Meerfus the Magician Returns Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Strong readers learn to follow a character through a problem, notice how the character responds, and figure out the lesson the story is really teaching. This Meerfus the Magician Returns Reading Comprehension Worksheet gives sixth graders a two-page story that builds exactly those skills. Meerfus is a stage performer who comes home to give one evening show, and every trick in his act turns out to be practiced skill rather than anything mysterious.

The passage is about 730 words long and is written at a sixth grade reading level. Students read how a dropped ring during rehearsal nearly shakes Meerfus, and how he breaks the routine into small steps and practices until his hands are steady again. Along the way the story defines two useful terms in context, sleight of hand and misdirection. After reading both pages, students answer four multiple choice questions on the central idea, cause and effect, word meaning and inference, then write a constructed response that uses details from the whole story.

What’s Included

• A two-page original story with a full-color illustration of an empty theater stage
• Four multiple choice questions with four answer choices each
• One constructed response question with room for a full written answer
• A complete answer key, including a sample written response

Why It Helps Kids Learn

There are three strong reasons this 6th grade reading comprehension worksheet is worth adding to your plans. First, the questions reach across both pages, so students practice holding a longer text in mind instead of hunting for one sentence. Second, the vocabulary item asks students to use context to work out what a word means, the same move state reading tests ask for. Third, the story models a healthy message about mistakes: a setback is a signal to slow down and practice, not a reason to quit.

Teachers and parents can extend the lesson in several ways. Ask students to list each step Meerfus took after the ring fell and rank which one helped most. Have partners teach each other a simple skill, such as a new handshake or a card shuffle, and describe how practice changed their results. Students can also write a short paragraph about a time they recovered from a mistake. Printed and ready to go, this Meerfus the Magician Returns Reading Comprehension Worksheet includes an answer key for quick grading.

Related Resources

• Duncan’s Great Success Reading Comprehension Worksheet
• Dirty Canals Reading Comprehension Worksheet
• The Sixth Tail Reading Comprehension Worksheet
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