reading assignments for 3rd grade

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19 Third Grade Reading Comprehension Activities Your Students Will Love

Build crucial literacy skills with these fun activities.

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Third grade is the year students switch from “learning to read” to “reading to learn,” meaning that when they are on grade level, they have the skills to read text on their own and learn from it. The 3rd grade reading block has less instruction in phonics and sight words and more time reading and learning from text. By now, students also have reading preferences and opinions about everything they read, which means they can engage in discussion and even analysis.

Use these reading comprehension activities to help students make the transition to “reading to learn,” and bring them to the next level.

1. Create anchor charts together

Help 3rd graders move toward independence by creating anchor charts that they can refer to as they read. Some anchor charts to create:

Questions to ask while reading
How to retell a paragraph or story
Reading fix-up strategies like Read, Cover, Remember, Retell
Types of nonfiction and key words for each type

Learn more: Reading Comprehension Anchor Charts

2. Teach graphic organizers

Third graders are starting to read more complex text. Teach them how to use graphic organizers, like these Venn diagrams, to get the most out of each text. First, they check out the text and decide which graphic organizer they need. If it’s a text that is comparing two topics, they’d use a Venn diagram. Then, they complete the graphic organizer while reading. They can refer to the graphic organizer after they read when they’re writing or discussing text.

Learn more: Venn Diagram Printables and Summary Graphic Organizer Printable

3. Build a Comprehension Cootie Catcher

Remember how to fold a cootie catcher? You can turn these into reading comprehension tools by writing questions on each section of a folded cootie catcher. Include questions about character, plot, setting, problem, solution, and their opinion of what they read. Then, after each chapter or silent reading time, students can quickly pair up and use the cootie catcher to ask each other questions.

4. 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. These readers need to be able to discriminate between what is and what isn’t important in a story or text. To do this, have students write the details from a text on strips of paper. Then, they put each detail through a “funnel” to determine its importance. The detail only stays if it is one of the most important. This forces students to evaluate each detail against the main idea and ask the question: If this detail weren’t included, would the meaning of the text change?

5. Play a round of Roll and Retell

Set up a Roll and Retell. Create six questions, either open-ended questions that can be asked about any text (What was the main idea, etc.) or questions about a specific text. Assign each question a number from 1 to 6. Students either work with a partner or independently to roll a di and choose the question that matches the number they rolled.

6. Activate background knowledge

Third graders have a lot of knowledge they’ve gained from books they’ve read and experiences they’ve had. That background knowledge can help them understand what they read. So, teach them what background knowledge is and how to use it. A KWL (Know, Want To Know, Learned) chart is a classic way to engage kids’ background knowledge as they complete the Know column.

7. Build knowledge with current events

graphic organizer with space for what, where, when, how, why for third grade reading comprehension activity

Today’s 3rd graders are living in a world of information, so the question is how do we engage them with new information, like news articles, without overwhelming them? Help them build background knowledge one article at a time, and use graphic organizers to help them organize and analyze what they’re learning. A graphic organizer like the one above also helps them focus on the most important information in a text.

Learn more: Current Events Worksheets

8. Text feature scavenger hunt

third grade text feature scavenger hunt with questions

Third grade text expands the type of text features students will see. As they’re learning text features, use this text resource and connected scavenger hunt to introduce students to common text features.

Learn more: Text Feature Scavenger Hunt

9. Focus on predictions and inferences

Making predictions and inferring is a key skill for 3rd grade. Model how to make inferences, using information from the text combined with your own knowledge to infer what the author is trying to communicate. Start by using wordless picture books to describe what students notice, then add their own ideas to make a prediction or inference.

Learn more: Predictions and Inferences Printable

10. Make a connections paper chain

Good readers make connections as they read. First, have students write the connections they make (text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world) on a strip of paper. Next, students fold the strips to create a chain of connections. Links can be added as you read through a longer text or read new texts.

11. Use story maps

Story maps give students a framework to record their thinking before, during, and after reading. From the beginning-middle-end map to the roller coaster, help students organize what they read and learn story grammar with story maps.

Learn more: Free Printable Story Maps Graphic Organizer Bundle

12. Summarize with signal words

Teach students to be on the lookout for signal words like “first,” “next,” and words that answer the questions who, what, where, why, and how. Then have students mark where they see these words as they’re reading. After they read, they can return to their sticky notes and record the information they noted. They create a summary using their notes.

