Text Leveling System

Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

RDQ:	1617	Max Word/Sent	54	Total Words	2034		Diff Words	653
Lex	840	Ave Word/.Sent	9	Hi Freq occurs	1365	67.1%	Hi freq	273	41.8%
AR	4.5	Long Sentences	14.6	Low Freq occurs	115	5.7%	Low freq	91	13.9%

THE SHOW-OFF CURE
IT was a beautiful morning. A bluebird sat on a small 
branch in the flowering cherry tree and swayed gently 
back and forth. A crocus pushed his golden head 
through the tender green grass and blinked in the 
sudden sunlight. Mrs. Carmody hummed as she laid slices 
of bacon in the black iron skillet. ""Spring is my favorite 
time of year,"" she said to Mandy the dog who was 
lying in the kitchen doorway scratching a flea and waiting 
to trip somebody.
Mrs. Carmody plugged in the toaster, got out the 
raspberry jam then went to the front hall and called 
up stairs to her husband, ""Jordan, breakfast!"" and to 
her little boy, ""Phillip, are you up?""
Phillip who was ten years old and still under the 
covers, called out sleepily, ""Practically all dressed, 
Mom. Be right down.""
Constance, his sister who was eleven and three quarters, 
yelled from the bathroom where she was testing 
how lipstick would look when she was thirteen, ""Phillip 
isn't even up, Mom. He won't be down for about 
ten hours.""
Phillip shouted, ""Old spy. Tattletale""
Constance said, ""Be quiet, little boy. You bore me""
Mrs. Carmody called again louder, ""Phillip get out]] 
of bed this instant. Connie, wipe off that lipstick. 
Hurry, Jordan, dear, while the toast is hot.""
She went back to the kitchen and gave the percolator 
a little shake to hurry it up. Then she walked over and 
stood by the open back door breathing deeply of the 
fragrant early morning air. Her pleasant reverie was 
suddenly broken by Mr. Carmody who came grumpily 
into the kitchen, tripped over Mandy and stepped heavily 
into her water bowl which was on the floor beside 
the stove.
Mrs. Carmody grabbed the sink sponge and began 
wiping up the water.
Mr. Carmody growled, ""Well, that's certainly a nice 
morning greeting.""
Mrs. Carmody said, ""Oh, Jordan, dear, I'm so sorry. 
Did   you get wet?""
""It doesn't matter,"" said Mr Carmody mournfully 
""Nothing matters any more.""
 ""What do you mean 'nothing matters any more '?"" 
asked Mrs. Carmody as she squeezed out the sponge.
""Just that,"" said Mr. Carmody sadly pouring almost 
the whole pitcher of cream on his shredded wheat 
biscuit.
""Are you sick?"" asked Mrs. Carmody peering 
anxiously at him.
""No, I am not sick,"" he said. ""Or at least I'm not 
physically sick. Just sick at heart.""
Mrs. Carmody buttered the toast, put the plates in to 
warm, stirred the eggs, lifted the bacon on to a paper 
towel to drain, checked the color of the coffee, refilled 
Mandy's water bowl, then said, ""What in the world]] 
are you talking about, Jordan? You don't make sense.""
""He makes sense to me,"" said Connie flouncing into the kitchen. ""Because I feel the same way. I'm so ashamed I could die.""
""What in the world are you talking about?"" said Mrs. Carmody. ""Are you ready for your eggs, Jordan?""
""I suppose so,"" said Mr. Carmody dolefully. Quickly Mrs. Carmody took the plates out of the oven, divided the eggs into four equal portions, added a dash of paprika, laid on four strips of bacon and two pieces of toast, carried two of the plates to the table and snapped them down in front of her husband and daughter. ""Now,"" she said folding her arms, ""tell me what this is all about.""
Connie picked up a piece of bacon and began nibbling at it. ""Well,"" she said, ""if you really want to know.""
""I do,"" said her mother.
""Well,"" Connie said, ""the point is that Phillip is ruining all our lives and you won't face it.""
""Ruining our lives! Phillip?"" said Mrs. Carmody. ""Don't be ridiculous.""
""I'm not being ridiculous,"" said Connie. ""Phillip is such a disgusting little show-off I'm ashamed to bring my friends home any more. What about last night? He disgraced poor Daddy."".
Mrs. Carmody gazed at her daughter intently for a minute then said, ""Connie, you've got on lipstick again. Go upstairs and wash it off.""
""Oh, honestly,"" Connie sighed heavily. ""Every single ]]
girl in the whole United States of America wears lipstick but me. I'm just a freak. A poor freak with a disgusting little brother.""
""Yes, yes, I know,"" said her mother. ""Go up and wash the lipstick off.""
When she was sure she could hear Connie's furious footsteps on the stairs she turned to her husband and said, ""Now, Jordan, dear, what is all this?""
