Free, printable and accessible online
– made especially for the third grade
See worksheets
1
Just the text
2
The text with the questions
3
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Below are 10 reading comprehension worksheets and tests that are accurately measured to fit the 3rd grade level.
Topic
A Problem At The Fire Station
Lexile level
480
Num of questions
5
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
Topic
Calm on job
Lexile level
580
Num of questions
7
Types of questions
Answering questions with evidence, Central message, Identifying the author’s point of view, Summarizing
Topic
Car For Sale!
Lexile level
460
Num of questions
5
Types of questions
Central message, Identifying the author’s point of view, Summarizing
Topic
Dear Emily
Lexile level
470
Num of questions
5
Types of questions
Summarizing (usually with written responses), Central message
Topic
Roller Coaster
Lexile level
570
Num of questions
7
Types of questions
Understanding figurative language, Central message, Identifying the main topic and key ideas, Facts vs. opinions inference
Topic
Sky Boots
Lexile level
500
Num of questions
7
Types of questions
Central message, Identifying the main topic and key ideas, Facts vs. opinions inference, Identifying intent and conclusions
Topic
The New Law
Lexile level
500
Num of questions
6
Types of questions
Facts vs. opinions inference, Identifying intent and conclusions, Central message, Identifying the main topic and key ideas
Topic
Thinking First
Lexile level
540
Num of questions
7
Types of questions
Central message, lesson or moral, Identifying the main topic and key ideas, Identifying intent and conclusions
Topic
Tornado!
Lexile level
560
Num of questions
7
Types of questions
Summarizing (usually with written responses), Central message, lesson or moral, Identifying the main topic and key ideas.
Topic
Where We Live
Lexile level
470
Num of questions
7
Types of questions
Central message, lesson or moral ,Identifying the author’s point of view
Check out our NEW collection — created by AI, thoughtfully inspired and refined by teachers.
