Like a Plant Toward the Light

Lexile: 790 | Grade: 3

Passage

Have you ever noticed how a plant leans toward the sun? Even if it starts in the shade, it slowly bends, stretches, and turns its leaves toward the light. This process is called *phototropism*, and it helps the plant grow stronger by reaching for what it needs.

Plants don’t have eyes or brains, but they still know how to follow the light. Inside their stems are special cells that react when sunlight touches them. These cells help the plant move, just a little bit each day, in the right direction.

Sometimes people grow like that too. We may not always know the perfect way forward, but we learn by moving toward what feels right—kindness, learning, curiosity, or courage. Even when we start in the shadows, we can grow stronger by choosing the light.

This kind of growth takes time. It isn’t fast or flashy. You may not see big changes at first. But like a plant turning its face to the sun, your small steps can lead to something tall, green, and full of life.

So when you feel unsure or stuck, remember the plant. You don’t have to grow all at once. Just turn a little each day toward what helps you shine.

Questions

Q1: What is *phototropism*?

  • A. A type of weather
  • B. A plant’s way of growing toward sunlight
  • C. A plant’s way of growing roots underground
  • D. A fast way plants grow in the dark

Q2: Why does the author compare people to plants?

  • A. To show that people need water to survive
  • B. To explain that people don’t move very much
  • C. To teach that people grow when they move toward good things, like plants move toward light
  • D. To say that people and plants grow in the same place

Q3: What kind of growth is the author talking about?

  • A. Only physical growth like getting taller
  • B. Growth in gardens only
  • C. Personal growth like becoming kinder and more curious
  • D. Learning how to grow plants

Q4: Why does the author say 'you don’t have to grow all at once'?

  • A. Because growing takes effort and can't be rushed
  • B. Because the plant is tired
  • C. Because no one wants to grow too tall
  • D. Because it’s better not to grow

Q5: What lesson can readers learn from plants?

  • A. Plants don’t grow well indoors.
  • B. We can grow stronger by moving toward what helps us, just like plants follow the sun.
  • C. All growth happens underground.
  • D. Plants grow best when no one is watching.

Printable Comprehension Practice

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Answers & Reasoning

Q1: What is *phototropism*?

✅ Correct Answer: B

💡 Reasoning: The passage explains phototropism as the process of plants turning toward light to grow stronger.

Q2: Why does the author compare people to plants?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The author uses the plant as a metaphor for how people grow stronger by following positive values.

Q3: What kind of growth is the author talking about?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The author uses scientific ideas to describe emotional and personal development.

Q4: Why does the author say 'you don’t have to grow all at once'?

✅ Correct Answer: A

💡 Reasoning: The author encourages slow, steady growth and patience, just like plants turning to the light over time.

Q5: What lesson can readers learn from plants?

✅ Correct Answer: B

💡 Reasoning: The passage uses the scientific process of phototropism to teach a motivational lesson about direction and effort.