The Recess Question: Content Language Support

Read Along highlight Word Supports Read in Randi Whitney's voice.

The rang.

“Recess!” Beth shouted.

Chairs scooted back. Sneakers hurried across the floor. A moment later, Beth and her classmates spilled onto the .

The sun felt warm on Beth’s face. A light wind moved through the trees beside the . On the blacktop, went bounce, bounce, bounce. Near the , children called to one another.

“Push me higher!”

“Catch me!”

“Race you to the slide!”

Beth smiled. Recess was one of her favorite parts of the school day.

She ran toward the where her friend Ava was waiting.

“Want to jump?” Ava asked.

“Of course!” Beth said.

Ava and Beth began turning the rope together.

“Ready?” Ava called.

Their friend Max jumped into the middle.

“One, two, three, four!”

Max jumped higher each time the rope came around.

Then Beth noticed someone sitting alone near the fence.

It was Lily. She had joined their class only a few days earlier.

Beth stopped turning the rope.

“What’s wrong?” Ava asked.

“I think Lily might need someone to play with,” Beth said.

Beth walked over to her.

“Do you want to jump rope with us?” Beth asked.

Lily looked surprised.

“Really?”

“Really,” Beth said.

Soon Lily was jumping while Beth and Ava turned the rope.

Lily missed the rope on her first try.

Then she missed again.

On the third try, she made it over.

Everyone cheered.

“I did it!” Lily yelled.

Beth laughed.

For a few minutes, the playground seemed full of nothing but running feet, swinging ropes, bouncing balls, and happy voices.

Then the blew.

Recess was over.

“Awww!” several children groaned.

As the class lined up, Max said, “Recess always feels too short.”

“I think we should have a longer recess,” Ava said.

Beth nodded. “Me too.”

Their , Mrs. Green, heard them.

“Why do you think recess should be longer?” she asked.

“Because we get to move,” Max said. “We sit a lot in class.”

“And we get to play with our friends,” Ava added.

Beth looked at Lily.

“Sometimes recess gives us time to get to know someone new,” she said.

Mrs. Green smiled.

“Those are thoughtful reasons,” she said. “Recess can give children time to move, play games, talk with friends, and take a break from work.”

Max grinned.

“So can we have recess all afternoon?”

Mrs. Green laughed.

“Not quite.”

“Why not?” Max asked.

“Because a school community has many needs,” Mrs. Green explained. “We need time to read, write, learn mathematics, study science and social studies, and do many other important things.”

“So longer recess might mean less time for something else?” Beth asked.

“That could happen,” Mrs. Green said.

Beth thought about that as they walked back to the classroom.

She loved recess. She liked running outside and feeling the wind on her face. She liked laughing with Ava and Max. Most of all, she was glad she had asked Lily to join them.

But now there was more to think about.

When everyone was seated, Mrs. Green wrote a question on the :

Should our recess be longer?

“People in a community do not always agree,” she explained. “Sometimes one person wants one thing while someone else wants something different. Good citizens listen to one another, consider the reasons, and make decisions respectfully.”

Mrs. Green drew three columns on the board.

Longer Recess

Keep Recess the Same

Another Solution

“We are not going to yet,” she said.

Max raised his hand. “Why not?”

“Because a good decision should not be based only on what we want,” Mrs. Green replied. “First, we need information. We should consider the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.”

The class began making a list.

Under Longer Recess, they wrote:

more time for physical activity

more time with friends

more opportunities to include someone new

a longer break from sitting and working

Under Keep Recess the Same, they wrote:

enough time for all school subjects

more classroom learning time

time for other activities during the school day

Then Lily raised her hand.

“What if we could have another short movement break instead of making recess a lot longer?”

Mrs. Green smiled. “That is exactly why we have a third column.”

Beth liked Lily’s idea.

Mrs. Green added it to Another Solution.

“People have been making group decisions for a very long time,” Mrs. Green continued. “Thousands of years ago, some citizens in Athens, a city in ancient Greece, gathered to discuss important questions and vote. Their ideas about citizens participating in decisions helped influence democratic governments that came much later.”

“So voting is really old?” Max asked.

“The idea certainly is,” Mrs. Green said. “Today, voting is still one way groups make decisions.”

Ava looked at the board.

“Can we vote now?”

“Almost,” Mrs. Green said. “First, everyone gets a chance to explain a point of view. You may disagree with someone, but you must listen respectfully.”

Beth listened as her classmates spoke.

Max still wanted longer recess.

Ava agreed with him.

One student thought recess should stay exactly the same.

Lily explained her idea for an extra movement break.

No one shouted. No one laughed at another person’s answer. They asked questions and listened.

Finally, Mrs. Green handed each student a small paper .

“Now you have heard several perspectives,” she said. “Choose the solution you believe would work best for our class.”

Beth looked at the three choices.

