Home

Reading & Math for K-5

  • Kindergarten
  • Learning numbers
  • Comparing numbers
  • Place Value
  • Roman numerals
  • Subtraction
  • Multiplication
  • Order of operations
  • Drills & practice
  • Measurement
  • Factoring & prime factors
  • Proportions
  • Shape & geometry
  • Data & graphing
  • Word problems
  • Children's stories
  • Leveled Stories
  • Context clues
  • Cause & effect
  • Compare & contrast
  • Fact vs. fiction
  • Fact vs. opinion
  • Main idea & details
  • Story elements
  • Conclusions & inferences
  • Sounds & phonics
  • Words & vocabulary
  • Reading comprehension
  • Early writing
  • Numbers & counting
  • Simple math
  • Social skills
  • Other activities
  • Dolch sight words
  • Fry sight words
  • Multiple meaning words
  • Prefixes & suffixes
  • Vocabulary cards
  • Other parts of speech
  • Punctuation
  • Capitalization
  • Cursive alphabet
  • Cursive letters
  • Cursive letter joins
  • Cursive words
  • Cursive sentences
  • Cursive passages
  • Grammar & Writing

Breadcrumbs

Reading Comprehension Workbooks for Grade 3

Download & Print Only $3.49

Third Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Grade 3 stories and exercises.

Use these free, printable worksheets to practice and improve reading comprehension, vocabulary and writing. Included are fiction and non-fiction passages at a grade 3 level.  All worksheets are pdf files.

reading comprehension third grade free

Leveled stories & reading worksheets

These leveled stories worksheets are from our series of leveled reading workbooks .  Each successive level provides greater reading challenge. Reading exercises follow each story.

Children's stories

Free children's stories for third grade . Each passages isfollowed by 6 questions. These fiction and non-fiction texts are 350-450 words long.

These historical passages and fables are followed by comprehension questions.  Exercises involve recalling information directly from the text as well as concepts such as prediction, inference and character traits.

Reading comprehension exercises for grade 3

These grade 3 reading worksheets focus on specific comprehension topics such distinguishing fact from opinion and sequencing events.

What is K5?

K5 Learning offers free worksheets , flashcards  and inexpensive  workbooks  for kids in kindergarten to grade 5. Become a member  to access additional content and skip ads.

reading comprehension third grade free

Our members helped us give away millions of worksheets last year.

We provide free educational materials to parents and teachers in over 100 countries. If you can, please consider purchasing a membership ($24/year) to support our efforts.

Members skip ads and access exclusive features.

Learn about member benefits

This content is available to members only.

Join K5 to save time, skip ads and access more content. Learn More

  • Forgot Password?

Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

The 3rd grade reading comprehension activities below are coordinated with the 3rd grade spelling words curriculum on a week-to-week basis, so both can be used together as part of a comprehensive program, or each part can be used separately. The worksheets include third grade appropriate reading passages and related questions. Each worksheet (as well as the spelling words ) also includes a cross-curricular focus on earth science, physical science, history, social sciences, mathematics and life sciences. This allows students to build their reading comprehension skills and reinforce knowledge in other subject areas. There are 36 weeks of third grade worksheets, following most standard school year calendars.

Please Note: Revised worksheets were recently posted (March 2012) after discovering a few errors. We’re sorry about the inconvenience. K12reader.com relies on teachers and parents to help improve the quality of worksheets. Please contact us here if you notice any inaccuracies. Thank you!

Click on the title of each worksheets to download the printable PDF. Students should read each passage and then answer related questions. They can also write answers on another page or back of the worksheet.

Week 1 Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Reading Comprehension Worksheets & Tests

Free, printable and accessible online – made especially for the third grade

See worksheets

reading comprehension third grade free

  • ReadTheory >
  • Worksheets >
  • 3rd grade >

3rd grade worksheets instructions

All worksheets have 3 versions:.

Just the text

The text with the questions

The text with the questions and the answers

We constructed it this way in order to reduce the amount of pages you need to print. We encourage you to print the version with the answers just once, for your own reference.

Use these texts online

We more strongly encourage you to use these texts online. Other than ecological reasons, practicing reading comprehension online is also much easier to grade, simplifies tracking of progress, adaptive to the level of the specific student, and increases motivation to practice with the students.

Register to ReadTheory and unlock the answers to all worksheets on the site.

3rd grade teaching tips

One of the primary goals for third-grade readers is to learn common Latin suffixes, which helps them decode words, thus improving reading comprehension. At this age, readers should also be able to understand the main idea of an informational text, retell key details, and explain the interrelationship between the two. Use the tips outlined below to facilitate the acquisition of these skills.

Encourage the Practice of Re-Reading

Not only does re-reading a passage enable third graders to read with improved fluency, but it also encourages improved comprehension of the text. At this age, readers should be able to read approximately 90 words per minute, and using re-reading exercises will encourage the development of that level of reading fluency. Have readers reread short bursts (i.e., a sentence or paragraph) to practice these skills.

