Comprehension Questions for
Progress Monitoring
AIMSWEB Reading Passages
Grade 6
E
F
I
MI
SEQ
V
C/E
Evaluation
Fact
Inference
Main Idea
Sequential
Vocabulary
Cause/Effect
Prepared by: CAIU
January, 2008
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 4
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a man who finds homes for homeless children)
___ (F)
2. When and where does the story take place?
(hundreds of years ago, in a land far away)
___ (I)
3. What type of vehicle did Alexander use?
(a mule-drawn wagon)
___ (F)
4. What did the little boy and girl look like?
(torn clothes, very dirty)
___ (C/E) 5. Why were the two children crying?
(parents had died, they had no family and nothing to
eat – any 2)
___ (F)
6. Where did Alexander take the children?
(to his farm in the country)
___ (F)
7. What were the boys and girls doing on the farm?
(boys cutting hay, girls milking cows)
___ (I)
8. Why did all the children have to work together on the
farm?
(to have food to eat and keep the farmhouse clean)
___ (I)
9. Why do you think the boy and girl were happy in their
new home when they had to work so hard there?
(any logical response, with support)
___ (V)
10. They taught the little boy how to use a pitchfork.
What does pitchfork mean?
(large fork-like tool for pitching hay)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 5
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a girl who hates books and discovers a book that
talks)
___ (I)
2. Why did Beatrice hate books?
(they were dusty, musty, heavy, clumsy, boring, and
filled with long sentences that made no sense – any
2)
___ (F)
3. What was Beatrice doing in the library when her
mother looked in on her?
(nothing)
___ (C/E) 4. Why did her mother shout at Beatrice?
(Beatrice said all the books were boring)
___ (C/E) 5. Why did Beatrice scream twice?
(she stubbed her toe, a book fell and hit her on the
head)
___ (C/E) 6. What caused Beatrice to sneeze?
(sparkling dust came from the book and tickled her
nose)
___ (I)
7. Why was the book upset?
(Beatrice tried to close it with her toe/kick it)
___ (F)
8. What picture was on the page of the book?
(a trapdoor)
___ (I)
9. What do you think might happen if Beatrice pulls on
the handle of the trapdoor?
(any logical response with support)
___ (V)
10. She screamed…the second time because a book
had become dislodged from the shelf above….
What does dislodged mean?
(come loose, out of place)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 6
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a girl who is kind to her neighbor)
___ (F)
2. What did Crystal’s neighbor look like?
(very large, over 6 feet tall, feet like tennis rackets)
___ (F)
3. What did Crystal see the man doing as she rode to
and from school?
(digging through piles of garbage, carrying a heavy
burlap sack)
___ (F)
4. What did Jason think the man was doing?
(looking for food, collecting boots for boot leather
soup)
___ (I)
5. Was the man home when Crystal left the cinnamon
rolls on his steps?
(maybe, no one answered the door but the curtains
twitched)
___ (F)
6. What did Crystal notice in her neighbor’s backyard?
(piles of rusty old pipes)
___ (I)
7. How did Crystal know the man had eaten the
cinnamon rolls?
(he returned the clean plate and foil)
___ (C/E) 8. Why wasn’t Crystal afraid of the big man?
(he had a kind smile and sincere eyes)
___ (I)
9. Why did the man collect old rusty pipes?
(he made wind chimes out of them)
___ (V)
10. “…he has to go to the dump to scavenge for food.
What does scavenge mean?
(hunt, search)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 7
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a man who has a very smart dog)
___ (F)
2. What did Little Lee bring Mr. Lee in the morning and
evening?
(paper, slippers, glasses, word find – any 2)
___ (F)
3. What tricks could Little Lee do?
(sit, speak, stay, shake, open doors, turn lights
on/off, howl songs – any 2)
___ (C/E) 4. Why did Little Lee help Mr. Lee cross streets, get on
elevators, and shop for groceries?
(Mr. Lee began to lose his sight)
___ (F)
5. Where did they go on their walks?
(park, ice cream stand)
___ (I)
6. Does Mr. Lee live in the country or the city? How do
you know?
