Timed Drill
Learn
Sometimes you need to answer questions quickly! A timed drill helps you practice reading carefully AND moving at a good pace. This is an important skill for tests.
Tips for Working Quickly
1. Read the Question First
Before you read the whole passage, look at the question. This helps you know what to look for!
2. Don't Get Stuck
If a question is very hard, make your best guess and move on. You can come back to it later.
3. Trust Your First Answer
Usually your first choice is right. Only change your answer if you find a good reason to.
4. Cross Out Wrong Answers
If you know an answer is wrong, cross it out. This makes it easier to pick the right one.
How to Use This Timed Drill
Ask a grown-up to time you, or use a clock. Try to answer all 10 questions in 5 minutes. That is about 30 seconds for each question!
Examples
Quick-Read Example:
Step 1: Read the question first: "What did the boy find?"
Step 2: Now read the passage looking for what the boy found:
"Tom walked to the park. He looked under a big rock. He found a shiny penny!"
Step 3: Answer quickly: Tom found a shiny penny.
Total time: About 20 seconds!
Crossing Out Wrong Answers:
"The cat slept on the soft pillow all day."
Question: Where did the cat sleep?
- A) On the floor (Cross out - the passage says "pillow")
- B) On a soft pillow (Keep - this matches!)
- C) In a box (Cross out - not mentioned)
- D) Outside (Cross out - not mentioned)
Best answer: B
Timed Practice
Ready? Set a timer for 5 minutes and begin!
Passage A:
"Birds build nests in trees. They use sticks, grass, and leaves. The nest keeps their eggs safe and warm."
Question 1: What do birds use to build nests?
- A) Rocks and dirt
- B) Sticks, grass, and leaves
- C) Paper and string
- D) Sand and water
Question 2: Why do birds build nests?
- A) To play in
- B) To hide from people
- C) To keep their eggs safe and warm
- D) To store food
Passage B:
"Lily loves to paint pictures. Her favorite color is blue. She painted a picture of the ocean for her mom."
Question 3: What is Lily's favorite color?
- A) Red
- B) Green
- C) Blue
- D) Yellow
Question 4: Who did Lily paint the picture for?
- A) Her teacher
- B) Her friend
- C) Her dad
- D) Her mom
Passage C:
"It rained all morning. The children had to play inside. They built a tall tower with blocks."
Question 5: Why did the children play inside?
- A) It was too cold
- B) It rained all morning
- C) The park was closed
- D) They were tired
Question 6: What did the children build?
- A) A fort
- B) A tall tower with blocks
- C) A puzzle
- D) A train
Passage D:
"The farmer grows apples and pears. In the fall, he picks the fruit. Then he takes it to the market to sell."
Question 7: When does the farmer pick the fruit?
- A) In the spring
- B) In the summer
- C) In the fall
- D) In the winter
Question 8: Which sentence best tells what the farmer does with the fruit?
- A) He eats it all himself.
- B) He gives it away for free.
- C) He takes it to the market to sell.
- D) He feeds it to animals.
Passage E:
"Ben has a pet fish named Goldie. He feeds Goldie every morning. The fish tank sits on Ben's dresser."
Question 9: What is Ben's pet fish named?
- A) Sunny
- B) Goldie
- C) Bubbles
- D) Fishy
Question 10: Where is the fish tank?
- A) On the floor
- B) On a shelf
- C) On Ben's dresser
- D) On a table
STOP! Check your time.
Did you finish in 5 minutes or less? Great job!
Did it take longer? That is okay! Keep practicing and you will get faster.
Check Your Understanding
Think about how you did:
- Did you read the questions before the passages?
- Did you cross out answers you knew were wrong?
- Did you keep moving even if a question was hard?
- How many questions do you think you got right?
Answer Key:
1. B | 2. C | 3. C | 4. D | 5. B | 6. B | 7. C | 8. C | 9. B | 10. C
Score Guide:
- 9-10 correct: Excellent! You are ready for more challenges.
- 7-8 correct: Great work! Keep practicing.
- 5-6 correct: Good effort! Try slowing down a little.
- Below 5: No worries! Practice makes perfect.
Next Steps
- Try the timed drill again tomorrow - can you beat your score?
- Practice the "read the question first" strategy when you read
- Move on to Review Mistakes to learn from any errors