Character Traits

Shari is kind to everyone. Last week, when a new girl came to Shari's class, Shari showed her around the school and introduced her to all of her friends. What character trait best describes Shari?

• compassionate

• cruel

• friendly

• selfish

Arthur spends most of the day looking down at the ground. He rarely talks to anyone, and when someone does ask him a question, he answers in a quiet voice that is hard to hear. What character trait describes Arthur?

• shy

• outgoing

• dumb

• kind

Allen stole Ben's cookies from his lunch bag. When Ben asked him about it, Allen lied. Later, Allen broke a glass. When his mother asked him who had broken the glass, Allen blamed his younger brother. What word describes Allen?

• dishonest

• trustworthy

• unfriendly

• truthful

Mr. Cowen enjoys giving gifts to his family and friends. He also gives a lot of his money to charities to help people in need. What word best describes Mr. Cowen?

• helpful

• generous

• polite

• rude

Kaisha does not take good care of her things. She often forgets to put things where they belong. Yesterday, she left her scooter in the driveway and her dad ran over it. What word best describes Kaisha?

• cautious

• inconsiderate

• careless

• thoughtful

Talia's grandma sent her a big box of cookies while she was at summer camp. The card said she could share them with the other girls in her group, but Talia did not share any of the cookies. She ate them all herself. What word best describes Talia?

• Thoughtful

• Selfish

• Helpful

• Hopeless

Sally always makes people feel welcome when they come to visit. She stops whatever she is doing and gives her guests her full attention. Not only that, she always seems to have a plate of freshly baked cookies to offer. What word best describes Sally?

• lonely

• hostile

• caring

• driven

Silas likes to keep things neat and orderly. He has a place for everything that he owns and he makes sure that whenever he is done using something, it goes right back where it belongs. What word best describes Silas?

• worried

• sloppy

• organized

• disorganized

How can you determine character traits while reading?

• Think about a character's dialogue, actions, thoughts.

• Make a prediction based on the cover of a book

• If a character in a book has the same name as a friend of yours, assume they share the same traits.

• Make a guess.