(city – traffic lights, elevators, “smartest dog in the
entire city” )
___ (I)
7. How did Mr. Lee show affection to Little Lee?
(got him ice cream, bones, praised him, scratched
him – any 2)
___ (F)
8. What did Little Lee do while Mr. Lee watched TV?
(slept on the couch with his head on Mr. Lee’s lap)
___ (I)
9. Would you consider Little Lee an unusually smart dog?
Why/why not?
(any logical response with support)
___ (V)
10. He had a knack for picking out the tenderest pieces
of steak…What does knack mean?
(skill, talent, ability)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 8
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a memory of a campfire with cousins)
___ (F)
2. Why does the author like fall the best?
(leaves change colors, and flutter to ground, has
fond memories)
___ (F)
3. Where were the author’s cousins from?
(Nebraska)
___ (F)
4. Where did they set up the logs for the campfire?
(the beachfront)
___ (C/E) 5. How did they start the fire?
(sent a flaming ball of fire from a tree down a wire to
the logs)
___ (C/E) 6. Why did Uncle Milton fall in the bucket of water?
(the fire startled him and he stumbled and lost his
footing)
___ (I)
7. Why was Uncle Milton the last person to laugh?
(he may have been surprised/angry at first)
___ (F)
8. What was the bucket of water for?
(in case the fire got out of control)
___ (I)
9. Why did Uncle Milton call cousin Chip a chip off the old
block?
(he was careful around the fire like his firefighter
father)
___ (V)
10. “You should have expected us to use that kind of
caution, Dad.”
What does caution mean?
(carefulness)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 9
___ (MI) 1. What was this passage about?
(a boy who uses his computer game skills to helps
NASA save astronauts)
___ (F)
2. What happened at Jim’s house every day after
school?
(Jim and his friends played computer games)
___ (C/E) 3. What did Jim do when he scored higher than anyone
on Space Ace?
(took picture of screen and sent it to the company
that made the game)
___ (F)
4. Who came to Jim’s door two months later?
(2 men in uniforms from NASA)
___ (F)
5. What did the men from NASA want?
(Jim to fly a remote controlled rocket to save
astronauts in trouble)
___ (C/E) 6. Why didn’t they test the remote controlled rocket first?
(there was no time)
___ (I)
7. Why was Jim able to control the rocket’s flight in
space?
(it was just like the computer game that he was so
good at playing)
___ (F)
8. What did Jim do as he flew in space?
(flew around planets/moons, saw asteroids,
destroyed space rocks with guns, docked at space
station – any 2)
___ (I)
9. Was this story fiction or non-fiction? How did you
know?
(fiction – boys don’t fly space rockets, NASA
wouldn’t send a boy to save astronauts, rockets
don’t fly without testing first, etc.)
___ (V)
10. Every day after school all the kids flocked to Jim’s
house… What does flocked mean?
(gathered in a group)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 10
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a boy with a time travel machine)
___ (F)
2. How old is the boy telling the story?
(10)
___ (C/E) 3. How does the machine work?
(you press buttons to go back to different time
periods)
___ (F)
4. Where did the boy go first?
(Ancient Egypt)
___ (I)
5. How did he escape the Egyptian warriors?
(he pressed the future button to get home)
___ (C/E) 6. Why didn’t he tell his friends about the machine on the
phone?
(he didn’t think they’d believe him, they always
questioned him)
___ (F)
7. Where did the machine take the boys?
(medieval England)
___ (I)
8. Why didn’t the kids get out of the machine?
(knights in armor were approaching)
___ (I)
9. If you could travel in a time machine, what time/place
would you choose? Why?
(any logical answer with support)
___ (V)
10. I randomly pressed one of the buttons.
What does randomly mean?
(by chance, etc.)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 11
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a boy whose mother surprises him with a whale
watching trip)
___ (F)
2. Where did his mother take Jesse in the beginning of
the story?
(to a weather-beaten building near the ocean)
___ (F)
3. What kind of surprise was Jesse hoping his mother had
planned?