Teach Them How to Use a Dictionary

Whether a student uses a hard copy or references an online dictionary, looking up unfamiliar words helps improve reading comprehension very rapidly. Adding unfamiliar words to their lexicon – and learning how to spell those words – will also improve their understanding of the main idea and key details of a text. It’s a great way to become familiar with the meaning of Latin suffixes, too.

Ask Them to Make Predictions

A fun way to engage children in reading is to ask them to make predictions about what might happen next in a passage. Making these kinds of inferences improves their comprehension of the material, enables them to remember what they’ve read, and also challenges them to think creatively about the text.

You can also find hundreds of 3rd-grade reading comprehension worksheets available for purchase at readtheoryworkbooks.com  

3rd grade worksheets

Below are 10 reading comprehension worksheets and tests that are accurately measured to fit the 3rd grade level.

A Problem At The Fire Station

Lexile level

Num of questions

Types of questions

Central message, lesson or moral,Identifying the main topic and key ideas Identifying the author’s point of view, Cause and effect comprehension

Text & Questions

Text, Questions & Answers

Calm on job

Answering questions with evidence, Central message, Identifying the author’s point of view, Summarizing

Car For Sale!

Central message, Identifying the author’s point of view, Summarizing

Summarizing (usually with written responses), Central message

Roller Coaster

Understanding figurative language, Central message, Identifying the main topic and key ideas, Facts vs. opinions inference

Central message, Identifying the main topic and key ideas, Facts vs. opinions inference, Identifying intent and conclusions

The New Law

Facts vs. opinions inference, Identifying intent and conclusions, Central message, Identifying the main topic and key ideas

Thinking First

Central message, lesson or moral, Identifying the main topic and key ideas, Identifying intent and conclusions

Summarizing (usually with written responses), Central message, lesson or moral, Identifying the main topic and key ideas.

Where We Live

Central message, lesson or moral ,Identifying the author’s point of view

Bring ReadTheory to your school or district

  • Child Login
  • Number Sense
  • Measurement
  • Pre Algebra
  • Figurative Language
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reading and Writing
  • Science Worksheets
  • Social Studies Worksheets
  • Math Worksheets
  • ELA Worksheets
  • Online Worksheets

Browse By Grade

  • Become a Member

Grammar

  • Kindergarten

Worksheets by Grade

  • Active and Passive Voice
  • Capitalization
  • Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
  • Conditionals
  • Conjunctions
  • Contractions
  • Determiners and Quantifiers
  • Diagramming Sentences
  • Direct and Indirect Objects
  • Direct and Indirect Speech
  • Double Negatives
  • Interjections
  • Parts of Speech
  • Phrasal Verbs
  • Prepositions
  • Punctuation
  • Question Words
  • Sentences for Beginners
  • Shift in Verb Tenses
  • Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences
  • Subject and Object Complements
  • Subject and Predicate
  • Subject-Verb Agreement
  • Tag Questions
  • Transition Words
  • Types of Sentences

Vocabulary

  • Abbreviation
  • Alphabetical Order
  • Collocations
  • Commonly Confused Words
  • Compound Words
  • Connotations and Denotations
  • Crossword Puzzles
  • Positive and Negative Connotations
  • Shades of Meaning
  • Sorting and Categorizing
  • Word Search

Figurative Language

  • Alliteration
  • Onomatopoeia
  • Personification
  • Proverbs and Adages
  • Rhyming Words

Phonics

  • Beginning Sounds
  • Consonant Blends
  • Consonant Digraphs
  • Ending Sounds
  • Long and Short Vowels
  • Middle Sounds
  • R-Controlled Vowels
  • Silent Letters
  • Vowel Digraphs

Reading Comprehension

  • Kindergarten Reading Comprehension
  • Grade 1 Reading Comprehension
  • Grade 2 Reading Comprehension
  • Grade 3 Reading Comprehension
  • Grade 4 Reading Comprehension
  • Grade 5 Reading Comprehension
  • Grade 6 Reading Comprehension
  • Grade 7 Reading Comprehension
  • Grade 8 Reading Comprehension

Reading and Writing

  • Alphabet and Letters
  • Cause and Effect
  • Dictionary Skills
  • Editing and Proofreading
  • Facts and Opinions
  • Making Predictions
  • Word Recognition

Reading Comprehension Worksheets for Grade 3

  • Language Arts >
  • Reading Comprehension >

Our free 3rd grade reading comprehension worksheets provide opportunities for kids to demonstrate a clear understanding of a text by referring explicitly to parts of it. They determine the meaning of new words using contextual clues, recount key details, categorize information, find causes and effects, understand characters, and more.

Our pdf reading passage worksheets are perfect for children in grade 3.

A Trip to the Aquarium

Gabe would visit the aquarium, dine at the café, and then recount everything to Granny. Find the moral and answer the questions in this 3rd grade fictional passage.

A Trip to the Aquarium

Cooking in the Kitchen

To the excitement of David, the food is yummy, so he doesn't leave a morsel behind. Scan through this printable reading comprehension passage and answer the questions.

