Px;font-family: ihwbgg+hmavenir;color:#ffffff;}. ft ft{font-size

Story Questions
1. 
What is the main idea of the reading passage?
a. Children enjoy free time outside.
b. Children watch too much television.
c. Children need more supervision.
d. There should be changes to the way the playground is set up and supervised.
2. 
What is meant by the term prone as used in this passage?
a. condemned
b. uncertain
c. more likely to
d. excited
3. 
According to the passage, which of the following is a reason that playgrounds are deemed unsafe?
a. Children are prone to fighting.
b. The playgrounds are not constructed correctly.
c. There is not enough cushioning beneath the playground equipment.
d. There are too many children playing on the equipment.

---

#3491 Daily Warm-Ups: Reading 
78 
©Teacher Created Resources, Inc.
Teacher Salaries
In the United States, teachers do not get paid enough. Teacher salaries have continued to be lower than 
they should be. In a country where education is of great worth, teachers are expected to bear the weight 
of teaching and educating today’s children without being adequately compensated. A comment was 
made by a middle-school student that a convenience-store clerk makes more money than a teacher does.
If the students can see the discrepancies, why can’t lawmakers and other adults?
It is very difficult to attract highly qualified teachers because the best individuals have selected better-
paying fields. They have chosen fields where they will be rewarded for their hard work and effort. The 
effects of this are that children today are falling through the cracks when it comes to their education.
They are left without the skills they need to survive in today’s world. They are reading and writing at 
low levels, and their math skills continue to decline, as well.
Some critics of raising teacher salaries state that teachers get the whole summer off and that they are 
paid for the time they spend on the job. This just isn’t the case. Most teachers spend their summers 
planning and preparing for the upcoming year. Many are also attending conferences and training 
seminars—at their own expense—to improve their teaching abilities.
Having the summer off also puts a strain on the teacher during the school year. Teachers are highly 
discouraged from using “sick days” because they had all those days off in the summer. This is 
especially difficult for teachers who have family health issues and other problems that need their 
attention. Some school districts go as far as pressuring the teachers not to use sick days so that they 
can save money in their budgets by not using substitutes. This is wrong. Now is the time for teachers 
to be duly compensated for all of their hard work and effort.
Warm-Up 7
Name _________________________ Date _________
Nonfiction: Current Events