El Deafo Reading Comprehension Questions
by Cece Bell
Book Summary
El Deafo is a graphic novel autobiography by Cece Bell. It tells the story of her childhood after she loses her hearing due to meningitis at age four. Cece navigates the challenges of wearing a powerful hearing aid called the Phonic Ear, moving to a new town, and struggling to make friends who understand her. She often feels isolated and self-conscious about her differences. Over time, Cece learns to embrace her unique hearing, imagining herself as a superhero named 'El Deafo' with special hearing 'powers'. She ultimately finds true friendship and self-acceptance.
Reading Comprehension Questions
Use these 14 questions to check understanding and spark deeper thinking about El Deafo.
1.What illness caused Cece to lose her hearing when she was four years old?
2.What special device did Cece use to help her hear her teachers?
3.Why was it hard for Cece to make friends when she moved to a new town?
4.Why did Cece imagine herself as a superhero named "El Deafo"?
5.How did Cece likely feel when Laura was being bossy and Ginny didn't understand her needs?
6.What can you guess about Martha's character based on how she treated Cece?
7.What is one main lesson Cece learns about herself by the end of the story?
8.What does the story teach us about true friendship?
9.How can you tell that Cece's feelings about her Phonic Ear changed from the beginning to the end of the story?
10.In the story, Cece felt "self-conscious" about her Phonic Ear. What does "self-conscious" mean?
11.When Cece started to "embrace" her unique hearing, what did she do?
12.What does the word "unique" mean when the story says Cece realized her hearing loss made her unique?
13.If you were Cece, how would you feel about having a special hearing aid that allowed you to hear your teacher from anywhere? What would be the best and hardest parts?
14.Cece had trouble finding true friends at first. What qualities do you think are most important in a good friend, and why?
Key Vocabulary
Important words from El Deafo to discuss with your child.
Discussion Prompts
Great conversation starters for parents and teachers reading El Deafo with children.
What was your favorite part of El Deafo? Why did it stand out to you?
If you could talk to any character from El Deafo, who would you choose and what would you ask them?
How did El Deafo make you feel? Can you describe a moment that surprised you?
Would you recommend El Deafo to a friend? What would you tell them about it?
What lesson or message do you think Cece Bell wanted young readers to learn from this story?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What reading level is El Deafo?
El Deafo by Cece Bell is recommended for grades 1-3 readers with an AR level of 3.5. It's an excellent choice for building reading comprehension skills at this level.
What are good comprehension questions for El Deafo?
ReadBuddy provides 14 carefully crafted comprehension questions for El Deafo, covering literal comprehension, vocabulary, and inference skills. These questions help students engage deeply with the story.
How can I use El Deafo for reading practice?
Read the book together or independently, then use ReadBuddy's comprehension questions to check understanding. Focus on vocabulary words, discuss character motivations, and encourage your child to make connections to their own experiences.
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