(an ocean outing)
___ (F)
4. What did he see on the inside of the building?
(a dumpy desk stacked with papers, telephone
ringing, empty chairs, dusty sailing equipment, piles
of rope and rigging – any 2)
___ (I)
5. How does Jesse feel about his surprise when he sees
the building?
(disappointed, not expecting something good)
___ (C/E) 6. Why did the woman come for Jesse?
(to be sure he found his way, to take him outside)
___ (F)
7. What did Jesse see when he stepped outside?
(beach, gorgeous ship with his mother onboard)
___ (F)
8. What did Jesse’s mom have planned for his surprise?
(a whale watching trip)
___ (I)
9. Why do you think Jesse’s mother planned a surprise
for him?
(any logical response)
___ (V)
10. She was beckoning me down the dangerous –
What does beckoning mean?
(signaling to come)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 12
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a girl who dreams of being an astronaut someday)
___ (I)
2. Why does Mary-Kate want to be a captain of a
spaceship?
(to visit planets, galaxies, be in charge of
blast-off and landing)
___ (F)
3. What does Bill Jones call Mary-Kate at recess?
(an alien)
___ (F)
4. Who is the only one who doesn’t laugh at her?
(her best friend Roger)
___ (I)
5. Why do you think Roger is her best friend?
(he wants to be an astronaut too)
___ (F)
6. What does Roger plan to do in space?
(be a scientist doing experiments with animals)
___ (F)
7. What will they do when they run into aliens in space?
(have tea and cookies with them)
___ (C/E) 8. Why will they be able to laugh and talk for days?
(because the sun never sets in outer space)
___ (I)
9. How old do you think the children in the story might
be? Why?
(about 8-10 because they know a lot about space
but believe in aliens)
___ (V)
10. I’m destined for distant planets and far off galaxies.
What are galaxies?
(groups of stars and planets)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 13
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(an artist who paints to feel happier)
___ (I)
2. In what season does the story take place?
(fall)
___ (F)
3. What kind of a day was it?
(cold and dreary)
___ (F)
3. What did the outside of the house look like?
(patches on the roof, chipped paint, shabby,
neglected, etc.)
___ (F)
4. What was the only interesting thing in the living room?
(an easel near the window)
___ (C/E) 5. Why did the man hurry to eat breakfast?
(he was eager to get to begin painting)
___ (F)
6. What was the man painting?
(a beach at sunset with a smiling woman coming
toward the painter)
___ (I)
7. Why do you think the man was sad?
(he misses the woman in the picture, she may have
died or left him)
___ (C/E) 8. How does painting help the man feel better?
(he can forget his dismal surroundings/ bring the
woman back in the painting)
___ (I)
9. Who do you think the woman was?
(wife, girlfriend – any logical answer)
___ (V)
10. …he was eager to get to work and dispel the aching
sadness in his heart.
What does dispel mean?
(get rid of)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 14
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a boy who meets a fairy on his way home from
school)
___ (F)
2. Where did Patrick walk on his way home from school?
(through a dark tunnel and along high cliffs near an
ocean)
___ (I)
3. Where does Patrick and his family live?
(in his grandmother’s cottage)
___ (F)
4. Where did Patrick see the fairy?
(on a corner fencepost)
___ (F)
5. What did the fairy look like?
(tiny, shimmering, with long glossy hair and wings
like a butterfly – any 2)
___ (C/E) 6. Why did Patrick take so long to get home?
(he wasn’t hurrying because he didn’t know anyone
was waiting for him)
___ (F)
7. Where did the fairy land when she flapped her wings?
(on Patrick’s shoulder)
___ (F)
8. What did the fairy want from Patrick?
(to be friends with him and his family)
___ (I)
9. Why do you think the fairies want to become friends
now?
(they were friends with his grandmother, who has
probably died, and now Patrick’s family lives in her
house)
___ (V)
10. It was a fairy sitting cool as a cucumber on a corner
fencepost. What does cool as a cucumber mean?
(very calm)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 15
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a girl who goes to visit her grandparents)
___ (F)
2. How many days will Laura spend at her Grandparents
house?
