A Chair for my Mother
A young girl, her mother, and her grandmother lost all of their belongings in a house fire. Generous friends, neighbors, and family replaced many things, but they still had no soft comfortable chair. They all placed their coins in a large jar for a long time until they saved enough money to buy a beautiful chair to share.
Interested in using this resource in your classroom? Check out the posters that go along with this book: Saving, Consumers, Economic Wants, Goods & Services.
Author: Vera B. Williams
Published: 1982
Reading Level: 4 – 8
Accelerated Reader Level/Points: .5
Lexile Measure: 640
Publisher: Greenwillow
Comprehension Questions
Answer 1
Answer 2
Comprehension Questions
What did the family want to buy? Why?
They wanted a soft, comfortable chair because their other chair and sofa were lost in a fire.
Why didn’t they just buy a new one?
They did not have enough money.
How were they able to buy a new chair at the end of the story?
They had saved enough money in the large jar.
How did the little girl earn money to save?
She worked at the restaurant with her mother. Her mother’s boss would pay her.
What money would the mother add to the savings jar?
She would add the coins she earned from tips at the restaurant.
How did the grandmother increase the savings?
She would shop for the family’s food at the market. Anytime she received a bargain price, she would put the savings into the savings jar.
What happened after they filled the savings jar with coins?
They rolled the coins and exchanged them at the bank for bills. They took the money downtown to purchase a new chair.
What will they probably do with the empty jar?
Answers will vary: They will probably start saving again for something else they want to buy.
Standards
Common Core State Standards
LA.1.RL.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.