The Glitter Surprise
Sarah had a big plan. She wanted to make a special gift for her dad.
She found a piece of thick white paper. She found her bright markers and a bottle of glue.
"I must be very quiet," Sarah whispered to herself. Her dad was reading a book in the next room.
Sarah drew a big red heart on the card. She wrote the words "I Love You" in messy letters.
Now it was time for the best part. She picked up a small jar of blue glitter.
She put dots of glue all around the red heart. Then she shook the glitter over the paper.
The card looked like it was made of stars. It was the shiniest card she had ever seen.
Suddenly, she heard a sound. It was the sound of her dad's heavy boots.
He was walking toward the kitchen. Sarah froze like a statue.
She quickly slid the card under a pile of books. She hid the glue behind her back.
"What are you doing, Sarah?" her dad asked. He looked at her with a big smile.
"I am just drawing," Sarah said with a giggle. She tried not to show her sparkly hands.
Her dad did not see the card at all. He got a glass of water and walked away.
- Whispered:
- Spoke in a very soft and quiet voice.
- Statue:
- A figure of a person or animal that does not move.
- Sparkly:
- Shining with many tiny bright points of light.
- Giggle:
- To laugh in a silly or nervous way.
- Tucked:
- To put something into a small or safe place.
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Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Vocabulary
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Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Who was Sarah making a special gift for?
- 2What materials did Sarah use to make her gift?
Where this passage belongs
About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
“The Glitter Surprise” is a short story reading passage about Kindness, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (258 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.