Decoding

Name

More Long o Spellings

> Read each sentence. Find the words with the long o sound. Then circle
the vowel or vowel team that spells the sound.

1. The captain told us the boat would float.

2. He ate a bowl of cereal and toast for breakfast.
3. She tiptoed around the lawn, looking for the toad.
4. The colt trotted across the snowy roadway.
5. Joe and Moe crowed like roosters and made Poe laugh.

> Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with one long o word
from the word bank.

snowy  show  joke  grows

6. Show Rose and Evie your new dress.

          

7. My teacher told us a funny joke .

          

8. The grass grows quickly in the summer.

          

9. I don’t like rainy days, but I love snowy days.

          

Grade 3 28 Module 2 • Week 1

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 Vocabulary
Name

Critical Vocabulary
You can use the words you learn from reading as you talk and write.

> Use details and ideas from Dear Primo to support your answers to the
questions below. Write your answers in cursive. Be sure to answer in complete
sentences and to leave an appropriate amount of space between words.

1. Where does Primo Charlie like to play video games?

Charlie likes to play video games at his friend’s home in an apartment.

2. Where could you go to watch people march?

Responses will vary.

3. Why do the firefighters close off the block when they open a hydrant?
Responses will vary.

4. What kinds of costumes might you see in a parade?

Responses will vary.

> Choose two of the Critical Vocabulary words and use them in a sentence.
Include clues to each word’s meaning in your sentence.
Responses will vary.

Grade 3 29 Module 2 • Week 1

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 Comprehension
Name

Point of View
The narrator is the person who is telling the story. A story can be told from
different points of view, depending on who the narrator is.

• In first-person point of view, the narrator is a part of the story. This narrator
uses words such as I, me, and we.
• In third-person point of view, the narrator is outside of the story. This
narrator uses words such as he, she, and they.

> Answer the questions about pages 113–114 of Dear Primo.

1. Who is this story about?

two cousins named Carlitos and Charlie

2. How does the author tell the story?

The author has the two cousins write letters back and forth to each other.

3. So, who is the narrator of this story?

The cousins take turns.

4. Do the cousins write in third-person or first-person? What words help you

know this?
first person; I, me, my

Grade 3 30 Module 2 • Week 1

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 Decoding
Name

More Long o Spellings

> Read each sentence. Read the long o vowel or vowel team below the blank. Then
find a word from the word bank that contains that vowel or vowel team and makes
sense in the sentence. Write it in the blank.

o ow oe oa
folded meadow tiptoed goal
colt sowed backhoe toads

1. I tiptoed past the baby’s room so I would not wake him.

oe
      

2. Mike scored the winning goal for his team.

oa
      

3. The pond is home to animals, such as turtles, ducks, and toads .

oa
      

4. I folded my clothes and made my bed.

o
      

5. The lively little colt trotted with its mother in the meadow .
o
       ow
      

6. The backhoe cleared the rocks from the field, and then the farmer sowed
       oe ow
      
the seeds.

Grade 3 31 Module 2 • Week 1

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 Generative
Vocabulary
Name

Prefixes re– and pre–

A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a base word that changes
the meaning of the word.

> Add either re– or pre– to each of the base words in the word bank to
complete the sentences below.

study  draw  visit  purchase  game  teen

1. During the pregame meeting, our coach decides who will

play each position on the field.

2. If you prepurchase tickets, you won’t have to stand in line for

the movie.

3. I’m going to restudy this part of the lesson because I didn’t

understand it the first time.

4. My brother is only a preteen , but he tries to act like he’s

much older.

5. Benny will redraw his horse picture because the first one
looked like a moose.

6. Charlotte took a short trip to see her friends, and she hopes to
revisit them soon.

Grade 3 32 Module 2 • Week 1

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 Comprehension
Name

Text and Graphic Features

Some stories include text features, such as bold text and italic text.
Punctuation, such as ellipses and dashes, can be text features, too.

Many stories include graphic features such as illustrations and labels.

> Answer the questions about pages 122–123 of Dear Primo.

1. How does the author make the Spanish words stand out?
The Spanish words are in a different type—italics.

2. Where else do the Spanish words appear?

as labels in the illustrations

3. How do the illustrations and labels help readers understand the meanings
of the Spanish words?
The labels tell what the words are and the illustrations show what they

mean.

Grade 3 33 Module 2 • Week 1

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 Comprehension
Name

Characters
Characters are the people and animals in a story. You can learn about characters
through their traits, feelings, motivations, and responses. A character’s
perspective is his or her attitude toward something.
> Answer the questions about pages 126–127 of Dear Primo.

1. How is the weather alike where both boys live?

The weather can be hot in both places.

2. What is each character’s perspective on the weather? How do they respond to it?
Both Carlitos and Charlie see the heat as an opportunity to have fun in the

water. Both Carlitos and Charlie find ways to cool off.

