Questions check comprehension, not spoken reading. Choose by sound readiness, not age alone. Prepare these story words: Ben Meg had a red pen pad set the on got tan. A helper models unfamiliar sounds and the words a and the, including their unstressed sounds. The helper may read the title, model and questions aloud. Try each story sentence before hearing it; point under every word, blend known sounds and ask for help. Then reread together and tell what happened. Keep help separate from a first independent attempt; accept dialect differences. No timer or recording is needed. These are invented stories, not activities to act out.
Worked example
Helper model, not part of the story: Dad had a hat. Who had a hat? Dad. Point to Dad in the sentence. The sentence does not give the color of the hat. First look back at the words, then choose an answer. A helper can point to the relevant sentence, model one needed sound, or read it together before another try.
The Red Pen
Ben had a red pen. Meg had a pad. Ben set the pen on the pad. Meg got the red pen. Ben got a tan pen.