Inferring Theme

Kara chose a difficult piece to play for the piano recital. Her teacher advised her to select an easier one, but Kara knew she could do it. Kara practiced every day after school. When her friends called to see if she could play, Kara told them that she couldn't and continued to practice. Even with all that practicing, a week before the recital, Kara still could not play the piece without making mistakes. Kara thought about giving up and switching to an easier piece, but instead she decided to double her practice time. The night of the recital arrived. Kara was the last student to play. As she walked onto the stage to take her place at the piano, she remembered the long hours she had spent practicing. Kara began to play. Her hands danced across the keyboard. She knew the piece so well! When the final note faded, the room erupted in applause. She had played the piece perfectly!

Choose the theme that best fits this story.

• It takes a lot of practice to play the piano.

• Kara practiced a lot and did well at her recital.

• Persistence pays off.

Kevin wasn't worried about his book report. He had three whole weeks to get it done. There was no reason to get started right away, especially when he had just gotten a new video game!

The next day, Kevin thought about going to the library to pick out a book for his report, but decided to play with his friends instead. He could go to the library on the weekend instead. The weekend came and rather than going to the library, Kevin spent the whole weekend at his cousin's farm. He didn't go to the library the next week either; there was always something fun to do instead.

Two weeks passed and Kevin still hadn't picked out a book. By the time he finally got to the library, there was not enough time to read the book and write the report. Kevin tried to write the report without reading the whole book, but it did not go very well. Kevin failed the assignment.

Choose the best theme that fits this story.

• School work is more important than playing

• Don't put things off until the last minute

• Kevin should have done his book report first.

Sarah didn't play with Laila, the new girl in her class, at recess. No one did. Laila had come to their school after winter break. She wore strange clothes and she spoke with an accent. Then one day, the teacher put Sarah and Laila together as partners on a class project. At first Sarah was nervous about working with someone so different, but then they began to talk. She found out that Laila had a little brother just like she did. Not only that, they both loved to draw and they both collected sea shells. Sarah invited Laila over after school to work on the project and see her shell collection. The girls worked well together and before she left, Sarah gave Laila one of her best shells to take home for her collection. The next day, Laila invited Sarah over for dinner. The food was really different than what Sarah was used to, but it tasted really good. Laila's parents were nice too. The girls got an A on their project, but even better, they became good friends.

Choose the best theme for this story.

• Don't judge people before you get to know them.

• Sarah and Leila become good friends.

• Friends are important

Cassie was having a wonderful time at summer camp. Her counselor was really nice and she had made friends with all of the girls in her cabin. One day, a package arrived for Cassie. All the girls in her cabin watched as she opened it. It was a box of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Cassie's mother made the best chocolate chip cookies in the world! Cassie took one out of the box and was just about to take a bite when one of the other girls asked if she could have a cookie. Then all the girls were asking. Cassie counted the cookies in the box. There were exactly twelve of them. There were ten girls in the cabin. If she gave a cookie to each girl, there would only be two left for herself. Cassie knew that if she shared with one girl, she would have to share with everyone, so she decided not to share at all. Cassie got to eat all of the cookies herself, but from then on the other girls hardly talked to her at all and no one wanted to be her friend anymore.

Choose the best theme that fits this story.

• You should always share everything.

• Selfishness leads to unhappiness.

• Cassie did not share her cookies.

Benny and Danny were twins. Each week, they each got five dollars in allowance. Benny always spent all of his allowance on candy and small toys. Every so often, Danny bought some candy, but he saved most of his money in a piggy bank that he kept on his nightstand by his bed. Sometimes, Danny did extra chores around the house to earn more money. He always put his earnings into his bank. The months passed and soon school was out for summer. One day, Danny asked his parents to take him to the bike store. He had saved enough money for a new bike! Danny picked out a red bike with blue handlebars. His parents were so impressed with how much he had saved that they bought him a helmet and a bike lock. Danny spent the summer riding his new bike around the neighborhood with his friends. Since he did not have a bike, Benny spent most of his summer alone at home.

Choose the best theme for this story.

• You can buy more if you save your money.

• Danny is smarter than Benny.

• You should not spend all your money of candy.