Leading engaging lessons is easy when students read faithfully. To Kill a Mockingbird Quizzes (6 reading checks) gives you an easy way to motivate students and reward habitual reading.
To Kill a Mockingbird Quiz #1
To Kill a Mockingbird Quiz 1 (Chapters 1-5) PDF
(Scroll down to cut and past the questions from this page.)
To Kill a Mockingbird Quizzes reading schedule
Performing a reading check after each of the 31 chapters of TKM is a bit much. These reading checks are based on six assigned readings. The readings are as equal as they can be without interrupting a chapter.
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Quiz 1: Chapters 1-5
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Quiz 2: Chapters 6-9
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Quiz 3: Chapters 10-14
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Quiz 4: Chapters 15-18
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Quiz 5: Chapters 19-23
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Quiz 6: Chapters 24-31
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TKM reading schedule for student reference
To Kill a Mockingbird Reading Quizzes PDF (all six)
I give students a week to read each assigned reading, so they have plenty of time to read in a way that works for them or to access reading support. For example, the teacher might administer reading checks every Tuesday and then proceed to the lessons for the given section of TKM. Of course, the pace of reading is easily adjusted; trust your judgment.
Using To Kill a Mockingbird Reading Quizzes
Maximize instructional time. Each quiz has 10 multiple-choice questions, so they are quick to administer, quick to score, and objective.
Set students up for success. Students should recognize that careful reading results in an easy A. You may want to give students who score 8 or better full credit, as they clearly read the book.
Foster habitual reading. Some students seem perpetually lost in the pages of a book. For most students, however, the distractions of modern life are too much. Motivating students to read regularly pays dividends in increased reading levels and cognitive development.
Require reading as homework. Since we are avoiding copious mounds of packets, we can use the quiz score as a homework grade. If reading is homework, the quiz is a fair and efficient way to give credit.
Use tricky distractors. Students who are choosing answers based on a summary or trying to cross-reference quiz questions will often guess incorrectly.
Make necessary accommodations. You can adjust the scoring, change the venue, cross off some choices, print in a larger format, allow access to notes, etc. based on a student’s needs.
Save paper. The two-column format allows you to print two quizzes on a single sheet of paper. The smaller font also minimizes the likelihood of academic dishonesty.
Maintain quiz security. These To Kill a Mockingbird reading checks are one-sided. I pass out the quiz face down and have the students wait to start at the same time. This allows me to observe students carefully. Students signal that they are finished by turning the quiz over. I do not collect until all students have finished.
Are TKM reading quizzes the best approach?
Nothing discourages a teacher more than realizing that only a small minority of the class read the assignment. So much for my carefully-prepared lesson plan.
There are many intellectually stimulating approaches to hold students accountable for reading. In thirteen years of teaching, I have tried many of them, but none have matched the effectiveness of a simple set of comprehension questions.
It would be wonderful if critical thinking questions, lit. circle role sheets, reading logs, and the like resulted in faithful reading. These approaches would be worth the extra preparation and grading effort – if they actually worked. In reality, many students Google the questions, copy from friends, or lamely jot down vague responses.
I would rather have students skip the deep thoughts and come to class prepared, so that meaningful analysis, critical thinking, and engagement can follow.
To Kill a Mockingbird comprehension questions to cut and past
1) Who is narrating (telling the story)?
A. Scout
B. Jem
C. Atticus
D. Unknown
E. A reporter
2) What does Atticus (Scout and Jem’s father) do for a living?
A. Farmer
B. Lawyer
C. Store owner
D. He “buys cotton.”
3) Scout, Jem, and Dill like to pass time…
A. Playing sports.
B. Building forts and castles.
C. Training animals.
D. Playing board games and card games.
E. Acting out stories.
4) Boo Radley is infamous (famous for a bad reason) for…
A. Stabbing his father with scissors.
B. Crashing a car into the pharmacy.
C. Leaving his pregnant wife.
D. Voting Republican.
E. Assaulting African Americans on the street.
5) Dill dares Jem to…
A. Cut Scout’s hair.
B. Touch the Radley house.
C. Kiss Amelia Jenkins.
D. Punch him as hard as he can.
E. Steal Miss Caroline’s figurines.
6) Miss Caroline is angry when she discovers that Scout…
A. Stole from the donation plate.
B. Has been hiding in the broom closet.
C. Has been reading on her own.
D. Has been passing notes in class.
7) Mr. Cunningham is paying Atticus by…
A. Giving him fifty cents a month.
B. Fixing his car for him.
C. Giving him farm produce.
D. Trick question! He refuses to pay him back.
8) Where does Scout discover the hidden goodies?
A. In a school locker
B. In a tree
C. At the bottom of the swimming hole
D. In Atticus’ desk
E. Buried in the flour sack
9) Scout ends up on the Radley property when…
A. Trick question! She never goes on the Radley property.
B. She falls on to it by accident.
C. She goes there to try to make a sale.
D. Her father forces her to apologize.
10) When Scout has a conflict with someone, her first impulse is to…
A. Surrender and do what they want.
B. Run away and tell Calpurnia or Atticus.
C. Fight.
D. Try to work out an agreement.
I made To Kill a Mockingbird Quizzes for teachers who need an efficient, effective way to motivate students to read this influential novel. Of course, the comprehension-level questions do not teach the students anything, but they are necessary to ensure that students can engage.
If you are following this reading schedule, you might also want to use the six sets of To Kill a Mockingbird Discussion Questions.
Looking for a reading test for the whole book? Check out To Kill a Mockingbird Reading Test (whole-book reading check)