The Painted Shoes

Lexile: 580 | Grade: 3

Passage

Lila was excited for Art Day at school. Everyone was allowed to wear old clothes and paint all morning. Lila brought an old T-shirt and jeans, but she also wore her favorite white sneakers without thinking.

By the end of the first painting session, her sneakers had blue, red, and green spots all over them.

“Oh no!” she said, looking down. “These were brand new!”

Her friend Jamal looked over. “Maybe you can turn them into rainbow shoes,” he said with a smile.

Lila thought for a moment. Then she grabbed her brush and carefully added more colors. She painted stars on the sides and swirls near the toes.

By the time Art Day was over, her sneakers didn’t look new anymore—but they looked awesome. Everyone in class said they were the coolest shoes they had ever seen.

Lila grinned. “They’re even better than before,” she said. “Now they tell a story.”

Questions

Q1: What is this story mostly about?

  • A. A girl who wants to win an art contest.
  • B. A school where students must wear uniforms.
  • C. A girl who turns a mistake into something creative.
  • D. A boy who helps clean a classroom.

Q2: Why was Lila upset at first?

  • A. She lost her art supplies.
  • B. She forgot to bring a lunch.
  • C. Her favorite sneakers got covered in paint.
  • D. Her painting fell on the floor.

Q3: What did Jamal suggest Lila do?

  • A. Clean her shoes quickly.
  • B. Hide the shoes in her backpack.
  • C. Use more paint to decorate them.
  • D. Ask the teacher for new shoes.

Q4: What does the word 'grinned' mean in this sentence: 'Lila grinned. “They’re even better than before,” she said.'?

  • A. Frowned
  • B. Smiled happily
  • C. Cried quietly
  • D. Yelled loudly

Q5: What happened first in the story?

  • A. Lila painted stars and swirls on her sneakers.
  • B. Lila realized her shoes had paint on them.
  • C. Jamal gave Lila an idea.
  • D. Lila wore her favorite white sneakers to Art Day.

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Answers & Reasoning

Q1: What is this story mostly about?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: Lila turns her paint-covered sneakers into a fun and creative design instead of being upset.

Q2: Why was Lila upset at first?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The passage says Lila was upset when she saw paint spots all over her brand-new sneakers.

Q3: What did Jamal suggest Lila do?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: Jamal suggested she make the best of it and turn them into rainbow shoes.

Q4: What does the word 'grinned' mean in this sentence: 'Lila grinned. “They’re even better than before,” she said.'?

✅ Correct Answer: B

💡 Reasoning: Grinned means smiled in a happy or proud way, which matches how Lila feels in the story.

Q5: What happened first in the story?

✅ Correct Answer: D

💡 Reasoning: The first event is that Lila wore her white sneakers without thinking, which led to the rest of the story.