Family Times
Name_______________________________________________________________________________
Summary
Reading Skills
Tony Sails—On the Sea
and Into the Past
Sequence
© Scott Foresman
6
After eleven-year-old Tony saves $300, his
first idea is to buy a motorbike. But since the
legal driving age is fifteen, he buys a sailboat
instead. Tony takes sailing lessons from Chris.
Tony capsizes once, but he doesn’t give up.
As Tony learns to sail, he also learns about
himself, his family, and the history of his
grandmother’s seaside hometown.
To understand a story or an article, it helps to
understand the sequence—the order in which
things happen or characters perform actions.
Clue words such as when, first, then, and next
can help you follow the order in which things
happen. When Chris teaches Tony to sail, she
first teaches him the names of items on the
boat, then she demonstrates how to sail, and
finally she lets Tony sail. Which three clue
words are used in this example to signal the
sequence? (first, then, and finally)
Activity
Activity
Act Out the Story. Have your child describe
the scene in which Tony convinces his parents
to let him buy the boat. Using your child’s
description, act out the scene together.
Make a Story Board. Choose a favorite
story. On five index cards, draw five different
scenes from the story. Include captions,
speech balloons, or thought balloons if you
wish. When you are done, arrange the index
cards so that they show the correct sequence
of events.
Tony and the Snark
1
Family Times
Tested Vocabulary
Grammar
Words to Know
Kinds of Sentences
Knowing the meanings of these words is
important to reading “Tony and the Snark.”
Practice using these words to learn their
meanings.
Some sentences tell and some ask. Other
sentences give commands or show strong
feeling. Each kind of sentence begins with a
capital letter and ends with a special mark.
cove a small, sheltered bay
disaster a very unpleasant event
jolt a sudden jerk or shock
peninsula land nearly surrounded by
water
submerged underwater; covered by water
❖ A declarative sentence makes a
statement. It ends with a period.
I know how to sail.
❖ An interrogative sentence asks a
question. It ends with a question mark.
Have you ever been on a sailboat?
❖ An imperative sentence gives a
command or makes a request. It ends
with a period. The subject (you) is not
shown, but it is understood.
Steer between the islands.
❖ An exclamatory sentence shows strong
feeling. It ends with an exclamation point.
Look out for those rocks!
Activity
Change the Sentence. Make up a declarative
sentence, such as He’s going sailing. Change
the sentence to a question, such as: Is he going
sailing? Then change the sentence to an
imperative sentence and an exclamatory
sentence.
© Scott Foresman
6
Tested Spelling Words
2 Tony and the Snark