Story Clues Pre Test Form A • Intervention Baseline
Story Clues Comprehension Check
Target Skill Literary Details & Message
Name:
Date:
Score:
/ 5
Directions: Read the story carefully. Then answer questions 1–5. You may look back at the text to find your clues.
The Warm Blue Scarf
Decodable Story Passage
Bram zipped his thick green coat and stepped onto the frosty porch. A sharp winter wind whipped across the yard. Bram pulled his soft blue scarf tight around his neck. Today was the annual winter market in the village square, and Bram had three silver coins tucked safely into his pocket to buy fresh cinnamon rolls for his grandmother.
As Bram walked past the quiet town park, he heard a faint whimper. A small tan puppy sat curled in the snow beneath a cold wooden bench. The puppy’s ears were flat, and its tiny paws were shaking in the deep chill. Bram stopped in his tracks. He knelt in the white snow and held out a gentle hand.
Bram looked down at the warm woolen scarf wrapped around his own neck. Without waiting, Bram uncoiled the scarf and wrapped it snugly around the shivering puppy. The puppy snuggled into the thick wool and rested its nose on Bram’s knee. Bram smiled. The bakery could wait. First, he scooped up the bundle to find the village shelter.
1
Where was Bram walking on this cold morning?
A. To the ice-skating pond B. To the winter market in the square C. To his grandmother's warm house
2
What did Bram find under the wooden bench?
A. A small tan puppy B. A lost woolen mitten C. A box of cinnamon rolls
3
How did Bram help keep the cold animal warm?
A. He built a shelter from dry pine branches B. He tucked the puppy inside his coat pocket C. He wrapped his blue scarf around it
4
Why did Bram decide that "the bakery could wait"?
A. He forgot his three silver coins at home B. Helping the cold animal was more urgent C. The winter market was closed for the day
5
What lesson does Bram show through his actions in the story? Use one detail from the text to explain your answer.
Write your response in complete sentences below.
Story Clues Post Test Form B • Intervention Outcome
Story Clues Comprehension Check
Target Skill Literary Details & Message
Name:
Date:
Score:
/ 5
Directions: Read the story carefully. Then answer questions 1–5. You may look back at the text to find your clues.
The Tangled Robin
Decodable Story Passage
Nora pulled on her yellow rain boots and walked down the wet gravel path. A chilly spring mist drifted through the tall pine trees. Nora held a small wicker basket in her hands. Today was the annual seed swap at the community garden, and Nora had saved three packets of sunflower seeds to trade for sweet strawberry plants.
As Nora passed the stone birdbath, she heard a quick flutter in the wet grass. A young red robin was trapped beside the damp rosebushes. One of its wings was tangled in a piece of loose garden netting. The small bird beat its free wing fast, and its chest heaved with fear. Nora stopped in her tracks. She knelt quietly in the mud and set her basket down.
Nora gently reached out her fingers toward the thin plastic knots. Working with patience, she carefully untied the mesh until the bird was free. The robin hopped onto a stone, gave a soft chirp, and lifted into the air. Nora smiled. The garden swap could wait. First, she watched the robin perch safely high in the pine boughs.
1
Where was Nora walking on this chilly morning?
A. To the strawberry farm across town B. To the seed swap at the community garden C. To the pine woods to collect twigs
2
What did Nora find trapped by the wet rosebushes?
A. A young red robin B. A dropped wicker basket C. A packet of sunflower seeds
3
How did Nora help the trapped animal?
A. She placed the bird in her warm wicker basket B. She sprinkled seeds on the ground near the bush C. She carefully untied the plastic mesh knots
4
Why did Nora decide that "the garden swap could wait"?
A. She decided she did not want strawberry plants B. Making sure the injured bird was safe was more urgent C. The rain started falling too hard to continue
5
What lesson does Nora show through her actions in the story? Use one detail from the text to explain your answer.
Write your response in complete sentences below.
