Answer Comprehension Questions and Assess Understanding of the Story

To assess whether the student has fully understood the plot development after reading the story Jay Bean and the Dreamers' Circus. Present the questions to the student before reading so that he or she may be an active reader. An active reader is a reader with a plan and a reason for reading

The student will answer a series of questions about the story Jay Bean and the Dreamers' Circus successfully.

• Jay Bean and the Dreamers' Circus (iPad App)
  Note: Pages 1-19 of Jay Bean and the Dreamers' Circus are available online. (requires Flash)



• Comprehension questions photocopied or displayed for the student (included in PDF)

1. Read the story Jay Bean and the Dreamer's Circus, paying particular attention to characters, settings, and important events.



2. Choose from Comprehension Questions Set 1 which includes questions that require analysis and explanation (13 total) or Comprehension Set 2 which includes more simple-answer type questions (41 total).



3. Present the questions to the student.



4. Direct the student to answer the selected comprehension questions in complete sentences.


Suggestions:


• The questions may be answered individually or with a partner. However, each student should be responsible for recording the answer to each question on his or her own paper.



• Use Comprehension Set 1 for active reading. Use Comprehension Set 2 as a supplemental activity on a different day, perhaps as a chance to review the story.

1) Who is the main character of this story?


2) What is the name of his town?


3) Name three places where the main character goes to try to find answers to his questions.


4) Whom does he meet when he reaches the tracks?


5) If you were Jay, would you have crossed the tracks? Why or why not?


6) How is Sir's reaction different from everyone else's, once he learns of Jay's problem?


7) Do you think Jay would have gotten to the dreamers' circus without Sir's help? Explain.


8) How did Jay get to Reverie Creek?


9) Why do you think Sir did not continue on with Jay? Explain.


10) What was strange about Reverie Creek when Jay arrived?


11) How did Jay know the circus was there?


12) When did Jay realize he was in a dreamers' circus?


13) Now that the story is over, write a paragraph about what you think will happen next.

1. Who does Jay Bean live with?


2. Why does Jay love sleeping?


3. What are some of the creatures that Jay sees?


4. What is the name of Jay's town?


5. Why is Jay different from everyone else in his town?


6. What does Mr. Dax think of Jay's question?


7. Who asks Jay to leave the bakeshop?


8. Why does Jay want to visit Dr. Gordon?


9. How does doctor Gordon react to Jay's problem?


10. What does Jay think of the doctor's solution?


11. Where does Jay find a very peculiar sign?


12. Why doesn't Jay leave the area?


13. Who and what does Jay find inside the wagon?


14. What does Jay call his dreams? Why does he call them this?


15. How does Madame Tutu explain Jay's ability?


16. How does Jay react to the fact that he is not the only dreamer?


17. Who is Lancelot?


18. Why does Madame Tutu struggle with him?


19. What does Jay plan that night in his room?


20. What did Madame Tutu's wagon leave behind?


21. What happened as soon as Jay crossed over the tracks?


What happened to the weather once the road came to an end?


22. What was the strange thing about Jay's nap under the tree?


23 What was the strange thing about Jay's nap under the tree?


24. What does Jay see in the distance, in the middle of a field?


25. What discovery does Jay make when he gets there?


26. What does the man want Jay to call him?


27. What information does the man give Jay that will help him on his search for other dreamers?


28. Why didn't Jay sleep very well that night?


29 How were Sir and Jay going to get to Reverie Creek?


30. What does Jay do while Sir sleeps during the train ride?


31. How is Sir able to get off the train?


32. What is so strange about Reverie Creek when Jay gets there?


33. What are the posters around town announcing?


34. What does Jay do when he realizes where everyone is?


35.What does Jay realize about the performers while he is watching the circus?


36. How does Jay's life change that afternoon?


37. What did the dreamers think Jay would be good at? Why?


38. Why does Jay sneak back into his old house?


39. According to Jay's mom, when was the last time she had seen him?


40. Where were Jay and his parents supposed to be going that morning?


41. At the end of the story what do we discover about Jay's journey?

1. Who is the main character of this story?

Jay Bean



2. What is the name of his town?

Ampersand



3. Name three places where the main character goes to try to find answers to his questions.

The farmer's market, the bakeshop, the doctor's office.



4. Whom does he meet when he reaches the tracks?

Madame Tutu



5. If you were Jay, would you have crossed the tracks? Why or why not?

Answers will vary.



6. How is Sir's reaction different from everyone else's, once he learns of Jay's problem?

Answers will vary.



7. Do you think Jay would have gotten to the dreamer's circus without Sir's help? Explain.

Answers will vary.



8. How did Jay get to Reverie Creek?

He rides on a train.