3. What do the different settings tell you about the way each boy cools off?
Carlitos cools off in a río, or river, near his home. There is not a river near

Charlie’s city home, so he plays in water from a fire hydrant.

> Answer the questions about pages 138–140 of Dear Primo.

4. How have the boys been learning about each other until now?
They have been writing letters to each other about their daily lives.

5. How has this changed their relationship with each other?

Instead of being just cousins, they are now good friends, too, because they

know a lot about each other.

6. What does the illustration on page 140 show you about the setting and plot events?
The illustration shows both Carlitos’s home and Charlie’s home. This tells

me that the cousins visit each other’s homes.

Grade 3 34 Module 2 • Week 1
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 Decoding
Name

More Long i Spellings

> Read each sentence. Underline the word in each sentence with a long i
sound. Circle the letters in each word that stand for the long i sound.

1. Ben sighed when he discovered he had forgotten his homework.

2. You don’t need a heavy coat when the weather is mild.

3. The baby cries loudly when she feels sleepy.

4. There were no seats left on the morning flight to Dallas.

5. The class read a fable about a sly fox who wanted some cheese.

6. Jean read an interesting book by a very famous author.

7. This path winds through the woods and around a lake.

8. The boy ate fried clams and chips on a visit to the seashore.

9. We had a slight change of plans when our car broke down.

10. The chorus will sing at a holiday concert on Friday.

Grade 3 35 Module 2 • Week 2

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 Vocabulary
Name

Critical Vocabulary
You can use the words you learn from reading as you talk and write.

> Read each sentence. Circle the letter beside the sentence that best fits
the meaning of the word in bold print.

1. desires
a. Lena plans to take swimming lessons and play baseball.

b. Lena dreams of climbing a mountain and learning to ski.

2. entry
a. Roland wrote a note to thank his grandmother for his present.

b. Roland wrote in his journal about the fun he had at his party.

> Use both of the Critical Vocabulary words in a sentence. Include clues to
each word’s meaning in your sentence.
Responses will vary.

Grade 3 36 Module 2 • Week 2

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 Comprehension
Name

Elements of Poetry
Poems can be set up in special ways. Stanzas are groups of lines. Lines might
include a specific number of syllables or might vary in length.
Poems use sounds in special ways. A rhyme scheme is the rhyming pattern at
the ends of the lines.

> Answer the questions about page 147 of Adventures with Words.

1. Which words rhyme in “There was an Old Man with a Beard”?

beard and feared, Hen and Wren

2. What rhyme scheme does the poem have? What kind of poem has this
rhyme scheme?
aabba; a limerick

3. What other element of a limerick does this poem have?

It has three long lines and two short lines.

4. What type of poem is “My Journal”? How do you know?

haiku; The first line has five syllables, the second line has seven syllables,

and the last line has five syllables.

> Answer the questions about pages 148–150 of Adventures with Words.

5. How does the shape of “In the Land of Words” match the ideas in the poem?
The words in the poem run down the page, just like rain on a tree.

6. How is a similar image created in “I Go to the Land” on page 150?

The words look as if they are falling down the page like rain.

7. What form are each of these poems? How do you know?

free verse; They don’t have a rhythm or rhyme scheme.
Grade 3 37 Module 2 • Week 2
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 Decoding
Name

More Long i Spellings

> Read each clue. Unscramble the letters and write the word that answers the
clue. Read the words you made.

1. When you get a message, you lprey

reply
might do this.         

2. You might use this after you clean ryedr

dryer
your clothes in a washing machine.         

3. This word can describe a ygmith

mighty
powerful lion.         

4. This is another word itrerw

writer
for author.         

5. If you are neat and orderly, you diyt

tidy
are this.         

6. This tower can warn ships hoeislguth

lighthouse
at sea.         

7. This is what you do if you loosen intue

untie
your shoelaces.         

8. This describes something that is rbenya

nearby
not far away.         

9. An acrobat can perform opithtreg

tightrope
on this.         

10. This describes beans that you fry, freidre

refried
and then fry again.         

Grade 3 38 Module 2 • Week 2

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 Vocabulary
Name

Critical Vocabulary
You can use the words you learn from reading as you talk and write.

> Use what you learned about the Critical Vocabulary words from
The Upside Down Boy to help you complete each sentence.

1. We were happy it was breezy out because Responses will vary. .

2. The job of the conductor is to help the group Responses will vary. .

3. When I have to climb a steep hill, I know it will be Responses will vary. .

4. If drivers speed, they might Responses will vary. .

> Write a sentence using two of the Critical Vocabulary words. Include
clues to each word’s meaning in your sentence.
Responses will vary.