Cooking in the Kitchen

Learning in the Library

All the information collected from the books should help Dylan's school project stand out; this story will have an inspiring effect on kids as they read on to answer the questions.

Learning in the Library

From sporting bright colors to being able to mimic human speech, macaws are a source of amusement, as you'll explore while reading the story and following it up with a matching exercise and more.

Macaws

Encourage kids to read more informational passages like "The Gecko" as they practice and master the sorting skill, among others, in this grade 3 printable reading passage.

The Gecko

A Job Well Done

Harriet and Uncle Rick come up trumps at the end of this planting-trees story, thanks in no small part to Uncle Rick's instructions. The questions included address several key reading skills.

A Job Well Done

The MCQs and the moral-of-the-story question included in this pdf work well to support kids' moral development, information retention, reviewing chops, and critical thinking.

Mail Call

The Great Chore Trade Mishap

Skim and scan this 3rd grade story comprehension worksheet, while taking in the fact that doing chores is all about teamwork and understanding.

The Great Chore Trade Mishap

Animal Adaptations

Learn three ways in which animals adapt to different environments in this grade 3 informational passage worksheet and answer questions like MCQs, sorting, and more.

Animal Adaptations

Benjamin Franklin: A Man of Many Talents

An inventor, a writer, a statesman—you name it, Benjamin Franklin is all of these things. Read this informational passage, and answer questions that center around what, how, and who.

Benjamin Franklin - A Man of Many Talents

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Read more about the 32nd president of the United States in this grade 3 reading comprehension worksheet, and prove your mettle by answering questions that mostly test your contextual understanding of the text.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Predators and Prey

The questions, asking for specific details, included in this printable informational passage tremendously boost children's ability to differentiate, identify the main idea, and more.

Predators and Prey

Much of the story's delight is found in the way Bianca and Elsa perceive spiders. Read through this pdf and distinguish between the two points of view.

Spiders

The Statue of Liberty

Learn about the Statue of Liberty soup to nuts and answer questions that put your comprehension skills to the test by covering every nook and cranny of the informational passage.

The Statue of Liberty

The White House

This printable informational reading passage tests your grade 3 kids' knowledge of history and fosters a love for the White House.

The White House

Related Printable Worksheets

▶ Grade 2 Reading Comprehension

▶ Grade 4 Reading Comprehension

Tutoringhour

What we offer, information.

  • Membership Benefits
  • How to Use Online Worksheets
  • Printing Help
  • Testimonial
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund Policy

Copyright © 2024 - Tutoringhour

Facebook

You must be a member to unlock this feature!

Sign up now for only $29.95/year — that's just 8 cents a day!

Printable Worksheets

  • 20,000+ Worksheets Across All Subjects
  • Access to Answer Key
  • Add Worksheets to "My Collections"
  • Create Custom Workbooks

Digitally Fillable Worksheets

  • 1100+ Math and ELA Worksheets
  • Preview and Assign Worksheets
  • Create Groups and Add Children
  • Track Progress

Games4esl logo

Free 3rd-Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Download these FREE 3rd-grade reading comprehension worksheets and use them in class today! These PDF worksheets are designed for readers at a grade 3 level and include both fiction and non-fiction passages. Each passage is engaging without being overly complex and is followed by five reading comprehension questions designed to help students practice extracting and interpreting information from texts.

Worksheet 1: Main Idea (Non-Fiction)

Title: a journey through the rainforest.

A 3rd grade reading comprehension worksheet about the rainforest

This first worksheet contains a short passage about the rainforest followed by five reading comprehension questions. The questions aim to help students identify the main idea of the passage and the details supporting this main idea.

Worksheet 2: Sequence Of Events (Fiction)

Title: lucy’s first soccer game.

A grade 3 reading comprehension worksheet

This next reading comprehension worksheet is a fictional passage about a girl named Lucy’s first soccer game. Students should read the passage and answer the questions on the next page. The questions aim to help students understand the sequence of events in the story.

Worksheet 3: Cause And Effect (Non-Fiction)

Title: from seed to sunflower.

A 3rd grade reading comprehension worksheet

This next worksheet asks students to read the passage and then answer questions about the cause-and-effect relationship in the life cycle of a sunflower.

Worksheet 4: Character Analysis (Fiction)

Title: charlie the brave little rabbit.

Grade 3 Reading Comprehension Worksheet

This fictional reading passage is a bout a brave rabbit named Charlie. Students are asked to read the passage and answer the reading comprehension questions on the next page. These questions aim to encourage students to analyze Charlie’s character based on his actions and decisions.

Worksheet 5: Comparing and Contrasting (Non-Fiction)

Title: polar bears and penguins.

Grade 3 Reading Comprehension Worksheet 5

This last worksheet is a non-fiction passage about the habits of polar bears and penguins. The reading comprehension questions about this passage guide students to compare and contrast the two animals based on the information in the passage.

