How did Theo get his boat back?

Read a Literary Passage · ELPAC Grade 1 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

A short story or scene, with questions about characters, events and what words mean in context.

Read the story. Then answer the questions. On the real test a grade 1 student reads this kind of story on their own, so let your child read it first and help only with a word they are stuck on. The pictures are described after the story.

The Paper Boat

Theo made a boat out of paper. He took it to the creek behind his school. He set the boat on the water. It spun around once and floated away fast. Theo ran along the path after it. The boat stopped next to a big rock. Theo found a long stick and pulled the boat back. He carried it home to dry.

1

2

3

Read panel descriptions

Picture one: a boy kneels at the edge of a creek. He is setting a small white paper boat on the water.

Picture two: the paper boat floats away down the creek. The boy runs along a dirt path beside the water.

Picture three: the boat has stopped next to a big gray rock. The boy leans out over the water and reaches with a long stick.

The question

Choose the best answer.

How did Theo get his boat back?

• AHe pulled it back with a long stick.Correct answer
• BHe waited for the boat to float back to him.
• CHe asked his teacher to get it.
• DHe walked into the water and picked it up.

Why “He pulled it back with a long stick.” is correct

Stories at this level are built around a problem and a solution, and this question asks your child to name the solution. The answer is stated in one sentence near the end and shown again in the third picture, so a child who is unsure can be sent to either. Ask "what was the problem?" first and "what did Theo do about it?" second — separating those two questions is what makes the story hold together.

Why the other answers are wrong

• He waited for the boat to float back to him. — The boat does stop on its own, but at the rock, not back at Theo. Waiting is a reasonable guess, so it is worth rereading the last two sentences to show what he actually did.
• He asked his teacher to get it. — No teacher is in the story. Children this age often supply a familiar grown-up when they cannot recall the ending.
• He walked into the water and picked it up. — Theo stays on the bank and reaches out with the stick. Point at the third picture and ask where his feet are.

Practice more of this

More reading practice for Grade 1, or see the ELPAC practice test for grade 1. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.