REMEDIA PUBLICATIONS REM467 Wonder Stories Reading Level 2 User Manual

REMEDIA PUBLICATIONS REM467 Wonder Stories Reading Level 2

INTRODUCTION

Wonder Stories is a series of books designed to improve the reading comprehension of older students whose reading abilities are below grade level. The series is also ideal for challenging the abilities of younger students functioning at or above grade level. Each factual article begins with a question about a topic that has prompted thoughts like, “I wonder how, I wonder why, I wonder what. . .” Comprehension questions following each story address the following skills: main idea, finding a fact, locating an answer, inference, vocabulary, and word analysis.
The high-interest stories appeal to all ages, making it possible to tailor the appropriate book for individual students depending upon their reading abilities. In order to ensure that stories were at the desired reading levels, readability scales were used.

A Note About Readability Scores
Readability scales are useful as long as one realizes their limitations. Results are approximate guidelines only, with a minimum margin of error of (+ or –) 1.5 grade levels. In other words, a story measured at a second grade readability level could easily be suitable for both first and third graders. Another limitation is that two different readability scales can be applied to the same sample, yet yield widely varied results. In spite of the inexact nature of readability scales, we at Remedia use them because they measure word and sentence length, both valid predictors of readability. They also help us provide vocabulary-controlled materials in order to meet the special education needs of many of our valued clients. At the same time, we realize that these scales are not designed to measure every other factor affecting readability, such as sentence structure or appeal to the reader. We are also aware of the variance in standards and expectations set for each grade level. What is first grade material in one school may be second grade in another. At Remedia we strive to take all these factors into consideration as we develop and revise materials. We leave the rest in your capable hands. Regarding readability, you—and your students—will be the final judge.

**Why do you sleep?

**

Your body likes to stay active. On a normal day, you might ride your bike to school. Later, you might play softball. Then you might walk to the store for some juice.
But, at some point, your body needs to rest. It begins to weaken. You don’t have the same amount of energy. This happens because your body must have food and sleep each day. Without these, your cells slow down. You can’t perform.
You know when you are sleepy. Your eyes feel heavy. You want to lie down. You lose interest in what is happening around you.
While you sleep, your muscles have time to get stronger. But your brain does not rest. It thinks about what happened that day. It also dreams. Your brain does all kinds of things that you don’t remember the next day.
After eight hours of sleep, you feel ready to go again. You are refreshed.
If you don’t get sleep, you feel grouchy. You might also start to see things that aren’t really there. That is your body’s way of saying, “Stop! I need a break.”

1. This story is about why our bodies need to.
2. What happens to your muscles while you sleep?
3. Which paragraph tells what your brain does while you sleep?
4. What do you think would happen if you kept playing softball even though you needed sleep?
5. What is a word in paragraph six that means “upset; not in a good mood”?
6. Find a three-syllable word in each of these paragraphs:
   paragraph two: __ paragraph four: ___

Why are teeth hard?

Think of all the things you eat. Maybe you crack peanut shells with your teeth. Or maybe you eat crunchy chips. Burgers need plenty of chewing.
Each time your teeth bite down, they create pressure. This pressure equals hundreds of pounds. It’s as though a hammer were pounding the food.
If your teeth weren’t strong, they would crack. Broken bones can mend. But cracked teeth can’t fix themselves. Yet your teeth are harder than your bones!
Your teeth stay strong with a special coating. It is called enamel. It protects the inside of your teeth, called the pulp. The pulp is what hurts when your dentist drills.
To keep your teeth healthy, you must brush them. This removes small bits of food. If you don’t brush, the food turns into plaque. Plaque sticks to your teeth. It attracts germs. The germs make acids, which cling to your teeth. That is how cavities are formed.
To keep your teeth hard and healthy, brush them each day. Stay away from eating too many sweets. If you don’t, you might end up with a toothache.

1. This story is about how teeth stay _____ and __.
2. What special coating is good for teeth, and which coating is bad?
3. Write the sentence in paragraph three that tells how hard your teeth are.
4. How do you think cavities can be repaired?
5. What is a word in paragraph two that means “strong force”?
6. Write two compound words found in paragraph one.

Why do you have a heart?