More Reading Comprehension Worksheets

I hope you and your students enjoy these 3rd-grade reading comprehension worksheets. Before you go, check out all our many reading comprehension worksheets on a variety of topics. As always, these are FREE to use in your lessons.

  • Grades 6-12
  • School Leaders

Black History Month for Kids: Google Slides, Resources, and More!

18 Unique Third Grade Reading Comprehension Activities Your Students Will Love

Build crucial literacy skills with these fun activities

Third grade reading comprehension activities like using posting and beach balls.

By the third grade, most students are really starting to get the hang of reading. They are enthusiastic readers, with preferences for particular themes and genres and opinions about everything they read. Here are 18 third grade reading comprehension activities that will help them dig deeper into what they’re reading and build skills to carry them to the next level.

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. Build a Comprehension Cootie Catcher

collage of images for a reading cootie catcher free printable as part of third grade reading comprehension

Turn reading comprehension into a fun game with these free cootie catchers. There are three different versions available, and each has questions that will help your students dig deeper into their reading. Each cootie catcher tackles elements of third grade reading comprehension like character, plot, setting, problem, and solution, and the questions are general enough that they can be used with any book.

Learn more: The Classroom Game Nook

2. Practice determining importance

Have you ever asked a student to summarize a story, only to hear them include every little detail? Or maybe they only retell a small part of the text, excluding important characters or events. What these readers need to learn is to discriminate between what is and what isn’t important. And in order to do this, they must sort through the actions and/or information they’ve read and decide on their importance. This is where graphic organizers come in. Check out the blog below for two effective lessons on determining importance.

Learn more: This Reading Mama

3. Play a round of Roll and Retell

reading comprehension third grade free

One of the best ways to help students build comprehension is giving them a chance to talk about what they’ve read. This is a fun game to play, and all you need is a pair of dice. Students can pair up and share information with one another about what they’ve read. Or they can work solo and roll the dice and write out their answers.

Learn more: Home School Giveaways

4. Practice inferring with wordless books

Wordless picture books are great for making inferences. Use this free graphic organizer along with wordless picture books. On the graphic organizer, students describe what they noticed in the illustration and what they were able to infer from that illustration. Students could practice on their own or work with a partner or small group. Have each student or group use a different  book or use the same book and then compare the inferences.

Learn more: Ashleigh’s Education Journey

5. Make a paper chain of connections

Third grade reading comprehension activity making paper chains made of students' text connections

Good readers make connections as they read. Track your students’ connections with this engaging visual activity from Brooke at Literacy in Focus. First, students write their connections on colored strips of paper (each type of connection is made on a different color). Next, students link up their connections and attach them to the corresponding text-connections label or poster (see the example bulletin board at the link below). Links can be added throughout the year as new texts are read. The link-up activity makes a great visual representation of the entire text-connections process.

Learn more: Literacy in Focus

6. Use story maps

Story maps give students a framework to record their thinking before, during, and after reading. From spider webs and stars to Venn diagrams and shaped maps, there are endless formats of story maps available online. Try the 15 free versions below.

Learn more: Education.com

7. Build inference skills

Third grade reading comprehension student worksheet with a photo in the middle and written comments around it

Check out this blog for eight fun activities to build students’ inference skills, including watching short films, reading wordless books, and using picture task cards.

Learn more: The Teacher Next Door

8. Summarize using basic signal words

As students read a text, they keep track of words that answer the questions who, what, when, where, how, and why by writing them on a sticky note. After they write the words, they attach their sticky notes to a record sheet. Once they finish their note taking, they summarize the story using their notes.

9. Bat around a beach ball

Inflatable balls and cubes with reading comprehension questions written in sections as a third grade reading comprehension activity

Using a Sharpie marker, write different questions for students to answer about the book they are reading. Hit different elements such as character, problem and solution, setting, connections, predictions, etc. Kids will have a blast batting the inflatables around as they build comprehension skills.

Learn more: Conversations in Literacy

10. Run a nonfiction relay race

According to instructor Clio Stearns, Ph.D ., “Kinesthetic games allow third graders to put their bodies to use alongside their minds and can be particularly helpful for students who do not like to sit still or who benefit from multi-sensory approaches to learning.”

One of her ideas for boosting reading comprehension is to run a nonfiction relay race. This activity is great after reading a nonfiction book or article together. Break students into teams and head to the gym or outdoors. Set up a racecourse, for instance 100 yards marked off by flags or one lap around the track. The first student on each team will run the course, and once they return, and before the next student in line can run, they must repeat one fact they learned from the reading. The first team to have all runners complete the course wins. 

Learn more: First Cry Parenting

11. Hold a Book Character Day

Children dressed up as book characters

Kids love Book Character Day! It gives them a chance to show how much they really know about one of their favorite characters. Encourage them to dress as their character and carry props that are part of their story. Maybe they’d even like to act like and talk in the voice of their character. Be sure to set aside time for each student to tell their classmates about the character they chose and why.

