Reading – Right Choices
Liam was a third-grade student at Sunny Hill Elementary School. He was curious, friendly, and full of energy. But there was one problem: Liam found it very hard to control himself when it was time to study. Every afternoon after school, Liam ran into the house, dropped his backpack on the floor, and turned on the TV or his tablet.
“Just five minutes,” he told himself.
But five minutes always became thirty, and soon his homework was forgotten. One day, Liam’s teacher, Ms. Carter, spoke to the class about learning habits.
“Good students are not perfect,” she said kindly. “They learn how to control their time and their choices.”
Liam listened, but he wasn’t sure how to do that. That evening, Liam’s mom noticed his unfinished homework again. Instead of getting angry, she sat next to him.
“Liam,” she said, “would you like to try a new idea?” Liam nodded.
She brought out a small kitchen timer.
“This is your quiet timer,” she explained. “You study for 15 minutes. When the timer rings, you can take a short break.”
Liam looked at the timer. “Only 15 minutes?” he asked.
“Yes,” Mom smiled. “You can do anything for 15 minutes.”
The next day, Liam tried it. He put his phone in another room and sat at the table. At first, his legs moved, and his eyes looked around. He wanted to stop. But then he thought, I can do this. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. When the timer rang, Liam was surprised. He had finished one whole page of math.
“Wow,” he said quietly. Each day, Liam used the quiet timer.
Slowly, something changed. He didn’t feel as angry when studying. He started finishing his homework faster. He even felt proud. At school, Ms. Carter noticed.
“Liam,” she said one afternoon, “you are showing great self-control.”
Liam smiled. That word—self-control—sounded important. One Friday, Liam faced a big test. His friend Jake whispered,
“Want to play games instead of studying?”
Liam wanted to say yes. His favorite game was calling his name. But then he remembered the timer.
“I’ll play later,” Liam said. “I need to study first.”
Jake looked surprised, but nodded. That night, Liam studied, took breaks, and stayed calm. When the test results came back, Liam didn’t get a perfect score—but he did his best. Ms. Carter gave him a sticker that said: “Strong Choices.” Liam realized something important: self-control didn’t mean saying no to fun forever. It meant choosing the right thing at the right time. From then on, Liam kept his quiet timer on his desk—not just for schoolwork, but as a reminder that he was in control of his choices. And every time the timer rang, Liam smiled.
Questions
What was Liam’s main problem at the beginning of the story?
A. He didn’t like school
B. He had trouble controlling his study time
C. He didn’t understand math
D. He was not friendly
What is the “quiet timer” used for?
A. Playing games
B. Cooking food
C. Helping Liam study in short times
D. Sleeping
How did Liam feel after using the timer for several days?
A. Angry
B. Proud
C. Bored
D. Sleepy
Why did Liam say no to playing games with Jake?
A. He was tired
B. He was sick
C. He wanted to study first
D. He didn’t like Jake
What lesson does Liam learn at the end of the story?
A. Studying is boring
B. Tests are scary
C. Self-control helps make good choices
D. Teachers give stickers