Your heart is a muscle. It has one big job to do. It must send blood to each part of your body. It does this every minute of the day. Even when you sleep, your heart pumps blood.
When you rest, your heart beats about once a second. That is about 60 beats a minute. Some hearts beat faster or slower. When you run, your heart speeds up. Your body needs more blood for exercise.
For a tiny part of each second, your heart takes a rest. Add up all those rests. They total about five hours of rest a day.
If blood were water, your heart could fill a lake. It pumps about 250 million quarts of blood in a lifetime. In one day, it pumps 10,000 quarts.
All your muscles need special care. So does your heart. You must learn to take care of it. Eat foods that are low in fat. Get some exercise every day. Then your heart will stay strong.

1. This story is about a muscle called the .
2. What is the main job of your heart?
3. Which paragraph tells how to take good care of your heart?
4. What does your heart do for about 19 hours of each day?
5. What is a word in paragraph five that means “actions your body does to keep it strong”?
6. Write the forms of these words that mean “more.” fast: __ slow:

Why do you sneeze?

You must breathe air to live. Air enters your body through your nose. Then it goes to your lungs. Dust and dirt float through the air. They should not be allowed into your lungs. Other things, like bugs, are too big and could clog your lungs.
Your nose catches all these unwanted particles. Sometimes this makes your nose tickle. A quick rush of air is forced out of your lungs. It is called a sneeze.
Sneezing clears your nose. It sends germs away, too. If you cover your nose and mouth with a tissue, the germs won’t spread.
Some people can’t be around certain grass, food, or even animals. These things make them sneeze. These people have allergies. That means their bodies don’t act well when unwanted particles are near. People can also have allergies to milk, eggs, soap, and nuts.

1. This story is about the reasons why you .
2. What role does your nose play in sneezing?
3. Write the sentence in paragraph one that tells what things float through the air.
4. What is the most important thing to do if you have an allergy?
5. What is a word in paragraph one that means “to block”?
6. What is a compound word in paragraph two?

How do broken bones heal?

Babies have very soft bones. As they get older, the bones receive calcium. This makes them stronger. Bones stop growing bigger by the time a person is 18. But the bones keep growing new cells.
This supply of new cells heals a broken bone. If a person breaks an arm, cells start to grow around the break. This happens right away. Soon, these cells reach out to each other. In time, they connect. They form a kind of web. In a few weeks or months, the place where the cells connect becomes solid again.
However, this growth must be helped along. Otherwise, the bones will not grow together in a straight line. That is why doctors put casts on broken arms and legs. The casts are made from plaster. Then they are covered with gauze. Casts keep the broken bones from moving around. Then they can grow back the right way. They become as good as new.

1. This story is about how a broken bone.
2. What keeps growing in bones all our lives?
3. Which paragraph tells how casts help broken bones?
4. What could happen if a broken bone did not grow together in a straight line?
5. What is a word in paragraph two that means the bones “join together”?
6. Write all the plural words in this sentence: That is why doctors put casts on broken arms and legs.

Why do you have hair and nails?

Hair and nails protect your body. For example, hair keeps your head warm. This is important. Most of your body heat is lost through your head in the winter. But hair keeps your whole body warmer by protecting your head. It also helps prevent bumps and bruises.
Hair in the nose keeps dust out of your lungs. Eyebrows keep sweat out of your eyes. Eyelashes can feel tiny objects that might hurt your eyes. If lashes are touched, they tell you to close your eyes quickly.
Nails also protect you. They guard the tips of your fingers and toes from sharp things. Nails also help you grab small objects. If you play the piano, your nails may grow faster. The pressure on your fingertips makes them grow.
Hair and nails have more in common. They are both made of layers of soft cells under the skin. By the time you see hair or nails appear, they have become dead cells.

1. This story is about how hair and nails ____your body.
2. What do eyebrows do for you?
3. Write the sentence in paragraph one that tells how we lose most of our body heat.
4. Besides having hair, how can you try to not lose body heat from your head during the winter?
5. What is a word in paragraph three that means “strong force”?
6. What is a homonym for “hare”?

What animals like night more than day?