Learn more: Shann Eva’s Blog

12. Retell a story with rock painting

Take a classic childhood art project—rock painting—and add a story for a creative, engaging third grade reading comprehension project. In this activity, children will read a book, then retell the story with pictures they have painted on stones.

13. Play a board game

3 board games kids can use for third grade reading comprehension

There are many fun board games for the classroom that boost literacy skills, including Scrabble, Story Cubes, Tall Tales, Hedbanz, and more. Try this fun option, which has three different board games that students can play to boost their reading comprehension. Put it on your classroom wish list!

Buy it: Comprehension Board Game Trio on Amazon

14. Make a game show of it

Try a fun game show–style class game for third grade reading comprehension. It’s easy to play a Jeopardy-style game, interactive tic-tac-toe, or a team game where students buzz in with the answer. (Check out these fun game show buzzers on Amazon.) Divide students into teams, then ask comprehension questions by topic or just randomly. Give teams time to talk about the answer before sharing it. This allows students to learn from each other, explain their thinking, and prove their answers.

Learn more: A Love of Teaching

15. Track your thinking with sticky notes

classroom anchor chart showing students how to use sticky notes to show their thinking

According to Home Reading Helper , one great way for students to remember and internalize what they read is by using sticky notes. Using these symbols as a guide, students place a sticky note with the appropriate symbol next to a line in a book to show their thinking as they read.

Learn more: RB Comprehension Strategies

16. Be a word detective

We can teach inferring for a variety of purposes. Students can infer how a character feels or why they behave in a certain way. They can even infer the theme of a book. This engaging activity focuses on inferring the meanings of unfamiliar words. Using the free download, students pick out “mystery words,” make a guess as to what the word means, identify clues, and write a sentence using the word.

Learn more: The Measured Mom

17. Create anchor charts together

Collage of Anchor Charts for third grade reading comprehension

From marking a text to visualizing to understanding a character’s journey, there’s a comprehension anchor chart for it. There are more than 35 colorful samples for you to build along with your students during direct instruction time.

Learn more: Reading Comprehension Anchor Charts

18. Make “wanted” posters

reading comprehension third grade free

Your kids will love this fun writing and drawing activity that demonstrates their understanding of character development. After reading a story, kids will use what they know about the bad guy in a book to create a wanted poster.

Learn more: Education.com and Happy Teacher Happy Students

Looking for more ways to encourage third grade reading comprehension? Check out our list of 60 best third grade books .

Plus, get all the latest teaching tips and tricks by signing up for our newsletters .

From character tag to short films and more, these third grade reading comprehension activities will boost your students' literacy skills.

You Might Also Like

Movie poster book report example and pumpkin book character costume example

26 Fun Second Grade Reading Comprehension Activities

Help your students dig deeper into texts. Continue Reading

Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

3rd Grade Reading Worksheets

  • Kindergarten
  • All subjects

29 3rd Grade Reading Worksheets

Baby animals!

What's a baby cat called? In this language arts worksheet, your child does some basic research to find and write the names of baby animals, then uses a thesaurus to find adjectives that mean very small.

Compound words: all mixed up!

These compound words are mixed up — can you fix them? In this language arts worksheet, your child gets practice decoding erroneous compound words, correcting them, and writing accurate compound words.

Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words that join sentences. In this writing worksheet, your child gets practice combining two sentences into one using different conjunctions.

Some books have a glossary. In this reading worksheet, your child learns what a glossary is and gets practice using a glossary to answer questions.

Can you figure out the word? Homographs are words with multiple meanings. In this vocabulary-building worksheet, your child will write the word that matches all three definitions given.

Write or right? In this language arts worksheet, your child will look up sets of homophones to learn the definitions of the all the like-sounding (but differently spelled) words.

How to write a story

In this set of reading and writing worksheets, your children will first read two short stories for mechanics, then draw and label a diagram about those stories, answer prompts to create their own story, and finish by writing a complete story!

Poems: a mysterious story (meaning and mechanics)

Who is the Traveler? In this language arts worksheet, your child will read the poem aloud and then answer a series of reading comprehension questions about key details, overall meaning, and mechanics of the poem.

Poems: a mysterious story (pronouns)

The writer avoids pronouns by repeating the nouns. In this language arts worksheet, your child will get practice identifying nouns and pronouns by comparing and contrasting a section of a poem with pronouns replacing nouns.

Poems: haiku and cinquain

In this language arts worksheet, your child learns about two types of poems that need specific numbers of syllables in each line - haiku and cinquain - and then tries writing each type of poem.

  • Kindergarden

GreatSchools Logo

Yes! Sign me up for updates relevant to my child's grade.

Please enter a valid email address

Thank you for signing up!

Server Issue: Please try again later. Sorry for the inconvenience

FREE 3rd Grade Reading Passages

This FREE 3rd-grade reading comprehension resource is perfect for guided reading, shared reading, close reading, homework, or morning work. It includes 2 high-interest, professionally written reading passages (1 nonfiction and 1 fiction) that are designed to engage your students. 11-12 text-dependent questions (and answers) are provided for each passage.

