Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

CHAPTERS 1-3

Reading Check

1. What is the balloon that Pa creates for Laura and Mary made out of?

2. Which days of the week does Laura like best?

3. Who was the Voice in the Woods that Pa heard as a child?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does the Ingalls family do with most of the venison?

2. Why won’t Grandpa go into the woods without his gun?

3. Why aren’t Mary and Laura scared when Pa goes into the Big Woods alone?

Paired Resource

“​​Food Preservation in the Nineteenth Century”

• This page describes different methods of food preservation used in the 19th century.
• The information in this article connects to the theme Hard Work and Self-Reliance in Frontier Life.
• What does each member of the family do to prepare for the winter? What other methods of food preservation were used by western settlers that were not mentioned in the novel?

CHAPTERS 4-6

Reading Check

1. What does Pa make for Ma’s Christmas present?

2. What animal did Grandpa pick up on his sled?

3. What does Pa think was a bear on his way back from town?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why aren’t the other girls jealous of Laura’s Christmas presents?

2. According to Ma in Chapter 5, why is it “harder for little girls” to be good?

3. Why isn’t Ma afraid of the bear?

Paired Resource

“Family Storytelling and the Benefits for Children”

• This article from the University of Nevada discusses the importance of storytelling as a family activity.
• The ideas in this resource may provide an opportunity to discuss the theme Family Life.
• What lessons do Mary and Laura learn from Pa’s stories? What are some benefits and drawbacks to using storytelling as a way of teaching?

CHAPTERS 7-9

Reading Check

1. What type of dress does Ma wear to the dance?

2. What does Grandma cook that makes the whole house smell good?

3. What does the shopkeeper give to Mary and Laura?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why is the snow in Chapter 7 called “sugar snow”?

2. Why do the two Lauras argue?

3. How does Laura tear her dress?

Paired Resource

“How to Tap Trees for Syrup”

• This brief how-to article from Modern Farmer summarizes the steps in making maple syrup.
• The topic offers a chance to discuss the theme Hard Work and Self-Reliance in Frontier Life.
• What process steps in this article parallel Pa’s description of Grandpa’s syrup-making in Chapter 7 and Grandma’s actions during the dance in Chapter 8?

CHAPTERS 10-13

Reading Check

1. What is the original color of the cheese that Ma makes?

2. What does Charley jump on?

3. What does Ma make out of straw?

4. What do the Ingallses eat when Pa comes back from hunting?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Laura slap Mary?

2. Why does Pa say in Chapter 11 that Charley is a “little liar”?

3. How does Pa feel about the threshing machine?

4. Why are Mary and Laura surprised when Pa comes back from hunting?

Paired Resource

“Age-Appropriate Chores for Children (and Why They’re Not Doing Them)”

• This opinion in The New York Times discusses the debate among modern families regarding a Montessori list of age-appropriate chores and the value of children’s chores in general.
• This resource connects to the themes Social Duty and Values and Family Life, and it may provide some ideas for class discussion on the children’s chores in the novel.

Recommended Next Reads 

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

• This novel continues Laura’s story as she and her family move west to Kansas.
• Shared themes include Hard Work and Self-Reliance in Frontier Life, Family Life, and Social Duty and Values.   
• Shared topics include life on the western frontier in the 19th century.       
• Little House on the Prairie on SuperSummary

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

• Set in 1860s Wisconsin, this novel follows the adventures of a young girl named Caddie as she defies traditional gender roles, explores the frontier, and forms a bond with her family and the Indigenous community in her area.
• Shared themes include Hard Work and Self-Reliance in Frontier Life, Family Life, and Social Duty and Values.   
• Shared topics include life on the western frontier in the 19th century.    
• Caddie Woodlawn on SuperSummary