READING

READING

A Dog's Best Friend

READ THE TEXT

You don't have to be big to make a big difference. Kids everywhere are volunteering to help those in need. Even those with four legs! Take it from Roman McConn. He started helping animals when he was just 4 years old.

It started when Roman and his mom went to an animal shelter to adopt a dog. Roman was amazed to see that so many dogs and cats needed homes. Naturally, he couldn't adopt them all. What else could he do? Some people volunteer at animal shelters, walking the dogs and playing with the cats. Roman and his mom did that for a while. Then, they decided to start an organization to help the dogs!

Multiple Choice

Who/What do these pronouns refer to?

Paragraph 1 he: _________

• Roman

• His father

• His mum

Multiple Choice

Who/What do these pronouns refer to?

Paragraph 2 they: _________

• Kids

• Roman and his mum

• Dogs

First, Roman and his mom went to crowded animal shelters. There are SO many dogs in these shelters. It's hard to find homes for all of them! Roman and his mom began taking the dogs to shelters that were less crowded. They hoped the dogs would have a better chance of being chosen.

Roman didn't stop there. His mom started filming him with some of the dogs. Then she posted the videos online. In each video, Roman introduced a dog, talked about the dog's personality, and tried to answer any questions that an adopter might have. Does the dog like other dogs? Does the dog need any special medicine? In these videos, people got to see the dogs' personalities. They were playful or mellow or goofy.

Of course, Roman couldn't make a video for every dog. He'd be filming nonstop! So how did he choose which ones to film? He chose dogs that would have the most trouble getting noticed. These were older dogs or dogs that had been in a shelter for a long time.

Word spread about Roman's project. He has helped more than 2,000 dogs find new homes!

Multiple Choice

Who/What do these pronouns refer to?

Paragraph 4 they: _________

• Kids

• Roman and his mum

• Dogs

There's no doubt that Roman is an amazing citizen. The ASPCA, an organization that helps to rescue animals and make sure they are treated well, agrees. When Roman was only 7 years old, he won the ASPCA Kid of the Year Award. This award is given each year to a kid who helps animals in his or her community.

There are many ways that you too can make a difference. Would you like to volunteer at an animal shelter? Collect food to give to a food bank? Pick up trash at a park? Talk to your friends, or ask a parent or teacher for more ideas!

Multiple Choice

Choose the type of the text (genre).

• Poetry

• Realistic Fiction

• Biography

Multiple Choice

What is the author’s purpose to write this text?

• to inform the reader

• to persuade the reader

Open Ended

How did he start to help animals?

Open Ended

Do you think Roman McConn is a unique person? Why or Why not?