Grade 3 39 Module 2 • Week 2

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 Comprehension
Name

Figurative Language
Figurative language helps readers imagine the author’s ideas, or creates a
special effect.

• A simile compares two things using the word like or as.

• A metaphor compares two things without using like or as. It often has the
word is or are.

> Answer the questions about page 161 of The Upside Down Boy.

1. What similes does the author use in paragraphs 14 and 15?

“grow like seeds” and “like grape vines”

2. What are these similes comparing?

The simile “grow like seeds” compares learning letters and numbers to

seeds that can grow into plants. The simile “like grape vines” compares

Juanito’s voice to a long, weaving grape vine.

3. In paragraph 17, what does Juanito call his tongue?

a rock

4. Is his tongue really a rock?

no

5. What does that metaphor mean?

Juanito is afraid to speak because he doesn’t know the English words to

express himself. So his tongue feels heavy and unmoving, like a rock.

Grade 3 40 Module 2 • Week 2

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 Comprehension
Name

> Answer the questions about pages 164–165 of The Upside

Down Boy.

6. When Juanito gets ready to sing, he says, “I am frozen.” What does he mean?
that he is afraid at first

7. Do Juanito’s eyes really open as big as the ceiling? What does the expression
mean?
no; that Juanito’s eyes opened very wide

8. What does Juanito mean when he says, “My hands spread out as if catching
rain drops from the sky”?
It means he spread out his hands and sang with emotion and expression.

He put all of his effort into singing.

Grade 3 41 Module 2 • Week 2

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 Generative
Vocabulary
Name

Prefix dis–
A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a base word that changes
the meaning of the word.

> Add the prefix dis– to words from the word bank to fill in the blanks in the
story below.

appear  organized  trust  approve  infect  satisfied

I am not the neatest person. In fact, I am very disorganized ,

and my room is often a mess. Sometimes I can’t find things I really
need, like a school book, or a sneaker, or my lunch. The items seem to
disappear completely! Then a few days later I find
them buried under a pile of papers or clothes.

My parents strongly disapprove of my bad habits. They

told me they may need to wash and disinfect all my

belongings. I promised I would do a big cleanup. My words left them
dissatisfied , though. They said, “Less talk, more action!”

I don’t want them to distrust me. So I’ll be in my room,

cleaning, all weekend. I hope I can see my floor again soon.

Grade 3 42 Module 2 • Week 2

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 Comprehension
Name

Text and Graphic Features

Some stories include text features such as bold text and italic text.
Punctuation, such as ellipses and dashes, can be used as text features, too.

Many stories include graphic features such as illustrations.

> Answer the questions about pages 158–159 of The Upside Down Boy.

1. What do you notice about the words in italics?

They are Spanish words.

2. How do you know the meanings of the Spanish words and phrases in this
story?
Some of the English meanings of the Spanish words are in the text in this

story: burrito de papas—potato burrito, Dónde estoy?—Where am I? For the

others, I have to use context clues.

3. Why do you think the author includes the Spanish words?

to show that Juanito and his family speak Spanish

> Answer the questions about pages 162–163 of The Upside Down Boy.

4. Where is Juanito in the illustration?

He is floating high above the school and the playground.

5. In the story, is Juanito really floating above the school, upside down?
no

Grade 3 43 Module 2 • Week 2

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 Comprehension
Name

6. How does this picture help you understand the text?

In the text, Juanito tells how he feels different from everyone at school. He

says he is the upside down boy. The picture shows how he feels.

7. Does Juanito like the feeling of floating? Use text evidence to justify your
answer.
No, the story says all he wants is to touch the earth. He wants to feel

grounded, like he understands.

Grade 3 44 Module 2 • Week 2

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 Decoding
Name

Review Short and Long Vowels

> Read each sentence. Identify the vowel sound in the boldfaced word.
Underline the letter or letters that make the vowel sound in the word.
Circle the vowel sound below the sentence.

1. It’s a good day to fly a kite.

short i long i short e long e

2. How much does that pumpkin weigh?

short e long a long e long i

3. Kim and I are best friends.

short e long e short a long a

4. That was a huge thunderstorm!

short e short u long e long u

5. Please go to the store to get some milk.

short e short a long e short i

6. Lia reached out to catch the ball.

short e long a long e short a

7. You need a heavy coat on this cold morning.

short o long o short a long a

8. That is the correct answer.

short i long e long a short a

9. Fireworks shot into the sky.

long o short o long a short e

10. I must get home before three o’clock.

short u long u short a long a

Grade 3 45 Module 2 • Week 3

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 Vocabulary
Name

Critical Vocabulary
You can use the words you learn from reading as you talk and write.

> Use what you learned about the Critical Vocabulary words from
Dear Dragon to help you complete each sentence. Responses will vary.

1. is precious to me because .