(four)
___ (I)
3. Who is Mrs. Stevens?
(Laura’s teacher)
___ (F)
4. What did Laura pack in her suitcase?
(clothes, a book, Mrs. Mouse, her stuffed animal –
any 2)
___ (F)
5. What was Laura looking forward to doing at her
grandparent’s house?
(renting a movie, eating popcorn, hearing stories
about her dad as a boy, talking to her grandmother
– any 2)
___ (I)
6. What might Laura not like about the visit?
(8:30 bedtime, eating all her vegetables)
___ (C/E) 7. When her dad dropped her off, what did he do that
surprised Laura?
(picked her up, said her suitcase was heavier than
she was)
___ (I)
8. Where will her dad be for the weekend?
(working out of town)
___ (I)
9. What will Laura do first at her Grandparents house?
(eat popcorn, watch a basketball movie)
___ (V)
10. … Laura could hardly think …
What does hardly mean?
(barely, not but a little bit, etc.)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 16
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(two girls who want to look for treasures left by
pioneers)
___ (C/E) 2. Why does Beth think pioneers may not have left
valuable treasures behind?
(many were poor)
___ (C/E) 3. Why does Beth think pioneers may have buried their
belongings?
(their wagons couldn’t carry everything, they’d
return for them later)
___ (F)
4. What kind of treasures does Amanda hope they’ll find?
(money, jewels, gold, silver – any 2)
___ (C/E) 5. Why does Beth think she wouldn’t wear jewels?
(they wouldn’t go with her wardrobe of jeans and Tshirts)
___ (F)
6. What does Beth think they might find besides
treasure?
(old books, a long-lost letter)
___ (F)
7. Where will the girls begin their search?
(Beth’s grandmother’s place by the river)
___ (C/E) 8. Why couldn’t they decide where to look when they got
there?
(no trails remained, things could be buried
anywhere)
___ (I)
9. How are these two friends different from each other?
(any logical response)
___ (V)
10. Oh my, what a dilemma.
What does dilemma mean?
(problem)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 17
___ (MI)
1. What is this passage about?
(a boy who gets good luck from a rabbit he doesn’t
shoot)
___ (F)
2. What does Little Wolf’s mother want for dinner?
(rabbit stew)
___ (F)
3. How will Little Wolf shoot the rabbit?
(bow and arrow)
___ (C/E) 4. Why didn’t Little Wolf release his arrow when he first
saw the rabbit?
(the rabbit spoke to him)
___ (C/E) 5. What will happen if Little Wolf shoots the rabbit?
(her five babies will starve)
___ (I)
6. How does the rabbit convince Little Wolf to let her go?
(tells him she will give him good luck with her magic
powers)
___ (C/E) 7. How did his mother react when he came home without
a rabbit?
(she yelled at him, called him lazy)
___ (C/E) 8. What happened when Little Wolf dipped the jug into
the river?
(he caught two silver trout)
___ (F)
9. What did Little Wolf and his mother have for dinner?
(trout stew)
___ (V)
10. …even though Little Wolf was famished, he could
not shoot the rabbit…
What does famished mean?
(very hungry)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 18
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a girl who is nervous about giving a speech in front
of the class)
___ (I)
2. Why did Molly’s mother fold the covers around her
more snugly than usual?
(she wanted to comfort her because she was
nervous)
___ (F)
3. How old is Molly?
(eight)
___ (C/E) 4. What does Michael O’Connor do when a girl gets up to
give her speech?
(makes funny faces and sticks his tongue out at her)
___ (C/E) 5. What is Molly afraid will happen when she stands in
front of the class?
(can’t speak, turns red, eyes pop out and roll in
aisle, kids laugh at her)
___ (F)
6. Who does the hunting in a lion pride?
(lionesses)
___ (F)
7. What did Molly eat for breakfast?
(cereal / half of it)
___ (F)
8. What did Michael O’Connor do when Molly went to the
front of the room?
(crossed his eyes)
___ (I)
9. How did Molly overcome her nervousness and give
her speech?