Want an ENTIRE YEAR of passages and questions? CLICK HERE!

Why you will love this resource:.

♥ Two weeks of reading comprehension materials (passages and text-dependent questions) 

♥ Teachers get instant and constant feedback, which makes this the perfect PROGRESS MONITORING tool

♥ It allows you to constantly assess student learning and thus guide formal instruction.

♥ One passage a week and 3 questions a day, so it won’t overwhelm your students and will save you time!

♥ It provides students with MEANINGFUL and CONSISTENT practice of important standards.

♥ Covers literature and informational text content standards

♥You can use this resource with other grade levels to allow for differentiating.

♥Each week requires only two sheets of paper

How Does This Differ from Other Resources?

✔ Can be used for close reading, guided reading, homework, or morning work

✔ It does not selectively present topics or follow a predetermined scope and sequence, which gives it the flexibility to be used with any program or instructional schedule you are already implementing.

✔ No standards are pushed aside or left out to introduce new content. You can have confidence that all topics will be covered every week ( R.I/R.L 3.9 are covered in the paid version starting with week 3 ).

✔No extra “Show Your Work” pages needed. This review is formatted with work space built in, leaving plenty of room for students to respond

Stay Connected with Teacher Thrive! ➜ SIGN UP for my email newsletters .➜ VISIT me on TeacherThrive.com. ➜ FOLLOW me on Facebook. ➜ FOLLOW me on Pinterest. ➜ FOLLOW me on Instagram.

Please read: This is a nonrefundable digital download. Please read the description carefully and examine the preview file before purchasing.

© Copyright 2018 M. Tallman. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to copy pages specifically designed for student or teacher use by the original purchaser or licensee. This is intended to be used by one teacher unless additional licenses have been purchased. The reproduction of any other part of this product is strictly prohibited. Copying any part of this product and placing it on the Internet in any form (even a personal/classroom website) is strictly forbidden. Doing so makes it possible for an Internet search to make the document available on the Internet, free of charge, and is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

  • Depth and Complexity
  • End of the School Year
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reading Fluency
  • Uncategorized

reading comprehension third grade free

LATEST ON INSTAGRAM

Super Teacher Worksheets

Addition (Basic)

Addition (Multi-Digit)

Algebra & Pre-Algebra

Comparing Numbers

Daily Math Review

Division (Basic)

Division (Long Division)

Hundreds Charts

Measurement

Multiplication (Basic)

Multiplication (Multi-Digit)

Order of Operations

Place Value

Probability

Skip Counting

Subtraction

Telling Time

Word Problems (Daily)

More Math Worksheets

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension Gr. 1

Reading Comprehension Gr. 2

Reading Comprehension Gr. 3

Reading Comprehension Gr. 4

Reading Comprehension Gr. 5

Reading Comprehension Gr. 6

Reading & Writing

Reading Worksheets

Cause & Effect

Fact & Opinion

Fix the Sentences

Graphic Organizers

Synonyms & Antonyms

Writing Prompts

Writing Story Pictures

Writing Worksheets

More ELA Worksheets

Consonant Sounds

Vowel Sounds

Consonant Blends

Consonant Digraphs

Word Families

More Phonics Worksheets

Early Literacy

Build Sentences

Sight Word Units

Sight Words (Individual)

More Early Literacy

Punctuation

Subjects and Predicates

More Grammar Worksheets

Spelling Lists

Spelling Grade 1

Spelling Grade 2

Spelling Grade 3

Spelling Grade 4

Spelling Grade 5

More Spelling Worksheets

Chapter Books

Charlotte's Web

Magic Tree House #1

Boxcar Children

More Literacy Units

Animal (Vertebrate) Groups

Animal Articles

Butterfly Life Cycle

Electricity

Matter (Solid, Liquid, Gas)

Simple Machines

Space - Solar System

More Science Worksheets

Social Studies

Maps (Geography)

Maps (Map Skills)

More Social Studies

Valentine's Day

Presidents' Day

St. Patrick's Day

More Holiday Worksheets

Puzzles & Brain Teasers

Brain Teasers

Logic:  Addition Squares

Mystery Graph Pictures

Number Detective

Lost in the USA

More Thinking Puzzles

Teacher Helpers

Teaching Tools

Award Certificates

More Teacher Helpers

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Alphabet (ABCs)

Numbers and Counting

Shapes (Basic)

More Kindergarten

Worksheet Generator

Word Search Generator

Multiple Choice Generator

Fill-in-the-Blanks Generator

More Generator Tools

Full Website Index

3rd Grade Reading Comprehension - Short Passages

This page contains a set of printable worksheets with short reading comprehension passages written at approximately a 3rd grade level. Each passage includes reading comprehension questions.

3rd Grade Reading Comprehension - Short Passages

Short Passages

Common Core

Logged in members can use the Super Teacher Worksheets filing cabinet to save their favorite worksheets.

Quickly access your most used files AND your custom generated worksheets!

Please login to your account or become a member and join our community today to utilize this helpful feature.