Mr. Carmody said, ""Meg, Phillip is an obnoxious little show-off. Last night was the worst I've ever seen him, and Bob Waltham is my most important client and frankly I wouldn't blame him if he never came into this house again.""
""Oh, Jordan,"" said Mrs. Carmody laughing. ""Phillip was just trying to be entertaining.""
""Do you call putting a whole baked potato in his mouth entertaining? Do you call drinking an entire glass of water without stopping, then choking and turning purple and spitting water all over the table entertaining? Do you call looking cross-eyed, touching his chin with his tongue, wiggling his ears, standing on his head, reciting the alphabet backwards and forwards and sideways and upside down, entertaining? Well, I don't. AND NEITHER DID BOB WALTHAM!""
""Now, Jordan,"" said Mrs. Carmody. ""You know that Bob Waltham is a stuffy old bore. You've said so yourself, and after all Phillip is only ten. He's just a little boy. You shouldn't be so hard on him.""
""You mean, he shouldn't be so hard on me,"" said Mr. Carmody angrily ripping a piece of bread in half.]] 
""Meg, something has to be done about that boy. Now! Today!""
Just then Phillip came rattling down the stairs and skidded into the breakfast room. ""Hi, Dad. Hi, Mom,"" he said cheerfully.
""Morning,"" said Mr. Carmody grumpily. ""Good morning, Phillip, dear,"" said Mrs. Carmody. Phillip sat down, grabbed the sugar bowl and began dumping sugar on his shredded wheat biscuit.
""Not so much sugar, honey,"" said his mother. Phillip added two more heaping teaspoons of sugar then dumped the rest of the pitcher of cream on his cereal.
Looking brightly, eagerly at his father he said, ""Hey,]] 
Dad, want to watch me put this whole shredded wheat biscuit in my mouth all at once?""
""I DO NOT,"" said his father.
""Not even if I whistle Dixie with it in my mouth?""
""NO!"" roared his father.
""Eat your breakfast, dear,"" said his mother putting a fresh pitcher of cream on the table.
""What if I - "" Phillip began.
""STOP TALKING!"" bellowed his father.
Connie who had come downstairs and was standing unnoticed in the doorway said, ""What a repulsive little show-off! My gosh, Mother, can't you see how disgusting he is?""
""My gosh, Mother, can't you see how disgusting he is?"" mimicked Phillip in a high squeaky voice. ""Shoot him, Mother! Kill him! Cut him up with the butcher knife. Mommy, he embarrasses me in front of my stupid, ugly, giggling friends.""
""Now children,"" said Mrs. Carmody gently.
Mr. Carmody glared around the table and said fiercely, ""I want absolute quiet!""
""My gosh, Dad, what's the matter?"" asked Phillip. ""Are you sick or something?""
""Yes, I'm sick or something,"" said Mr. Carmody savagely jabbing a spoon into the raspberry jam.
""I'll get you an aspirin,"" said Phillip sliding out of his chair. ""I'll get two aspirins and I'll carry them all the way downstairs on my nose. Watch me.""
""SIT STILL!"" shouted Mr. Carmody. ""Sit still and eat your breakfast and DON'T TALK.""
""Well, okay,"" said Phillip. ""But you don't have to be so crabby.""
""BE QUIET!"" yelled his father.]] 
Phillip gave him a reproachful look, sat down again and began to eat his shredded wheat biscuit.
Mrs. Carmody brought her plate and Phillip's from the kitchen and sat down. She looked out the window at the pale pink cherry blossoms and the clear sky and the fat bluebird swaying on the branch but she no longer felt happy. She took a sip of coffee which was lukewarm and looked around the breakfast table.
Phillip was eating busily but the minute she looked at him he grinned broadly and whispered, ""Hey, Mom, want to watch me balance my cocoa cup on my forehead?""
She smiled, shook her head and motioned for him to be quiet.
""Even if it's clear full of boiling hot cocoa?"" She shook her head.
""Even if it has the spoon in it?"" She shook her head.
""What a bunch of crabpatches,"" Phillip said.
""QUIET!"" bellowed his father.
Philip reached for the jam dish and began sulkily emptying it on to his plate.
When breakfast was at last over and everyone had left for work or school Mrs. Carmody heated up the coffee, poured herself a cup and sat down at the table to look at the morning paper. Just as she opened the paper the corner of her eye caught a glimpse of something white on the floor under Phillip's chair. She reached over and picked up a small folded piece of paper. She opened it up, smoothed it out and read:

Dear Mrs. Carmody;
I am having a little difficulty with Phillip. Will]] 
you please call me at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Edith Perriwinkle.

