Back to First Grade

 From Chloe’s description of the fourth-grade students in paragraph 8, the reader can tell that Chloe —

• is jealous of Maneya’s mentoring assignment

• realizes that mentoring requires long hours

• regrets becoming a school mentor 

• is unhappy with Maneya’s approach to mentoring

What is one message the author conveys in the story?

• Treat others as you want to be treated.

•  People who prepare are the most successful.

• You must take risks in order to succeed.

•  It is best not to judge situations too early.

 In paragraph 13, the word relented means —

• created a spectacle

•  gave in

•  entertained an audience

•  worked hard

 Paragraphs 6 and 7 contribute to the rising action of the story by showing that Chloe

• no longer wants to participate in the mentoring program

• has the wrong impression about first grade

• is unfamiliar with the concepts being taught in first grade

•  does not like being told what to do

The author’s choice of first-person narrator helps the reader —

•  understand how the mentoring experience has had an impact on Chloe

• comprehend how Chloe’s classmates view her

• learn how the first graders feel about Chloe

•  realize that the other mentors are not as serious about the project as Chloe is

What can the reader conclude about Chloe’s and Maneya’s mentoring experiences?

• Both mentoring assignments end in a positive way.

• Both mentors need help to be successful in their assignments.

•  Both mentors fail to learn from their assignments

• Both mentoring assignments present unique challenges.

In paragraphs 4 and 5, what does Chloe’s conversation with Maneya reveal about Chloe?

• She believes that she will not have to work hard in the first-grade classroom

•  She has experience working with young children.

• She dislikes fourth-grade students.

•  She does not enjoy attending classes at her middle school.

Which sentence expresses the turning point in the story?

• I looked at the students and gave them a thumbs-up.

• I wasn’t the one who was complaining anymore

• It sounded like a great classroom to spend time in.

•  Just six weeks ago I had been the envy of my middle school peers.

What is the best summary of the story?

•  As noise fills the first-grade classroom, Miss Sanchez makes the students stop talking. Chloe is excited about working with the students as part of a mentoring program. Chloe’s friend Maneya is assigned to mentor fourth-grade students, and Maneya is unhappy about her assignment.

• Chloe is assigned to mentor in a first-grade class, and her friend Maneya is assigned to mentor in a fourth-grade class. At first Chloe thinks teaching first graders will be easy, but she soon finds out that it is not as easy as she had thought. Maneya has success with the fourth-grade class while Chloe struggles.

• Chloe becomes confused when Fernando puts three fingers in front of her face. She complains to her friend Maneya that mentoring in a first-grade class is not easy at all. Chloe thinks that the students do not understand her. Chloe learns that being a mentor in a first-grade class is not nearly as easy as she had first thought.

•  Chloe and her friend Maneya are both assigned to be mentors in elementary school classrooms. Maneya finds success early with her fourth-grade class, but Chloe has a difficult time managing her first graders. Chloe eventually learns that she has to adapt to the procedures of the first-grade classroom in order to succeed.