Members can add this to their file cabinet

Looking for longer passages? This page has full-length fiction stories, non-fiction articles, readers' theater scripts, and poems at a third grade level.

Sample Worksheet Images

3rd Grade Reading Comprehension

PDF with answer key:

PDF no answer key:

3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets From Scholastic Teachables

module printable

Scholastic Teachables (formerly Scholastic Printables) offers more than 1,300 third grade reading comprehension worksheets that that help kids master fundamental reading skills and put them on the path to success.

Engaging 3rd grade reading comprehension passages and 3rd grade reading worksheets feature reading response and close reading activities, texts and questions, graphic organizers, writing prompts, and more that build a variety of skills and strategies for understanding fiction and nonfiction texts. Topics include finding main ideas, sequencing, making inferences, comparing and contrasting, recognizing facts and opinions, using context clues, assessments, and many others!

Sign up today and get instant online access to third grade reading comprehension worksheets, lesson plans, practice pages, educational games, and activities to cover various skills. Plus, you’ll get access to more than 30,000 award-winning printables and leveled learning collections in reading and math to reach every learner at every level.

3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets Cover:

  • Author's Purpose
  • Cause and Effect
  • Compare and Contrast
  • Context Clues
  • Drawing Conclusions
  • Fact and Opinion
  • Main Idea and Details
  • Making Inferences
  • Plot, Character, Setting
  • Problem and Solution
  • Story Elements
  • Summarizing
  • Using Text Evidence
  • Visualizing

Sample 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Scholastic Teachables has more than 1,300 3rd grade reading comprehension worksheets targeted for all your teaching needs. Here's a sample of third grade activities and worksheets for you to try in your class FREE with a 30-day trial or subscription.

badge

Additional Alphabet Worksheets (Subscription Required)

Letter B Bulletin Board Square

Letter Yy: Alphabet Letter and Picture (Full-Color Reference)

Speedy Work - Alphabet Recognition (Practice Page)

Pocket-Folder Center: Cereal on Sale! (Alphabetical order)

Alphabet Rhyme: Handwriting Practice Page

Dictionary Skills: Alphabetical Order (Practice Page)

Lowercase c: Alphabet Learning Mats

Uppercase D: Alphabet Learning Mats

Letter M: Letter Formation Practice

Manuscript Alphabet: Handwriting Practice Page

Big Birthday Bash!: Identifying Upper- and Lowercase B

Cursive Writing Practice: The Alphabet (Lowercase)

Alphabet Clouds: Beginning Reader Science Play

Alphabet Activator: Kick-Off Assessment for Differentiated Lessons

Letter Ll Illustrations

Check It Out!: Identifying Upper- and Lowercase L

The King's Castle: Identifying Upper- and Lowercase C

Eggs Everywhere!: Identifying Upper- and Lowercase E

Trace and Race (Recognizing Features of Letters): Alphabet Shoe Box

IMAGES

  1. Free Printable Reading Comprehension Worksheets For 3Rd Graders

    reading comprehension third grade free

  2. Free Printable Reading Comprehension Worksheets For 3rd Grade BE4

    reading comprehension third grade free

  3. Free Printable Reading Comprehension Worksheets 3Rd Grade

    reading comprehension third grade free

  4. Printable Reading Comprehension Worksheets For 3rd Grade

    reading comprehension third grade free

  5. 15 Short Reading Comprehension Worksheets 3rd Grade

    reading comprehension third grade free

  6. Free Printable Reading Comprehension Worksheets For 3rd Grade BE4

    reading comprehension third grade free

VIDEO

  1. READING COMPREHENSION for KINDER ❤️GRADE 1❤️ GRADE 2 || Teacher Claren ||page 7

  2. Grade 3 Reading Comprehension Passage Lesson 1 #readinglesson #readingcomprehension online video cut

  3. reading unit 1 3rd grade

  4. Easy Reading & Comprehension Grade 3

  5. Comprehension Reading for grade 1 & grade 2 || Improve English Reading

  6. READING COMPREHENSION

COMMENTS

  1. Third grade reading comprehension worksheets

    Free printable reading comprehension worksheets for grade 3. These children's stories and reading worksheets will help kids practice reading and improve their comprehension skills. Worksheets include 3rd grade level fiction and non-fiction texts followed by exercises as well as worksheets focused on specific comprehen

  2. 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

    The 3rd grade reading comprehension activities below are coordinated with the 3rd grade spelling words curriculum on a week-to-week basis, so both can be used together as part of a comprehensive program, or each part can be used separately. The worksheets include third grade appropriate reading passages and related questions.

  3. 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions

    Below you'll find 3rd grade reading comprehension passages along with questions and answers and vocabulary activities. These printable 3rd grade reading activities include short story excerpts, passages from popular books as well as high-interest information topics. The Long Nap Ella never liked to take naps.