(any logical answer)
___ (V)
10. What if she blushed until she was red as a beet?
What does blushed mean?
(to turn red in the face because of embarrassment,
shame, or pleasure)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 19
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a man who looks for a more exciting job)
___ (F)
2. What job did Mr. Shrunk do at the telephone
company?
(filing clerk, filed names)
___ (C/E) 3. Why did Mr. Shrunk walk away from his job so
suddenly?
(he couldn’t take it any longer, it was too boring)
___ (I)
4. How did Mr. Shrunk begin to search for a new job?
(looked in the classified section of the paper)
___ (F)
5. Where did he decide to apply?
(police station and fire station)
___ (I)
6. Why do you think Mr. Shrunk put on a suit and tie to
look for work?
(to make a good impression)
___ (C/E) 7. Why did Mr. Shrunk think police work was not for him?
(he didn’t want to dodge bullets and go on highspeed chases)
___ (C/E) 8. Why didn’t he get a job as a fireman?
(he was afraid of heights and burning objects)
___ (I)
9. What job do you think Mr. Shrunk ended up doing?
Why?
(stunt man – he fit the description in the ad; it was
an exciting job)
___ (V)
10. Mr. Shrunk reviewed the classifieds…
What are the classifieds?
(advertisements in the newspaper)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 20
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a dog who gets lost)
___ (F)
2. How old is Elmer?
(six, or 42 in dog years – any 1)
___ (F)
3. Where was Elmer when he got lost?
(Michigan, visiting owner’s relatives)
___ (C/E) 4. Why did Abby start running when they let the dogs out
the next morning?
(they had missed their long daily walk the day
before)
___ (F)
5. Who did Elmer and Abby encounter while exploring a
new neighborhood?
(two black Labradors and their owner)
___ (C/E) 6. Why did Elmer run into the Labs’ kennel?
(the Labs’ owner yelled “kennel” and Elmer
understood the word)
___ (C/E) 7. Why did the Lab’s owner giggle?
(she thought Elmer was a funny name for a
handsome dog)
___ (I)
8. How did the lady find Elmer’s owner?
(she got his phone number from Elmer’s dog tags)
___ (I)
9. What do you think happened to Abby?
(she got back home in any logical manner)
___ (V)
10. She offered me a portable kennel…
What does portable mean?
(can be moved from place to place)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 21
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a man who digs up dinosaur bones in his garden)
___ (F)
2. What tools was Mr. Jenkins using to work in his
garden?
(hoe and shovel)
___ (C/E) 3. Why did Mr. Jenkins think he had hit a rock?
(because he had been digging up rocks in his
garden for fifty years)
___ (F)
4. Who was watching him as he was digging?
(his cat, Virginia)
___ (F)
5. What did Mr. Jenkins think the bone was at first?
(a petrified log)
___ (I)
6. Why did Virginia walk five feet from the hole to dig?
(she was guessing where the skull might be?)
___ (C/E) 7. Why didn’t Mr. Jenkins scold the cat for digging in the
tulip patch?
(he was curious)
___ (F)
8. How long did it take them to dig up the skull?
(an hour)
___ (I)
9. What do you think will happen when the scientists from
the museum arrive?
(any logical answer)
___ (V)
10. …Virginia was thinking as she paced the length of the
bone. What does paced mean?
(measured off with steps)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 22
___( MI)
1. What is this story about?
(a family that depends on their roosters to wake
them up)
___ (F)
2. Where does the story take place?
(in a small village)
___ (F)
3. Who is the first person to get up in the morning?
(Grandma)
___ (C/E) 4. Why didn’t Samir’s family need a clock?
(the roosters said Cock-a-doodle–do at the stroke of
every hour)
___ (F)
5. How did his uncles convince Samir to give them each
a rooster?
(told him he had 3, one should be enough)
___ (C/E) 6. Why was everyone angry the next day?
(the rooster did not crow and they were all late)
___ (C/E) 7. Why did Samir decide to write to his uncles?
(to beg them to return the roosters so his wouldn’t
be lonely)
___ (I)
8. Why did Samir call the roosters “clever”?
(he thought they had planned not to crow if ever
separated)
___ (E)
9. Do you think Samir’s family will appreciate their
roosters more now? Why or why not?
