Silent Rumble Fluency Worksheet
Name: ___________________________ Date: ____________
Grade 5 Fluency Target: 120–140 WCPM
5
Silent Rumble: How Elephants Talk
Genre: Informational Science • Lexile: ~840L • Total Word Count: 218 Words
1-Minute Timing Rule: Read aloud for exactly 60 seconds. Place a bracket [ ] after the last word read.
Informational Text Words Per Line
Across the sun-baked plains of Kenya, an elephant herd grazes quietly beneath the acacia trees. Suddenly, the old matriarch stops chewing. Her giant ears flare forward, and she lifts one massive front foot off the dry soil. Miles away, another elephant family is charging toward water, trumpeting loudly. Yet human ears hear absolute silence. How does the herd know danger or water is near?
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The secret lies in infrasound, a type of sound that travels at pitches far too low for human ears to detect. When an elephant calls, its massive vocal cords vibrate, creating powerful, deep waves of acoustic energy. These low-frequency rumbles do not simply travel through the air. They also plunge down into the earth, rolling across the landscape like miniature earthquakes.
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Elephants possess extraordinary physical tools to capture these hidden seismic signals. Specialized nerve receptors packed in their thick, padded footpads and the sensitive tip of their trunk pick up subtle ground vibrations. The vibrations travel up the heavy bones of their legs directly to the middle ear. By comparing the time it takes the vibration to hit each foot, the matriarch can pinpoint the exact direction and distance of distant relatives. Through this underground highway of sound, elephants stay connected across vast, dangerous landscapes without uttering a sound the human ear can perceive.
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Three-Read Fluency Tracker
Formula: Total Words Read − Errors = WCPM
| Practice Attempt | Date | Words Read (1 Min) | Errors | WCPM | Expression (1–4) |
|---|
| Read 1 (Cold Read) | | | | | ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ |
| Read 2 (Partner Read) | | | | | ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ |
| Read 3 (Final Timing) | | | | | ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ |
Pacing & Speed
Read like you speak: neither rushing too quickly nor stopping robotically between words.
Punctuation Stops
Take brief pauses at commas and complete stops at periods and question marks.
Expression & Tone
Change pitch slightly when describing the matriarch's alert posture or the silent rumbles.
Student Name: ___________________________ Date: ____________
Silent Rumble • Comprehension
Reading Comprehension & Analysis
Answer each question using specific facts and details directly from the passage.
Score: _____ / 10 pts
Part 1: Vocabulary in Context
1. Based on paragraph 2, what is the best meaning of the term infrasound?
A. Sound waves traveling at frequencies too low for human ears to hear
B. Loud trumpeting noises made by baby elephants when lost
C. Echoes that bounce off mountains to help herds navigate at night
D. Quiet whispers that travel only short distances through the air
2. In paragraph 3, the passage mentions seismic signals. What does seismic describe?
A. Signals transmitted across long distances through radio waves
B. Vibrations and shockwaves moving through the ground or earth
C. Bright visual warnings sent by flaring giant ears in sunlight
D. Electrical pulses produced inside deep underground pools of water
Part 2: Text Evidence & Key Ideas
3. According to the text, how does the matriarch determine the exact direction of a distant herd?
A. She swings her trunk in a circle until the sound wave becomes loudest
B. She watches which direction nearby birds and gazelles flee across the plain
C. She compares the slight time difference when the vibration reaches each foot
D. She trumpets back loudly and listens for an echo returning from the trees
4. Which sentence from the passage best shows how vibrations travel inside the elephant's body?
A. “Yet human ears hear absolute silence.”
B. “The vibrations travel up the heavy bones of their legs directly to the middle ear.”
C. “These low-frequency rumbles do not simply travel through the air.”
Part 3: Short Constructed Response
Rubric: 4 Points
5. Explain how an elephant's body functions like a biological “listening station.” Use at least two specific details from the text to explain how sound is picked up and detected.
Scoring Checklist: • Stated clear claim • Included 2 textual details • Correct capitalization & punctuation
Page 2 of 2
Silent Rumble Answer Key
Teacher Reference Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) Guide
Passage: Silent Rumble • Grade 5
Fluency Administration & Scoring Key
Benchmark norms, phonetic pronunciation guide, and running record protocols.
Target Range: 120–140 WCPM
Grade 5 ORF Norms (Hasbrouck & Tindal, 50th Percentile)
Accuracy Target: ≥ 95%
Fall Benchmark 121 WCPM Range: 98–144
Winter Benchmark 137 WCPM Range: 111–160
Spring Benchmark 150 WCPM Range: 123–175
Passage Vocabulary & Phonetic Guide
matriarch [MAY-tree-ark]
infrasound [IN-fruh-sownd]
acoustic [uh-KOO-stik]
seismic [SIZE-mik]
receptors [rih-SEP-terz]
vibrations [vye-BRAY-shunz]
1-Minute Administration Protocols & Marking Rules
What Counts as an Error:
- Mispronunciations: Word pronounced incorrectly.
- Substitutions: Saying a different word.
- Omissions: Skipping a word or line.
- Hesitations: Pausing longer than 3 seconds (supply the word; mark as error).
What Does NOT Count as an Error:
- Self-Corrections: Correcting within 3 seconds (mark "SC").
- Repetitions: Repeating a word or phrase correctly.
- Insertions: Adding words not in text (note, but do not deduct).
- Dialect / Accent: Regional variations count as correct.
Expression & Prosody Scoring Rubric
1 - Monotone
Reads word-by-word with little inflection; ignores punctuation and phrasing cues.
2 - Developing
Reads in 2-3 word choppy phrases; occasionally pauses at periods but tone remains flat.
3 - Proficient
Reads with conversational rhythm and proper phrase groupings; consistently respects periods.
4 - Exemplary
Vocal inflection matches the suspense and scientific wonder; seamless cadence throughout.
Teacher Guide • Fluency Scoring & Diagnostic Protocol Page 1 of 2
Teacher Reference Comprehension Answer Key & Rubric
Passage: Silent Rumble
Answer Key & Exemplar Explanations
Total: 10 Points
Parts 1 & 2: Multiple Choice Key (1.5 pts each = 6 pts)
