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Wen and Nai Nai's Abacus

Read an original story about a girl who learns to use her grandmother's abacus. Describe her traits, reasons and feelings, and how her actions move events.

Grade 3ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toRL.3.3

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What’s included

Single worksheet
Auto-graded online
1 Common Core standard
Printable answer key
11 questions
Classroom-ready

Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 3
Subject: ELA
Question types: Fill in the blank, Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students describe a character's traits, motivations and feelings using details from a story.
Students explain how a character's actions move the events of a story along.

How to use

Read the story together or have students read it on their own, then discuss how Wen changes before they answer the last question.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

RL.3.3

Describe a character's traits, motivations, or feelings and explain how the character's actions move the sequence of events along.

Preview

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Name Date

Wen and Nai Nai's Abacus

Describe a character and how her actions change the story.

Read the story

Wen and Nai Nai's Abacus

1Wen loved to be first. She was first in the lunch line, first to finish her spelling tests, and first out the door at recess. So when her teacher said there would be a mental math contest on Friday, Wen wanted to win.

2That night, Nai Nai took a wooden frame down from a shelf. It had rows of round beads on thin rods. "This is an abacus," she said. "When I was a girl, I added numbers with it every day." Wen frowned. "It looks old and slow," she said. Nai Nai only smiled and slid the beads with quick clicks.

3Wen tried, but she moved the beads too fast. She pushed the wrong ones and got the wrong answers. She slapped the table. "I quit!" she shouted.

4Nai Nai did not scold her. "Fast comes after careful," she said softly. So Wen took a deep breath. She moved one bead at a time and said each number out loud. Every evening that week, she practiced after dinner.

5By Thursday, Wen could see the beads in her mind, even with her eyes closed. On Friday, she pictured the abacus during the contest. She did not finish first. She finished third, but every one of her answers was right.

6That night, Wen hugged Nai Nai. "Can you teach me to go faster now?" she asked. Nai Nai laughed and handed her the abacus.

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