Story Clues Scoring Guide Teacher Resource • EL Education Aligned
Story Clues: Teacher Scoring Guide & Key
Intervention Focus Literary Comprehension Tier 2
Target Profile & Administration Guidelines
Designed for students meeting oral reading fluency benchmarks (adequate rate and accuracy) who struggle with text-dependent comprehension and synthesis. Students read the decodable passage independently without teacher reading support. Both forms assess identical cognitive domains across five balanced items (3 Right There, 1 Inferential Motivation, 1 Central Message).
Item-by-Item Answer Keys (Pre-Test & Post-Test)
Item Skill / Standard Form A (Pre-Test) Form B (Post-Test) Points Q1 Setting / Destination (RL.1) B (Winter market in square)B (Seed swap in garden)1 pt Q2 Key Detail / Subject (RL.1) A (Small tan puppy)A (Young red robin)1 pt Q3 Character Action (RL.1/RL.3) C (Wrapped blue scarf)C (Untied plastic mesh)1 pt Q4 Character Motive (RL.3) B (Helping puppy was urgent)B (Bird safety was urgent)1 pt Q5 Central Lesson & Text Evid. (RL.2) Constructed Response (Rubric) Constructed Response (Rubric) 1 pt
Question 5 Constructed Response Rubric & Exemplars
Full Credit (1.0 Point) Accurate Lesson + Text Detail
Student clearly identifies a theme of compassion, selflessness, or helping creatures in need AND includes at least one specific detail from the text.
Form A Exemplar:
"Bram shows that helping someone in need comes first because he gave his own warm scarf to the freezing puppy instead of going to the bakery."
Form B Exemplar:
"Nora shows that saving an animal is more important than errands because she stopped to untie the trapped robin before going to the seed swap."
Partial Credit (0.5 Point) Partial Synthesis
Student identifies a general moral/lesson (e.g., "Be kind to animals" ) but fails to provide text evidence, OR accurately quotes the text without stating what lesson is learned.
No Credit (0 Points) Inaccurate / Off-Topic
Response is off-topic, inaccurate (e.g., "Bram went to buy bread" ), or restates the question without answering.
EL Education 2025 Literary Comprehension Checkpoints Page 1 of 2 • Scoring & Rubric
Diagnostic & Instructional Planning
Error Analysis & Intervention Tracker
Instructional Cycle Tier 2 Action Guide
EL Education Diagnostic Analysis: What Student Patterns Reveal
! Errors on Q1, Q2, or Q3 (Literal Details)
Root Cause: "Passive decoding." The student reads words fluently from start to finish without pausing to form mental images or verify factual clues.
High-Leverage EL Routine:
Stop & Jot / Pencil in Hand: Have student underline character, setting, and problem with designated colored pencils during reading. Practice locating exact sentence proof before answering.
! Errors on Q4 or Q5 (Inferential / Lesson)
Root Cause: "Literal lock." The student recalls what happened, but struggles to connect a character's choice to their motivation or abstract central theme.
High-Leverage EL Routine:
Character-Action-Outcome Anchor: Ask: "What did the character give up? Why did they do it? What does that teach us?" Scaffold oral responses with sentence frames before writing.
Mastery & Intervention Decision Rules
5.0 / 5 Mastery
Exit Tier 2 intervention; maintain Tier 1 close reading routines.
4.0 / 5 Approaching
Brief micro-intervention on written evidence justification.
3.0 / 5 Developing
Continue Tier 2 small group; focus on character motive synthesis.
< 3.0 / 5 Intensive
Focus on basic fact verification and sentence-level meaning checks.
Intervention Group Roster & Growth Tracker
Target Goal: +1.5 pts or 4.0+ mastery
Student Name Pre (Form A) Detail Focus Post (Form B) Growth Next Instructional Step / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5
EL Education 2025 Literary Comprehension Checkpoints Page 2 of 2 • Diagnostics & Tracking