  4. 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension

    The printable reading comprehension worksheets listed below were created specially for students at a 3rd grade reading level. Each file includes a fiction or nonfiction reading passage, followed by a page of comprehension questions. Fiction Stories Closet Creature (Fiction) FREE

  5. 3rd Grade Reading Worksheets & Free Printables

    Reading for Comprehension: Drawing Conclusions Worksheet Nonfiction Text Features: Wild, Wild Weather Worksheet Louis Braille Worksheet Cool Bookmarks 2

  6. 3rd grade reading & vocabulary

    ELA practice and instruction for 3rd grade, covering reading comprehension and vocabulary. Aligned to Common Core State Standards for Reading: Literature; Reading: Informational Text; and Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.

  7. 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

    The 3rd grade reading comprehension activities below are coordinated with the 3rd grade spelling words curriculum on a week-to-week basis, so both can be used together as part of a comprehensive program, or each part can be used separately. The worksheets include third grade appropriate reading passages and related questions. Each worksheet (as well as the spelling words) also includes a cross ...

  8. ReadTheory

    Below are 10 reading comprehension worksheets and tests that are accurately measured to fit the 3rd grade level. A Problem At The Fire Station Topic A Problem At The Fire Station Lexile level 480 Num of questions 5 Types of questions

  9. 3rd Grade Comprehension Worksheets & Free Printables

    Building reading comprehension skills helps your child summarize, answer questions, and draw conclusions about the material he reads. Our third grade reading comprehension worksheets will help guide your child to better understanding with structured reading exercises, mini-report bookmarks, story maps and more.

  10. 3rd Grade Comprehension Worksheets & Free Printables

    317 filtered results 3rd grade Comprehension Questions Show interactive only Sort by Main Idea: Working Dogs Worksheet Find the Main Idea: Shark Worksheet All About Plastic Worksheet Summer Fun: Put the Story Sequence in Order Interactive Worksheet Learning About the Ocean Worksheet Main Idea Multiple Choice Worksheet

  11. Reading Comprehension Worksheets for Grade 3

    Our free 3rd grade reading comprehension worksheets provide opportunities for kids to demonstrate a clear understanding of a text by referring explicitly to parts of it. They determine the meaning of new words using contextual clues, recount key details, categorize information, find causes and effects, understand characters, and more.

  12. Free 3rd-Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

    Download these FREE 3rd-grade reading comprehension worksheets and use them in class today! These PDF worksheets are designed for readers at a grade 3 level and include both fiction and non-fiction passages.

  13. 18 Unique Third Grade Reading Comprehension Activities

    1. Build a Comprehension Cootie Catcher Turn reading comprehension into a fun game with these free cootie catchers. There are three different versions available, and each has questions that will help your students dig deeper into their reading.

  14. Reading Worksheets for 3rd Graders

    Over the course of most of our 3rd Grade reading comprehension worksheets students will read a short, one-page passage, such as a fun short story or informative piece, and be asked to answer multiple-choice questions about it. There are three sheets for each separate reading passage, so be sure to print them all (we have numbered them to help out).

  15. 3rd grade reading Worksheets, word lists and activities.

    Give your child a boost using our free, printable 3rd grade reading worksheets. 3rd Grade Reading Worksheets. Filter by: 3rd grade. All grades ... your child will read the poem aloud and then answer a series of reading comprehension questions about key details, overall meaning, and mechanics of the poem. Poems: a mysterious story (pronouns) ...

  16. FREE 3rd Grade Reading Passages • Teacher Thrive

    This FREE 3rd-grade reading comprehension resource is perfect for guided reading, shared reading, close reading, homework, or morning work.

  17. 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension

    This page has full-length fiction stories, non-fiction articles, readers' theater scripts, and poems at a third grade level. Printable worksheets with short reading comprehension passages for 3rd graders. Includes comprehension questions.

  18. Download 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

    Formerly known as Scholastic Printables, we offer printable activities for any subject: math, science, reading comprehension, STEM, writing, and beyond. Download printable lesson plans, reading passages, games and puzzles, clip art, bulletin board ideas, and skills sheets for kids in any grade.

  19. Scholastic 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

    Scholastic Teachables has more than 1,300 3rd grade reading comprehension worksheets targeted for all your teaching needs. Here's a sample of third grade activities and worksheets for you to try in your class FREE with a 30-day trial or subscription. Scholastic offers thousands of engaging 3rd grade reading comprehension worksheets that help ...

  20. Grade 3 Reading Comprehension Worksheets

    Nov 10, 2023 - Grade 3 Reading Comprehension Worksheets Free Printable. Nov 10, 2023 - Grade 3 Reading Comprehension Worksheets Free Printable. Nov 10, 2023 - Grade 3 Reading Comprehension Worksheets Free Printable. Explore. Read it. Save. worksheetspack.com.

  21. Browse Printable 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Strategy Worksheets

    Start for free now! ... Search Printable 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Strategy Worksheets ... Text dependent questions are reading comprehension questions that can only be answered by referring to the text. Students have to read the text closely and use inferential thinking to determine the answer. Use this list of text dependent questions ...