Mrs. Carmody looked at her watch - it was four minutes to nine - perhaps she could get Miss Perriwinkle before the bell rang. She hurried into the hall and dialed the number of the school.
When Miss Perriwinkle heard Mrs. Carmody's anxious worried voice she said, ""I didn't intend to worry you Mrs. Carmody-it isn't anything serious-it is just that Phillip has become quite a . . . quite a. .
""Show-off,"" said Mrs. Carmody.
""Well, yes,"" said Miss Perriwinkle. ""I guess that is the right word. I also must admit that he is very entertaining and his little schoolmates think he is very funny and laugh at everything he does. Unfortunately he no longer confines his antics to recess and the schoolyard so I have to take steps. Which is why I wrote the note.""
""Well,"" said Mrs. Carmody, ""I should have seen it coming, because we are having our problems with him at home, too. Have you any suggestions?""
""Yes, I have,"" said Miss Perriwinkle. ""I think you should call Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. You've heard of her haven't you ?""
""I've heard the name,"" said Mrs. Carmody. ""Is she some sort of doctor?""
""Oh, my no,"" said Miss Perriwinkle. ""She is just a very nice little woman who loves and understands children and has a very magic way of curing their bad habits. Her telephone is Vinemaple 1-2345.""]] 
""Just a minute while I get a pencil,"" said Phillip's mother.
Of course she couldn't find a pencil but she did finally find a broken green crayon with which she wrote down Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's telephone number on the back of the gas bill.
Mrs. Carmody's hand was shaking as she dialed the number but Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle had such a warm friendly voice that Mrs. Carmody got right over her nervousness and told her all about Phillip.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle laughed and said, ""Isn't it a shame that children can't be all evened up? I mean some are show-offs and some are shy and some are quiet and some are noisy and some laugh too much and some cry too much. Oh, I could go on and on but loud or quiet, shy or show-offy, timid or boisterous, children are wonderful and I love them all.""
""So do I,"" said Phillip's mother. ""And actually, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Phillip's showing off doesn't bother me. But his daddy says he is obnoxious and his sister Connie says he is disgusting and this morning his teacher Miss Perriwinkle told me that he is getting out of hand.""
""Well,"" said Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, ""if it were only his older sister who complained about Phillip I would be inclined to let time work things out, but as long as Phillip is annoying his daddy and Miss Perriwinkle who is one of the best fifth-grade teachers in this county, then we had better take steps.""
""Take steps?"" quavered Phillip's mother. ""What do you mean by steps?"" .
""Oh, it's very simple,"" said Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.]]

Subjective Criteria

Illustrations: Little support

Dialog: Multiple speakers

Dialog: Broken dialogue

Dialog: Unlabeled Speaker

Vocabulary: Some difficult words

Language: Many descriptive words

Sentences: Some Long/Complex

Text structure: Story/Poem

Inferences: Several Implications

Complexity: Several unrelated ideas

Concepts: Concrete/Simple Social

Concepts: Abstract/Complex Social

Table of Contents

Chapters

Author's purpose: Obvious

Features

Character traits

Character development

Topic

Feelings/Emotions

Behaviors

Helping

*Family & Friends

*Feelings, Behaviors

Low Frequency Words

absolute	angrily	anxious	anxiously	aspirin
aspirins	biscuit	boisterous	busily	butcher
client	confines	convenience	crabpatches	crocus
cure	curing	dialed	disgraced	dixie
dolefully	earliest	edith	embarrasses	entertaining
evened	eyed	fiercely	flouncing	flowering
fragrant	furious	gazed	giggling	glared
glimpse	grumpily	heavily	honestly	inclined
instant	intend	intently	lukewarm	mimicked
motioned	mournfully	nervousness	obnoxious	offy
paprika	peering	percolator	perriwinkle	physically
piggle	pleasant	portions	pouring	practically
quavered	raspberry	rattling	reciting	reproachful
repulsive	reverie	ridiculous	savagely	schoolmates
schoolyard	sideways	sincerely	skidded	skillet
sleepily	sliding	smoothed	sponge	stirred
suggestions	sulkily	tattletale	teaspoons	timid
unfortunately	unnoticed	vinemaple	waltham	wears
wiggle's