(any logical answer with support)
___ (V)
10. “Everyone is Samir’s family depended on the
roosters…” What does depended mean?
(relied on, counted on them to do a necessary job)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 23
___(MI)
1. What is this story about?
(a girl who swims under the sea with a mermaid)
___ (F)
2. Where does the story take place?
(at the beach, in the ocean)
___ (F)
3. What was Addie doing when she first saw the
mermaid?
(collecting seashells)
___ (C/E)
4. How did the mermaid breathe under water?
(she had gills behind her ears)
___ (C/E) 5. Why was Addie surprised when she saw the mermaid?
(her mother had told her they didn’t exist)
___ (C/E)
6. Why is the mermaid lonely?
(she’s the only mermaid left living there)
___ (C/E) 7. How was Addie able to breathe under the water?
(when she held the mermaid’s hand she could
breathe)
___ (I)
8. How long do you think they spent swimming under the
water? How do you know?
(a few hours – they did several things under water,
it was sunset when she returned)
___ (I)
9. Do you think Addie will tell her mother about her
experience? Why or why not?
(any logical answer with support)
___ (V)
10. “they swam with a colony of harmless jellyfish.”
What does colony mean in this sentence?
(a group living together)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 24
___ (MI)
1. What is this story about?
(a boy and his Grandpa who become invisible with
magic stamps)
___ (F)
2. Where does the story take place?
(at Roger’s grandparent’s house)
___ (C/E) 3.Why was Roger bored?
(it’s raining, TV doesn’t work, doesn’t want to help
Grandma –any 2)
___ (I)
4. What was Grandma preparing for dinner?
(corn)
___ (F)
5. What was Grandpa doing up in his study?
(looking at his stamp collection)
___ (C/E) 6. How did the magic stamps work?
(lick a stamp, stick it to your forehead, you become
invisible)
___ (C/E) 7. Why was Roger disappointed when he opened his
eyes?
(he could still see Grandpa)
___ (I)
8. How did Roger know they were really invisible?
(Grandma didn’t see them and didn’t ask them to
husk corn)
___ (E)
9. What would be an advantage to being invisible? A
disadvantage?
(any logical answers with support)
___ (V)
10. “…he approached his grandpa’s massive desk.”?
What does massive mean?
(very large, huge)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 25
___(MI)
1. What is this story about?
(a raccoon who organizes an animal talent show)
___ (F)
2. Where does the story take place?
(in the forest)
___ (F)
3. Who was the first to perform?
(the goose)
___ (I)
4. Why did the animals clap for the goose when she
didn’t sound very good?
(they knew it was the best she could do, it was
polite)
___ (F)
5. How did Boris the bear feel about performing?
(shy)
___ (C/E) 6. Why did Sue the songbird give a perfect performance?
(she had practiced for years)
___ (C/E) 7. Why didn’t the animals enjoy the rabbit’s performance?
(it was about hunting and it scared them)
___ (I)
8. Why do you think the animals laughed and cried
during Randy’s performance?
(some parts were funny, some sad)
___ (E)
9. Do you think the talent show was a success? Why?
(yes, the animals requested and looked forward to
another one)
___ (V)
10. “The animals sat in awed silence…” What does
awed mean?
(fear mixed with wonder)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 26
___(MI)
1. What is this story about?
(a boy who turned into his neglected goldfish)
___ (F)
2.Where did Tad keep his goldfish?
(in a bowl on his dresser)
___ (F)
3. How did Tad treat his goldfish?
(he ignored it, never talked to it, didn’t admire it’s
beauty or skills – any 2)
___ (C/E)
4. What caused Tad to dump too much food into the
bowl?
(he wasn’t paying attention because he was thinking
about the monster movie he would see)
___ (C/E)
5. Why did Tad drop the container of fish food?
(his fish yelled at him)
___ (I)
6. Why did the goldfish tell Tad his water was too cold?
(he wanted to trick him into touching it and change
places)
___ (C/E)
7. Why was Tad unable to speak after touching the
water?