13. Play question ball

beach balls for third grade reading activity

Write different questions for students to answer about the book they are reading with a marker on a beach ball. Make sure questions hit on different elements such as character, problem and solution, setting, connections, and predictions. Then, throw the beach ball. Students answer the question they see when they catch it.

Buy it: Set of Beach Balls

14. Nonfiction relay race

When you have a fidgety class, kinesthetic activities are the way to go. Conduct a comprehension relay race. 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 or answer a question about what they’re reading. The first team to have all runners complete the course wins.

15. Book Character Day

Kids love Book Character Day! It gives them a chance to show how much they know about one of their favorite story characters. Students dress as a character and are ready to answer questions. Set aside time for each student to tell their classmates about the character they chose and why.

Learn more: Book Characters Every Child Should Know

16. Retell with rocks

plate filled with stones that students can paint for third grade reading comprehension activity

Retelling still applies in 3rd grade. Have students retell a story using pictures they’ve painted on stones to create a path from start to finish.

Buy it: Set of Paintable Rocks

17. Create a game show

Questions are a key reading skill for students to master. Create a Jeopardy-style game show of comprehension questions to help students practice answering questions. For more complex questions, have students talk about the answer before they respond. You can use Kahoot to set up the game, or use one of the many alternatives.

18. Track thinking with sticky notes

Teach 3rd graders the start of annotation by teaching common annotation marks:

LOL means this is a funny part.
An asterisk (*) means this is important.
! means this is surprising.
A heart indicates that the reader liked this part.
? means that they have a question or that this is confusing.

Have students place mini–sticky notes with each annotation mark on their text to show their thinking as they read.

Buy it: Small Sticky Notes at Amazon

19. Be a word detective

word detective worksheet for third grade reading comprehension activity

Before you read, choose up to five words that are unfamiliar to most of your students. Then, as they read, have students find these words and try to infer the meaning by reading around the word. If they can’t infer the meaning, or to check their definition, have them look up the word in a dictionary.

Learn more: Vocabulary Worksheets

Looking for more ways to work on 3rd grade reading comprehension? Check out our list of 60 3rd Grade Books To Add to Your Classroom Library .

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.

Student writing and a printable story map template.

Story Map Graphic Organizers: How To Use Them + Free Printable

From beginning to end, the map to reading comprehension. Continue Reading

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The school system seems to be demanding more and more of 3rd grade students. I guess we have to give them what they want. This page has some reading worksheets and activites to help prepare your 3rd graders. The worksheets on this page are written at the 3rd grade reading level. I used this fantastic tool to determine the readability scores of my worksheets, but you should read and approve each of them yourself for quality and appropriateness before giving them to a child. I encourage you to check out the worksheets written for the next two grade levels also. Reading scores vary greatly from one measure to the next. The readability scores on this page are a composite of those numbers. You'll get a better variety of appropriately leveled reading worksheets if you consider this idea of "reading bands." Click the button underneath this text to open up your band.

Reading Comprehension Worksheets

The Coliseum | Nonfiction Reading Test - The Coliseum is a well-recognized site and a popular destination. Learn more about its history in this reading passage. Then answer multiple-choice and long-response questions covering a variety of reading skills. View my readibility scores . The Coliseum | Nonfiction Reading Test | RTF The Coliseum | Nonfiction Reading Test | PDF The Coliseum | Nonfiction Reading Test | Preview The Coliseum | Nonfiction Reading Test | Answers The Coliseum | Nonfiction Reading Test | Ereading Worksheet

The Pony Express | Nonfiction Reading Test - Despite its short time in operation, the Pony Express managed to make a significant impact on American culture. Learn more about the Pony Express and bulk up your reading skills with multiple-choice and long-response questions. These Common Core aligned questions cover a variety of reading skills. View my readibility scores . The Pony Express | Nonfiction Reading Test | RTF The Pony Express | Nonfiction Reading Test | PDF The Pony Express | Nonfiction Reading Test | Preview The Pony Express | Nonfiction Reading Test | Answers The Pony Express | Nonfiction Reading Test | Ereading Worksheet