9. Why do you think Sir did not continue on with Jay? Explain.

Answers will vary.



10. What was strange about Reverie Creek when Jay arrived?

There was no one in the streets.



11. How did Jay know the circus was there?

There were posters everywhere announcing the circus.



12. When did Jay realize he was in a dreamer's circus?

While he was watching the performances.



13. Now that the story is over, write a paragraph about what you think will happen next.

Answers will vary.

1. Who does Jay Bean live with?

(Jay Bean lives with his Mom and Dad)



2. Why does Jay love sleeping?

(Jay loves sleeping because he can see things others can not. He can dream.)



3. What are some of the creatures that Jay sees?

(Jay sees seahorses, purple rhinos, and polka-dotted elephants.)



4. What is the name of Jay's town?

(Ampersand)



5. Why is Jay different from everyone else in his town?

(Jay is different because he can dream.)



6. What does Mr. Dax think of Jay's question?

(Mr. Dax thinks Jay's question is silly.)



7. Who asks Jay to leave the bakeshop?

(Miss Mary)



8. Why does Jay want to visit Dr. Gordon?

(Jay wants to visit Dr. Gordon because perhaps Dr. Gordon can explain what is happening to him.)



9. How does doctor Gordon react to Jay's problem?

(Dr. Gordon thinks that Jay is hallucinating and tries to give him something that will make it stop.)



10. What does Jay think of the doctor's solution?

(Jay does not like the doctor's solution and runs away.)



11. Where does Jay find a very peculiar sign?

(Jay finds the sign at the edge of town by the railroad tracks.)



12. Why doesn't Jay leave the area?

(Jay wants to get a closer look at the colorful wagon and what's inside.)



13. Who and what does Jay find inside the wagon?

(Madame Tutu and her crystal ball.)



14. What does Jay call his dreams? Why does he call them this?

(Jay calls his dreams the circus, because that's what it reminds him of.)



15. How does Madame Tutu explain Jay's ability?

(Madame Tutu explains that Jay is a dreamer and that she knows of more dreamers.)



16. How does Jay react to the fact that he is not the only dreamer?

(Jay wants to know where he can find them.)



17. Who is Lancelot?

(Lancelot is Madame Tutu's mule.)



18. Why does Madame Tutu struggle with him?

(Madame Tutu struggles with Lancelot because she wants to leave, but he does not.)



19. What does Jay plan that night in his room?

(Jay plans to find other dreamers and prepares for his journey.)



20. What did Madame Tutu's wagon leave behind?

(The wagon left behind a patch of yellow dry grass.)



21. What happened as soon as Jay crossed over the tracks?

(It began to rain.)



22. What happened to the weather once the road came to an end?

(It stopped raining.)



23. What was the strange thing about Jay's nap under the tree?

(Jay did not dream of anything.)



24. What does Jay see in the distance, in the middle of a field?

(Jay sees a flame and runs to it)



25. What discovery does Jay make when he gets there?

(Jay finds a pile of old clothes, which turns out to be a man trying to stay warm.)



26. What does the man want Jay to call him?

(The man wants to be called Sir.)



27. What information does the man give Jay that will help him on his search for other dreamers?

(Sir tells Jay that there are dreamers in Reverie Creek and will help him get there.)



28. Why didn't Jay sleep very well that night?

(Jay couldn't sleep because there were noises, the ground was uncomfortable and Sir was snoring.)



29. How were Sir and Jay going to get to Reverie Creek?

(They were going to ride a freight train.)



30. What does Jay do while Sir sleeps during the train ride?

(Jay watches different things go by.)



31. How is Sir able to get off the train?

(When the train slows down he jumps off.)



32. What is so strange about Reverie Creek when Jay gets there?

(There is no one in the streets. The town is empty.)



33. What are the posters around town announcing?

(The posters are announcing that the circus is in town.)



34. What does Jay do when he realizes where everyone is?

(Jay walks to where the circus tents are and buys himself a ticket.)



35. What does Jay realize about the performers while he is watching the circus?

(Jay realizes that the performers are all dreamers too.)



36. How does Jay's life change that afternoon?

(He decides to join the dreamer's circus.)



37. What did the dreamers think Jay would be good at? Why?

(The dreamers felt Jay would be a good juggler with his feet because they were large.)



38. Why does Jay sneak back into his old house?

(Jay sneaks back into his old house because he wants to surprise his Mom and Dad in the morning.)



39. According to Jay's mom, when was the last time she had seen him?

(Jay's mom last saw him the previous day in the afternoon.)



40. Where were Jay and his parents supposed to be going that morning?

(Jay and his parents are going to the circus.)



41. At the end of the story what do we discover about Jay's journey?

(We learn that Jay's adventure was all a dream.)