(he traded places with the goldfish and turned into a
fish)
___ (F)
8. What did the fish plan to do after he became a boy?
(see a monster movie)
___ (E)
9. Do you think the fish played a fair trick on Tad? Why
or why not?
(any logical answer with support)
___ (V)
10. “He never admired the fish’s…delicate fins and tail.”
What does delicate mean in this sentence?
(fine, easily damaged, fragile)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 27
___(MI)
1. What is this story about?
(a group of children who write a story together)
___ (F)
2. Who belonged to the Writer’s Club?
(talented children who loved to write)
___ (F)
3.How did the children plan to work together to complete
the project?
(each would write one paragraph)
___ (C/E) 4. In the story they wrote, what made Judy wish she
could be excused from class?
(she saw her friend’s gym class outside and wanted
to join them)
___ (C/E) 5. Why did Scott write a paragraph about aliens and
spaceships?
(he was a science fiction fan)
___ (I)
6. Why do you think the director in the story wanted Judy
to be in his movie?
(she was flying a spaceship)
___ (E)
7. Do you think Stephen wrote a good conclusion? Why
or why not?
(any logical response with support)
___ (F)
8. Where was the story published?
(in the school newspaper)
___ (I)
9. Did the readers of the story think it was good? How do
you know?
(yes, they requested a sequel )
___ (V)
10. “Judy gave …them a swift kick to the shins.” What
does shins mean?
(fronts of your legs from knee to ankle)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 28
___ (MI)
1. What is this story about?
(Thelma’s new neighbors are circus performers and
animals)
___ (F)
2. What did Thelma think of the new neighbor when she
first saw him?
(he was odd, strange)
___ (C/E) 3. Why didn’t Thelma go over and introduce herself?
(because of his strange costume)
___ (F)
4. What was the man wearing?
(high shiny black boots and a black top hat)
___ (F)
5. What was the first thing to come out of the truck?
(a gang of clowns)
___ (C/E) 6. Why was Thelma concerned about a circus living
across the street?
(it would be too noisy)
___ (C/E) 7. Why did Thelma sit by the telephone?
(she was waiting for her neighbors to call and
complain)
___ (I)
8. Why do you think no one called Thelma to complain?
(they were at the new neighbor’s party)
___ (E)
9. Do you think Thelma will join the party? Why or why
not?
(any logical answer with support)
___ (V)
10. “…many more exotic animals followed the clowns.”
What does mean?
(very unusual, strangely beautiful)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 29
___ (MI)
1. What is this story about?
(a man who acts in a movie)
___ (F)
2. What kind of an actor was Theodore?
(an extra, not a big movie star)
___ (F)
3. What is the job of an extra in a movie?
(to stand in the background, walk down a street,
etc.)
___ (F)
4. What character did Theodore play in his last movie?
(a police officer)
___ (C/E) 5. Why do men wear makeup in a movie?
(to look good on film)
___ (I)
6. Why didn’t Theodore use a real gun for the movie?
(someone might accidentally get hurt)
___ (C/E)
7. Why did Theodore have to do so much waiting?
(for the cameras to get into place, for the director to
give directions)
___ (I)
8. Why was Theodore’s job in this movie dangerous?
(if he didn’t jump out of the way of the horse in time,
he’d get hurt)
___ (C/E) 9. How did the actors know when they should begin
performing?
(the director yelled “Action!”)
___ (V)
10. “”He even had a gun in his holster.” What is a
holster?
(gun case)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 30
___ (MI)
1. What is this story about?
(a girl who wants to look for treasure in a cave)
___ (F)
2. Where was the cave?
(in the forest near Scarlett’s house)
___ (F)
3.What did the local kids do when they gathered at the
cave?
