Great-Grandma Ada's school: stretch: reading passage for Grades 1–2, page 1 preview

Reading passage · History, Civics & Social Studies

Great-Grandma Ada's school: stretch · Grades 1–2

An original passage about families long ago and today with 7 questions that check details, inference and vocabulary.

Grades 1–2 · ages 6 to 8
Hard
25 to 35 minutes
2 pages
Free

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The passage and its 7 questions

Directions: Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions in full sentences.

Sam found an old photo in a box. It showed a little girl standing in front of a small wooden school. "Who is that?" Sam asked.
"That is me!" said Great-Grandma Ada. "My school had just one room. Children of every age learned together, and one teacher taught us all."
"How did you get to school?" asked Sam.
"I walked a long way down a dirt road," said Great-Grandma Ada. "In winter, the big kids carried wood for the stove to keep us warm."
Sam thought about his yellow school bus and his bright classroom. "School is different now," he said.
Great-Grandma Ada smiled. "Yes, but some things are the same. I loved to read, just like you."
1. What did Sam find in the box?
2. Who was the girl in the photo?
3. How was Great-Grandma Ada's school different from Sam's school?
4. What does the word 'stove' mean in paragraph 4?
5. Copy the sentence that shows one thing that is the same then and now.
6. Find a word in the passage that was new or tricky for you. What do you think it means? Which words around it helped you?
7. How is this like something in your own life?

What your child practices

Your child practices the history and social studies skill “Change, continuity and causation”: describe how and why things changed over time and compare perspectives.

Grades and ages: Grades 1–2, ages 6 to 8
Time: About 25 to 35 minutes
Subject: History, Civics & Social Studies
Level: Hard for Grades 1–2
Answer key: Yes, for grown-ups who sign in
Printing: 2 pages, US Letter or A4, low-ink option
Updated: October 15, 2026

How to use it

Read the passage once just for the story or the facts, then again with the questions in mind. Encourage underlining the words in the text that back up each answer. It is one of the harder sheets for Grades 1–2, best once the basics of the skill are secure. Its 2 pages split well across two sittings.

An answer key comes with it as a separate page that grown-ups download after signing in.

Tip for grown-ups: Ask your child to point to the sentence that answers each question before writing it.

Done on paper? A grown-up can record it on the child's page in PlayOwl; downloading alone doesn't count as finished.