At first, she had been certain that longer recess was the only good answer.

Now she was not so sure.

She thought about running and jumping.

She thought about Lily’s smile.

She thought about all the things they needed to learn during the school day.

Then Beth made her choice.

One by one, the students placed their ballots in a box.

Mrs. Green did not announce the result immediately.

“Whatever the class decides,” she said, “the most important thing is what we just practiced.”

“What was that?” Max asked.

“We looked at a problem. We gathered information. We considered different solutions. We listened to one another. Then we used voting to help make a group decision.”

Beth looked out the window at the empty playground.

The swings moved gently in the wind.

Recess had started as something simple.

Now it had become a question about choices, communities, and how people make decisions together.

Beth smiled.

She had a lot to think about.

The highlighted key words in this passage are tappable. Each opens a simple picture, the content language support accommodation for new English language learners.

Take Turns Reading (Fluency)

The teacher reads one sentence and pauses. The student reads the next sentence. Keep taking turns to the end of the passage.

Model. Read each Teacher sentence with clear expression and phrasing, then pause so the student knows it is their turn.
Track. The student points under each word with a finger or pointer, left to right and top to bottom, while you read and while they read.
Praise. Name what went well in the student's reading, such as expression, smooth phrasing, or a tricky word said with accuracy. Reread any tricky word together.

