Elephants Cannot Dance! Reading Comprehension Questions
by Mo Willems
Part of the Elephant & Piggie series · Book 9 of 25
Book Summary
Piggie wants to teach Gerald the elephant how to dance. Gerald looks in a book and says elephants cannot dance, but he tries anyway. He keeps messing up the moves, but some watching squirrels think his mistakes are a cool new dance!
Reading Comprehension Questions
Use these 8 questions to check understanding and spark deeper thinking about Elephants Cannot Dance!.
1.What does Piggie want Gerald to do at the beginning of the story?
2.How does Gerald know that elephants cannot dance?
3.What happens when Piggie tells Gerald to step forward?
4.Piggie tells Gerald to 'spin.' What does 'spin' mean?
5.Why does Gerald yell, 'Elephants cannot dance!' and stop trying?
6.What does this story teach us about making mistakes?
7.Have you ever tried to learn something new that was hard? How did it make you feel?
8.If you made up a new dance like Gerald did, what would you call it and what would the moves be?
Key Vocabulary
Important words from Elephants Cannot Dance! to discuss with your child.
Discussion Prompts
Great conversation starters for parents and teachers reading Elephants Cannot Dance! with children.
What was your favorite part of Elephants Cannot Dance!? Why did it stand out to you?
If you could talk to any character from Elephants Cannot Dance!, who would you choose and what would you ask them?
How did Elephants Cannot Dance! make you feel? Can you describe a moment that surprised you?
Would you recommend Elephants Cannot Dance! to a friend? What would you tell them about it?
What lesson or message do you think Mo Willems wanted young readers to learn from this story?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What reading level is Elephants Cannot Dance!?
Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Willems is recommended for grades K-1 readers with an AR level of 1.2. It's an excellent choice for building reading comprehension skills at this level.
What are good comprehension questions for Elephants Cannot Dance!?
ReadBuddy provides 8 carefully crafted comprehension questions for Elephants Cannot Dance!, covering literal comprehension, vocabulary, and inference skills. These questions help students engage deeply with the story.
How can I use Elephants Cannot Dance! 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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