I ran outside in my slippers. Whiskers led me to the big flowerpot by the garage. Sure enough, a muddy dog bone sat right in the middle of a small hole.
Whiskers did a backflip off the fence. “You saved winter!” he squeaked. “You’re not a bad listener, for a human.” Grade 4 Fsa Ela Writing Practice Test Fsassessments
The squirrel froze. He turned his tiny head and looked right at me. Then, he did something impossible. He opened his mouth and said, “Well, excuse me, sleepyhead! Some of us have work to do.” I ran outside in my slippers
“Duh,” said the squirrel. “ You can talk. The problem is, humans never listen.” Whiskers did a backflip off the fence
I gasped. My toast fell off my plate. “You… you can talk?” I whispered.
Below the story, I have included a "Why this passes" breakdown to help the student understand the structure. Imagine you wake up one day with a special power: you can talk to animals. Write a story about your first conversation with an animal. Be sure to include a beginning, a middle, and an end. Use details, dialogue, and clear sequencing. The Day the Squirrel Spoke By a 4th Grade Test Taker