Feedback on rate, accuracy, and prosody: Fluency Feedback Guide, Grade 3

Show all 122 sentences

1.Teacher readsThe bell rang.
2.Student reads“Recess!” Beth shouted.
3.Teacher readsChairs scooted back.
4.Student readsSneakers hurried across the floor.
5.Teacher readsA moment later, Beth and her classmates spilled onto the playground.
6.Student readsThe sun felt warm on Beth’s face.
7.Teacher readsA light wind moved through the trees beside the fence.
8.Student readsOn the blacktop, basketballs went bounce, bounce, bounce.
9.Teacher readsNear the swings, children called to one another.
10.Student reads“Push me higher!” “Catch me!” “Race you to the slide!” Beth smiled.
11.Teacher readsRecess was one of her favorite parts of the school day.
12.Student readsShe ran toward the jump ropes where her friend Ava was waiting.
13.Teacher reads“Want to jump?” Ava asked.
14.Student reads“Of course!” Beth said.
15.Teacher readsAva and Beth began turning the rope together.
16.Student reads“Ready?” Ava called.
17.Teacher readsTheir friend Max jumped into the middle.
18.Student reads“One, two, three, four!” Max jumped higher each time the rope came around.
19.Teacher readsThen Beth noticed someone sitting alone near the fence.
20.Student readsIt was Lily.
21.Teacher readsShe had joined their class only a few days earlier.
22.Student readsBeth stopped turning the rope.
23.Teacher reads“What’s wrong?” Ava asked.
24.Student reads“I think Lily might need someone to play with,” Beth said.
25.Teacher readsBeth walked over to her.
26.Student reads“Do you want to jump rope with us?” Beth asked.
27.Teacher readsLily looked surprised.
28.Student reads“Really?” “Really,” Beth said.
29.Teacher readsSoon Lily was jumping while Beth and Ava turned the rope.
30.Student readsLily missed the rope on her first try.
31.Teacher readsThen she missed again.
32.Student readsOn the third try, she made it over.
33.Teacher readsEveryone cheered.
34.Student reads“I did it!” Lily yelled.
35.Teacher readsBeth laughed.
36.Student readsFor a few minutes, the playground seemed full of nothing but running feet, swinging ropes, bouncing balls, and happy voices.
37.Teacher readsThen the whistle blew.
38.Student readsRecess was over.
39.Teacher reads“Awww!” several children groaned.
40.Student readsAs the class lined up, Max said, “Recess always feels too short.”
41.Teacher reads“I think we should have a longer recess,” Ava said.
42.Student readsBeth nodded.
43.Teacher reads“Me too.”
44.Student readsTheir teacher, Mrs. Green, heard them.
45.Teacher reads“Why do you think recess should be longer?” she asked.
46.Student reads“Because we get to move,” Max said.
47.Teacher reads“We sit a lot in class.”
48.Student reads“And we get to play with our friends,” Ava added.
49.Teacher readsBeth looked at Lily.
50.Student reads“Sometimes recess gives us time to get to know someone new,” she said. Mrs. Green smiled.
51.Teacher reads“Those are thoughtful reasons,” she said.
52.Student reads“Recess can give children time to move, play games, talk with friends, and take a break from classroom work.”
53.Teacher readsMax grinned.
54.Student reads“So can we have recess all afternoon?” Mrs. Green laughed.
55.Teacher reads“Not quite.”
56.Student reads“Why not?” Max asked.
57.Teacher reads“Because a school community has many needs,” Mrs. Green explained.
58.Student reads“We need time to read, write, learn mathematics, study science and social studies, and do many other important things.”
59.Teacher reads“So longer recess might mean less time for something else?” Beth asked.
60.Student reads“That could happen,” Mrs. Green said.
61.Teacher readsBeth thought about that as they walked back to the classroom.
62.Student readsShe loved recess.
63.Teacher readsShe liked running outside and feeling the wind on her face.
64.Student readsShe liked laughing with Ava and Max.
65.Teacher readsMost of all, she was glad she had asked Lily to join them.
66.Student readsBut now there was more to think about.
67.Teacher readsWhen everyone was seated, Mrs. Green wrote a question on the board: Should our recess be longer?
68.Student reads“People in a community do not always agree,” she explained.
69.Teacher reads“Sometimes one person wants one thing while someone else wants something different.
70.Student readsGood citizens listen to one another, consider the reasons, and make decisions respectfully.” Mrs. Green drew three columns on the board.
71.Teacher readsLonger Recess Keep Recess the Same Another Solution “We are not going to vote yet,” she said.
72.Student readsMax raised his hand.
73.Teacher reads“Why not?” “Because a good decision should not be based only on what we want,” Mrs. Green replied.
74.Student reads“First, we need information.
75.Teacher readsWe should consider the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.”
76.Student readsThe class began making a list.
77.Teacher readsUnder Longer Recess, they wrote: more time for physical activity more time with friends more opportunities to include someone new a longer break from sitting and working Under Keep Recess the Same, they wrote: enough time for all school subjects more classroom learning time time for other activities during the school day Then Lily raised her hand.
78.Student reads“What if we could have another short movement break instead of making recess a lot longer?” Mrs. Green smiled.
79.Teacher reads“That is exactly why we have a third column.”
80.Student readsBeth liked Lily’s idea. Mrs. Green added it to Another Solution.
81.Teacher reads“People have been making group decisions for a very long time,” Mrs. Green continued.
82.Student reads“Thousands of years ago, some citizens in Athens, a city in ancient Greece, gathered to discuss important questions and vote.
83.Teacher readsTheir ideas about citizens participating in decisions helped influence democratic governments that came much later.”
84.Student reads“So voting is really old?” Max asked.
85.Teacher reads“The idea certainly is,” Mrs. Green said.
86.Student reads“Today, voting is still one way groups make decisions.”
87.Teacher readsAva looked at the board.
88.Student reads“Can we vote now?” “Almost,” Mrs. Green said.
89.Teacher reads“First, everyone gets a chance to explain a point of view.
90.Student readsYou may disagree with someone, but you must listen respectfully.”
91.Teacher readsBeth listened as her classmates spoke.
92.Student readsMax still wanted longer recess.
93.Teacher readsAva agreed with him.
94.Student readsOne student thought recess should stay exactly the same.
95.Teacher readsLily explained her idea for an extra movement break.
96.Student readsNo one shouted.
97.Teacher readsNo one laughed at another person’s answer.
98.Student readsThey asked questions and listened.
99.Teacher readsFinally, Mrs. Green handed each student a small paper ballot.
100.Student reads“Now you have heard several perspectives,” she said.
101.Teacher reads“Choose the solution you believe would work best for our class.”
102.Student readsBeth looked at the three choices.
103.Teacher readsAt first, she had been certain that longer recess was the only good answer.
104.Student readsNow she was not so sure.
105.Teacher readsShe thought about running and jumping.
106.Student readsShe thought about Lily’s smile.
107.Teacher readsShe thought about all the things they needed to learn during the school day.
108.Student readsThen Beth made her choice.
109.Teacher readsOne by one, the students placed their ballots in a box. Mrs. Green did not announce the result immediately.
110.Student reads“Whatever the class decides,” she said, “the most important thing is what we just practiced.”
111.Teacher reads“What was that?” Max asked.
112.Student reads“We looked at a problem.
113.Teacher readsWe gathered information.
114.Student readsWe considered different solutions.
115.Teacher readsWe listened to one another.
116.Student readsThen we used voting to help make a group decision.”
117.Teacher readsBeth looked out the window at the empty playground.
118.Student readsThe swings moved gently in the wind.
119.Teacher readsRecess had started as something simple.
120.Student readsNow it had become a question about choices, communities, and how people make decisions together.
121.Teacher readsBeth smiled.
122.Student readsShe had a lot to think about.

ELPS supported by this routine

ELPS 3(H) Read with fluency and demonstrate comprehension of content-area text.
ELPS 3(A) Demonstrate awareness of print concepts and directionality of reading as left to right and top to bottom.
ELPS 2(A) Produce sounds of newly acquired vocabulary such as long and short vowels, silent letters, and consonant clusters to pronounce words with accuracy.

The Writing Academy · Content Language Support · Grade 3 Prepare Cluster