1. Comfortable Old Chair
by Karla Kuskin
RID Revised 9/09

2. 1 Which sentence best states the main idea of the poem?
A. Everyone wants an old chair.
B. Everyone owns a good book.
C. Everyone needs a special place.
LC 01: Demonstrate understanding of theme or message and supporting details (Reading GLE 2.1.3)

3. 2 What is the meaning of the phrase “make moving pictures in my
head” in line 12 of the poem?
A. The speaker imagines the story in her mind while she reads.
B. The speaker changes the words around while she reads.
C. The speaker watches a movie while she reads.
LC 03: Make inferences or predictions based on the reading (Reading GLE 2.1.5)

4. 3 Who might appreciate this poem the most?
A. Someone who enjoys studying
B. Someone who likes long words
C. Someone who has an active imagination
LA 10: Extend information beyond text—apply information, give a response to reading, express insight gained from reading (Reading GLEs 2.4.1, 2.4.5)

5. 4 The poet says it is important to have a special place. Use two
details from the poem that explain why it is important to have a
special place.
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LA 09: Analyze author’s purpose and evaluate effectiveness for different audiences (Reading GLEs 2.4.2, 2.4.3, 2.4.4)

6. 2
A 2-point response provides two text-based details that explain why it is important to have a special place.
Example: The poet says that it’s good to have a perfect place to read. And the poet also says that it’s good to have a spot where you can think. 1
A 1-point response provides one text-based detail that explains why it is important to have a special place. .

7. Text-based details may include, but are not limited to the following:
So you can have:
A place to be comfortable / a home
The perfect place to read / let the words flow over you
The stories you’ve read make or imagine moving pictures in your head
A spot to brood / (free thinking) think in
A spot to plot
Spot to dream
A spot to scheme
A spot to be (imagine) anything / any person / anywhere
A place to rest / relax / sleep
Where my book is

8. 2
4 The poet says it is important to have a special place. Use two
details from the poem that explain why it is important to have a
special place.
This response provides more than two details from the poem that explain why it is important to have a special place.
B. ...you can read...
I. It’s good to relax...
D. ...you can think...
B. ...she is reading a book…

9. 2
4 The poet says it is important to have a special place. Use two
details from the poem that explain why it is important to have a
special place.
This response provides two details from the poem that explain why it is important to have a special place.
F. ...a place to dream.
B. ...a place to say thing silenly to your self.

10. 1
4 The poet says it is important to have a special place. Use two
details from the poem that explain why it is important to have a
special place.
This response provides one detail from the poem that explain why it is important to have a special place.
A. To have comfort...
A. To be safe at home.
The two details from bullet A count as one score point.

11. 1
4 The poet says it is important to have a special place. Use two
details from the poem that explain why it is important to have a
special place.
This response provides one detail from the poem that explain why it is important to have a special place.
H. ...what you won’t to be in your imagination...
H. ...you can go places…in your imagination.
The two details from bullet H count as one score point.

12. 4 The poet says it is important to have a special place. Use two
details from the poem that explain why it is important to have a
special place.
This response provides no details from the poem that explain why it is important to have a special place.