Animals that hunt in the dark like night more than day. Owls and bats are two of these animals.
Owls find their best meals at night. They like to dine on mice and other small critters. Owls have great eyesight in dark or light. They have very large eyes that are sharp. They also hear well. An owl can hear the pitter‑patter of a mouse’s footsteps on the ground!
Owls have very soft feathers over their wings. This helps them to fly with hardly a sound. The poor mouse doesn’t know it’s about to become dinner. The owl grabs it with his claws and carries it away.
Bats don’t see as well as owls. You may have heard the words, “blind as a bat.” Bats are not blind. But they use their ears to help them catch their food.
As a bat flies, it makes a squeaky chirp. The sound of it bounces off nearby objects. Then the sound returns to the bat, like an echo. The echo tells the bat that something is near. It might be the insects that the bat likes for a snack. This handy echo system also keeps the bat from running into things while it flies.

1. This story is about two animals that like the night. They are _ and
2. What do owls eat?
3. Which paragraph tells how well bats can see?
4. What traits do you think mice have to help them escape from owls?
5. What is a word in paragraph five that means “useful or practical”?
6. Write two compound words in paragraph two.

Why do birds lose their feathers?

Have you ever seen loose feathers on the ground? Maybe you thought a bird had been hurt. Most likely the bird was supposed to lose those feathers. This is called molting. Birds molt whether they live indoors or outdoors.
To a bird, feathers are its only clothes. In time, the feathers wear out. They need a new set now and then. Lucky for the birds, they don’t have to buy new clothes. They just grow them.
This usually happens at the end of summer. That is the molting season. The bird doesn’t lose all its feathers at once. If it did, it couldn’t fly. Only a few at a time come out. New ones quickly replace the old. A mother eagle will pull out her own feathers to line her nest. So will some smaller birds. The feathers make the nest soft for the babies. You may find some of these loose feathers near trees.

1. This story is about birds that lose their feathers, or __ .
2. When does molting usually happen?
3. Write the sentence in paragraph four that tells what a mother eagle does.
4. Why do you think fall is a good time to grow new feathers?
5. What is a word in paragraph three that means “to take the place of the old”?
6. Write the contractions found in paragraph three. __

Where do insects go in winter?

At a summer picnic, flies and ants will bother you. In the winter, they are hard to find. Where do insects go when cold weather comes?
Most of them die as the weather gets colder. But they leave their eggs behind. The eggs are hidden in plants or underground. They do not hatch until they sense the signs of spring.
For example, almost all flies die in the fall. They lay their eggs near trash cans. A female fly will lay 150 eggs at once. When they hatch in the spring, the new flies eat the garbage. Flies grow up in just a few weeks.
Some insects hide during the winter. You might find ants and crickets under some tree bark. When the sun shines on a warm winter day, they step out.
Bees live in their hives. They eat the honey they gathered all summer long. Moths may live in their cocoons, which protect them.
Some insects travel south, just like birds. Monarch butterflies will travel 1,500 miles for warmth. Ladybugs also head south. They know exactly when to turn around and head north again!

1. This story is about where insects go in ___ weather.
2. What happens to flies in the winter?
3. Write the sentence in paragraph four that tells about ants in winter.
4. What “signs of spring” would tell insects to come out of hiding or to hatch?
5. What is a word in paragraph five that means “a silky covering for moths”?
6. Write the plural of these words:
   • fly: _____
   • butterfly:___
   • moth: ___
   • hive: ___

Do fish sleep?

Fish sleep with their eyes open. Maybe you’ve noticed that they don’t blink. They cannot close their eyes. Fish have no eyelids.
If a fish is very still, it is most likely sleeping. At times, fish will rest their bodies on the bottom of their fish tank. In the ocean, they may lean against a rock. Or they may lie in the sand at the bottom of the water. Fish rest their bodies, just as people do.
Fish tend to be light sleepers. The least noise or movement will wake them. Fish do have ears. They are hidden inside their heads. They also have tiny feelers that pick up movement. They can even sense footsteps on land.
Dolphins seem to sleep with one eye open. They sleep on just one side of their bodies at a time. They need to breathe air. So they must sleep near the surface of the water.
Dolphins sleep two to three hours a day. They rest in groups. A lookout dolphin watches for danger.

1. This story is about how fish.
2. What are some ways you can tell if a fish is sleeping?
3. Which paragraph tells about the eyes of a fish?
4. Why do you think dolphins are light sleepers?
5. What is a word in paragraph one that means “took note of” or “was aware of”?
6. What is the plural of fish?

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