• Practice for every day of the school year • Help students prepare for standardized testing

One way writers organize a passage is to tell what happens first, next, last, and so on. Read the 
instructions for the strategy practice activity aloud and then direct students to reread the passage 
and to complete the activity. Review the answers together and invite students to explain their 
thinking. 
DAY
5
Tell students they will practice both the 
Cause and Effect 
and
 Fact and Opinion 
skills. Remind 
students that they can use the 
Visualization
strategy to form mental images of causes and effects. 
Read the instructions at the top of the page aloud. Then direct students to read the passage and to 
complete the skill practice activity. Review the answers together. For the strategy practice activity, 
pair students or complete it as a group.
Cause and Effect
Students practice the skill by looking for what happens (the effect) and 
why it happens (the cause). 
Fact and Opinion
Students determine whether parts of the passage can be proved (facts) or 
represent what someone thinks or feels (opinions).
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5/6/10 4:00 PM

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Name: 
© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3453 • Daily Reading Comprehension 
161
WEEK 26
DAY 1
READ THE PASSAGE
Look for reasons why things happen.
Not the Way to Start the Day
Sophie rushed as she got ready for school. She had waited until last night to 
do her book report. Sophie’s idea was great. She had created a small stage and 
finger puppets to retell the story she had read. But Sophie spent most of the night 
putting it all together. She did the rest of her homework that morning. 
The stage and puppets were in the car and so was Sophie’s mom. She did not 
want to be late for work. Sophie’s mom blasted the horn. The noise startled 
Sneakers, Sophie’s cat. He dashed in front of Sophie just as she started to zip her 
backpack. Sophie tripped and out flew her papers. Gonzo woke up, ready for a 
chase. As the dog ran, his claws pierced Sophie’s homework. Now it was full of 
tiny holes. Sneakers jumped onto the table, where he thought he was safe. Gonzo 
stood on his hind legs and plopped his big paws near the cat. As he barked, one 
paw knocked over a glass of juice. Sophie saw the juice drip slowly and steadily 
onto her homework. She would have a lot of explaining to do at school!