain to make bread. (RQ) He
needs to get a job.
X, L
2. So no one will try and steal the ring and no
will try and get him.
1. Written Answer: He was worried about the
cat. He didn’t want the girl to drown the
cat because she said she would.
2. Written Answer: Because his mother
wasn’t dressed properly.
X, C
3. Written Answer: She caught a mouse and
the mouse knew where it was and got it.
X, L
1. To find a job. (TMM) He was supposed to
get grain but brought a useless cat instead.
X, L
2. Because if the ring gets into the wrong hands
it could get Martin into trouble because the
ring is powerful and people will want it.

3. Because she asks a witch to get a potion
to tell the truth
X, F
4. Because he thought Martin tried to do
something to his daughter and then he
3. She gives him a potion that makes him tell the
truth.

4. The king locked him up because he thought
Martin was the reason why the palace was
was locked in the tower. (RQ) King
thought he had tricked him.
X, C
5. Because he is afraid they’ll hate him if he
doesn’t have golden armor and a dashing
black horse. (TMM) He wants the
princess to really love him. (WI). She
didn’t like him in the beginning when he
was poor.

gone and his daughter was missing. He called
him a tricker.

5. The princess would like that. (WTT) She’ll
think he is handsome. (WI) She likes the
golden armor.
X, C
Sources of Student Misunderstandings:
Coding the Incorrect Answers
PE
personal experience
F
fact from the story, no interpretation
L
limited response,
needs to elaborate
C
confused, misunderstood
a part of the story
Q
did not answer the question, response answers a different question
Facilitating a Comprehension Conversation:
Prompts for Student Elaboration
During the course of a comprehension conversation, you may prompt
no more than two times per question. The prompt must be noted on the assessment form with the
corresponding code.
Please note: It is not appropriate to paraphrase or reword the question.
Prompt
“Tell me more.”
Code
TMM
“What in the story makes you think that?”
WIS
“Why is that important?”
WI
“Why do you think that?”
WTT
Repeat question
RQ