(dared each other to go inside)
___ (C/E) 4. Why had no one gone inside the cave so far?
(they knew it was dark and dangerous)
___ (C/E) 5. What made Scarlett curious about the cave?
(she heard that bats and pirate treasure might be
inside)
___ (I)
6. Was Scarlett brave enough to go into the cave alone?
(no, she talked her friend into going with her)
___ (I)
7. Why might Scarlett be described as a stubborn girl?
(her friend knows she can’t talk her out of the idea,
her mind is set)
___ (I)
8. Who went into the cave first?
(Scarlett)
___ (E)
9. Do you think the girls should have gone into the cave?
Why not?
(no, they almost fell into a large hole)
___ (V)
10. “Scarlett…was wary of the cave.” What does wary
mean?
(cautious, a little afraid)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 31
___ (MI)
1. What is this story about?
(the author’s fun year in 5th grade)
___ (C/E) 2. Why was Mrs. Norton such a good teacher?
(she made learning fun and interesting)
___ (C/E) 3. How could the class earn a big party?
(by reading enough books to stretch the paper chain
around the school)
___ (C/E) 4. How did the author earn lunch with the teacher at
McDonald’s?
(by reading the most books)
___ (F)
5. What did the Chocolate Factory look like?
(a little white house)
___ (F)
6. What did the students get to do at the Chocolate
Factory?
(lift the roof to grab as much candy as they could
carry in one hand )
___ (C/E) 7. What technique did the author use to get the most
chocolate?
(filled hand with candy like a scoop, carried it
carefully)
___ (I)
8. How does the author demonstrate generosity in the
story?
(asks friend to go along to McDonald’s, shares
candy with friends)
___ (E)
9. Do you think Mrs. Norton’s students worked hard?
Why?
(probably, they were rewarded for reading and
doing homework)
___ (V)
10. To get us started at a good pace…” What does
pace mean in this sentence?
(rate or speed of progress )
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 32
___ (MI)
1. What is this story about?
the author describes his travels)
___ (C/E) 2. What are some of the reasons the author travels?
(learn, see different things, have fun, keep from
being bored – any 2)
___ (F)
3. How many countries has the author visited?
(ten)
___ (F)
4. What is different about life in Japan?
(the language, the food, the clothing, the customs –
any 2)
___ (C/E) 5. Why did the author enjoy visiting France?
(Paris was beautiful, he saw the Eiffel Tower, saw
famous paintings in the museum, food was good –
any 2)
___ (E)
6. Why do you think the people in Ukraine don’t have as
many cars or new clothes as Americans?
(any logical answer)
___ (C/E) 7. Why do many people from the U.S. visit Mexico?
(the two countries are so close together)
___ (I)
8. Why might the blankets, pottery, and clothing in
Mexico be interesting to buy?
(they might be handmade, different from something
sold in the U.S.)
___ (E)
9. What was the author’s purpose in writing this piece?
(he is trying to persuade people to travel)
___ (V)
10. “They make good cheese and pastries.” What are
pastries?
(baked items like pies, fancy baked desserts)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 6, Passage 33
___ (MI)
1. What is this story about?
(a girl who goes to a neighbor’s house for tea)
___ (I)
2. Why didn’t Maggie Ray want to go to Mrs. Zale’s
house?
(her house looked scary)
___ (C/E) 3. Why did Maggie Ray talk to the mailman?
(to find out what Mrs. Zale was like – he was her
only visitor )
___ (F)
4. How long had Maggie Ray lived near Mrs. Zale?
(over a year)
___ (C/E) 5. Why didn’t the mailman tell Maggie Ray what Mrs.
Zale was like?
(he thought Mrs. Zale wanted her to be surprised)
___ (I)
6. How did Maggie Ray feel on the way to Mrs. Zale’s
house?
(she didn’t want to go, she was scared)
___ (F)
7. What was the first surprise Maggie Ray saw?
(a monkey opened the door)
___ (I)
8. Who asked her if she wanted cream or sugar?
(a talking parrot)
___ (E)
9. Do you think Maggie Ray will want to visit Mrs. Zale
again? Why or why not?
(any logical answer with support)
___ (V)
10. “Maggie Ray’s eyes nearly fell out of her head…”
What does this expression mean?
(she was very surprised)