4th Grade Reading Challenge
Encourage your child to read the text below and answer the three short questions independently. Observe if they can complete the reading in about 2 minutes. The key is for them to use their knowledge of letter sounds to sound out the words. Ensure your child isn’t guessing the words based on pictures, context, or just recognizing the first letter.

WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
What do bees do? Most people answer the question by saying, "Bees make honey. They sting." Others may say that bees are black-and-yellow insects that live in hives. There are bees with these features. But all bees are not the same. Some can't sting. Some don't live in hives. Some are black and yellow. But there are also tropical bees that are covered in such bright reds and blues that they sparkle in the sun like little jewels. Scientists have identified at least 20,000 species of bees. A species is a group of animals with the same features. Animals of the same species can mate with each other. They then give birth to young. The young can mate with one another and give birth. Scientists believe that there may be another 20,000 species of bees that have not yet been identified.
Why are there so many species of bees? To survive in nature, some bee species have developed special ways to live together, while other species have developed unique skills and behaviors. Over a long time, a group of bees can change so much that it becomes a new species. Every species of bee is different in features such as size, shape, and color or where and how they live. But bees have one activity in common. The activity that species of bees share is collecting pollen. Pollen is a powder-like material that is given off from the male part of flowers. This material needs to be moved to the female part of flowers if plants are to produce seeds. Bees help plants reproduce as they carry pollen from flower to flower. Bees help plant species survive and thrive. Without plants, most human beings and animals would not survive. Now you know the true answer to the question of what bees do.