2. One reason for the demolition of a building is .

3. Albert collected to create his mosaics.

4. My favorite school projects are .

5. One thing our school retains from year to year is .

6. The last thing my teacher assigned is .

> Choose two of the Critical Vocabulary words and use them in a sentence.
Responses will vary.

Grade 3 46 Module 2 • Week 3

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 Comprehension
Name

Characters
Characters are the people and animals in a story. You can learn about
characters through their traits, feelings, motivations, and responses. A
character’s perspective is his or her attitude toward something.
> Answer the questions about pages 186–189 of Dear Dragon.

1. How are George and Blaise alike? How are they different?
Both are students and pen pals. They like similar things. George is human;

Blaise is a dragon.

2. What is each character’s perspective on the pen pal project so far?

Neither boy likes to write. They both seem to be open to being pen pals

though, because they say they will try.

3. What do the illustrations show about each character’s perspective of the

other?
When they read each other’s letters, George thinks Blaise is a human, just

like him. Blaise thinks George is a dragon, just like him. The illustrations

show what they think on one side and what is real on the other.

> Answer the questions about pages 200–201 of Dear Dragon.

4. How has sending letters to a pen pal changed Blaise and George?
They have learned a lot about each other and have become friends.

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 Comprehension
Name

5. This is the first time in the story when we see both boys reading a letter at
the same time. Why does the author do that?
to show that the pen pals have become friends

6. How can you tell they like each other?

They are both smiling while they read. George says Blaise is his new friend.

George is looking forward to seeing Blaise at the picnic.

7. How has each character’s perspective about writing changed?

At the beginning of the story, neither boy liked writing, but now they both

want to continue writing to each other.

Grade 3 48 Module 2 • Week 3

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 Generative
Vocabulary
Name

Suffixes –y, –ly

A suffix is a word part added to the end of a base word that changes the
meaning of the word.

The suffix –y changes a base word into an adjective. The suffix –ly changes a
base word into an adverb that explains how or when something is done.

When you add either –y or –ly to a base word, the base word’s spelling may
change slightly. To add the suffix –y to a base word ending in e, you may need
to drop the final e before adding the suffix. To add the suffix –ly to a base word
ending in y, you need to replace the final y with i before adding the suffix.

> Add either –y or –ly to each of the base words in the word bank, and then
use the new words to complete the paragraph.

cozy  rain  bare  speed  easy  mist

Dark clouds gathered above, and the air was misty , like a thick

gray soup. I knew rainy weather was on its way. If I squinted

through the fog, I could barely make out my house in the

distance. It’s a good thing I’m a speedy runner. I knew I’d

easily reach home before the downpour began. Then I could

cuddle up cozily with my cat and wait for the storm to end.

Grade 3 49 Module 2 • Week 3

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 Comprehension
Name

Elements of Poetry
Poems can be set up in special ways.

• Stanzas are groups of lines.

• A rhyme scheme is the rhyming pattern at the ends of the lines.

> Answer the questions about pages 184–187 of Dear Dragon.

1. How are the pen pals’ letters like poems?

They use rhyming words.

2. How are the parts of each letter like the parts of a poem?
The body of each letter is broken into four stanzas.

3. How are the stanzas similar in each letter?

The end of the first stanza rhymes with the end of the second stanza. The

end of the third stanza rhymes with the end of the fourth stanza.

Grade 3 50 Module 2 • Week 3

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 Decoding
Name

Review Short and Long Vowels

> Read each sentence. Choose a word from the word bank that makes sense in
the sentence. Write it in the blank. Then draw a line between the two syllables
in the word you wrote.

respect students moment clever

raisins silent limit polished

1. I pol|ished the silver platter so that it shined.

      

2. There are 20 stu|dents in our class.

      

3. When you are polite to other people you show them re|spect .
      

4. I could not figure out the magician’s clev|er trick.

      

5. We made it inside just a mo|ment before it began to rain.

      

6. Max does not like rai|sins in his cereal.

      

7. No one was talking in the si|lent library.

      

8. Big trucks can’t drive over the bridge because it has a weight lim|it .
      

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 Comprehension
Name

Point of View
Point of view is the answer to this question: Who is telling the story? It may be a
narrator who is

• part of the story. This narrator uses words such as I, me, and we.
• outside of the story. This narrator uses words such as he, she, and they.

> Answer the questions about pages 180–187 of Dear Dragon.

1. Who has written the text on pages 181 and 182?

George’s and Blaise’s teachers

2. How do you know?

George’s teacher writes a greeting, “Hello, Students!” Each assignment has

the words you and your.

3. Are the pen pals’ letters written in first-person or third-person point of view?
first-person

4. Which words are clues to the point of view?

The pen pals use words like I, my, and we.

Grade 3 52 Module 2 • Week 3

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