Wintertime | Nonfiction Reading Test - It can get awfully cold during the winter in some places. Learn more about how creatures have adapted to survive in the harsh climates. There are ten multiple-choice and three long-response questions following the passage. View my readibility scores . Wintertime | Nonfiction Reading Test | RTF Wintertime | Nonfiction Reading Test | PDF Wintertime | Nonfiction Reading Test | Preview Wintertime | Nonfiction Reading Test | Answers Wintertime | Nonfiction Reading Test | Ereading Worksheet

Infer the Setting Worksheet 3 - This worksheet has five more passages to give your students practice with inferences and setting. Students read each passage and determine when and where it is taking place based on textual clues. Then they support their answers with evidence from the text. This is great practice. View my readibility scores . Infer the Setting Worksheet 3 | RTF Infer the Setting Worksheet 3 | PDF Infer the Setting Worksheet 3 | Preview Infer the Setting Worksheet 3 | Answers

Those were the worksheets that I have written at or around the 3rd grade reading level. I know that the list is currently a little short. I am actively trying to create new content to better serve third grade students and teachers, and this page will be updated as I do so. I appreciate all of your comments and feedback, which can be left below. Thanks for visiting!

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Chess | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 1-4) TV | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 1-4) Metal Detectors | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 2-6) Tetris | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 2-6) Seat Belts | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 2-6) The Coliseum | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 2-6) The Pony Express | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 2-6) Wintertime | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 2-6) Reading | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 3-7) Black Friday | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 3-7) Hummingbirds | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 3-7) Worst Game Ever? | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 4-8) Carnivorous Plants | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 4-8) Google | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 4-8) Honey Badgers | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 4-8) Hyperinflation | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 4-8) Koko | Nonfiction Reading Test Ereading Worksheet (Gr. 4-8) Mongooses | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 5-9) Trampolines | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 5-9) Garbage | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 5-9) Maginot Line | Nonfiction Reading Test Ereading Worksheet (Gr. 5-9) Asian Carp | Nonfiction Reading Test Ereading Worksheet (Gr. 5-9) A Tale of Two Countries | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 6-10) Kevlar | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 7-10) Tigers | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 7-11) Statue of Liberty | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 8-10) Submarines | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 8-12) Castles | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 9-13) Gutenberg | Nonfiction Reading Test (Gr. 9-13) Author's Purpose Practice 1 Author's Purpose Practice 2 Author's Purpose Practice 3 Author's Purpose Practice 4 Author's Purpose Practice 5 Author's Purpose Practice 6 Fact and Opinion Practice 1 Fact and Opinion Practice 2 Fact and Opinion Practice 3 Idioms Practice Test 1 With Long Responses Idioms Practice Test 2 With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice 1 Figurative Language Practice 1 With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice 2 Figurative Language Practice 2 With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice 3 Figurative Language Practice 3 With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice 4 With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice 5 With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice 6 With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice 7 With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice 8 With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice 9 With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice | Edgar Allan Poe Figurative Language Practice | Edgar Allan Poe With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice | O. Henry Figurative Language Practice | O. Henry With Long Responses Figurative Language Practice | Shakespeare Genre and Subgenre Practice 1 Genre and Subgenre Practice 2 Genre and Subgenre Practice 3 Genre and Subgenre Practice 4 View More Genre and Subgenre Practice Tests Irony Practice 1 Irony Practice 2 Irony Practice 3 Making Inferences Practice 2 Main Idea Practice 1 Main Idea Practice 2 Point of View Practice 1 | Multiple Choice Only Point of View Practice 1 | With Long Responses Point of View Practice 2 | Multiple Choice Only Point of View Practice 2 | With Long Responses Text Structure Practice 1 Text Structure Practice 2 Text Structure Practice 3 Text Structure Practice 4 Text Structure Practice 5 Story Structure Practice 1

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14 Comments

Lydia boutwell.

I love the ereading activities, since my school is virtually, and I would love to see more for 3rd grade. The only problem I have is when one is labeled grades 2-5 for example, then the reading is to difficult for a 2nd grader. I just wished it would be broken down more. Otherwise, what you are doing is great and I appreciate all the work people are doing.

A big thank you to everyone makes this website possible.

This is a fantastic platform to have for guiding students in grades 3-6 through specific skills. For the students the lessons are interesting, often captivating, and inspiring for those students who experience difficulties taking tests. Thank you! I appreciate your work. Be well.

I love this Site it always me and my kids to work one on one and it is very fast loading also

Thank you so much for this brilliant website!

Eric Harrison

I feel you are in need of more 3rd grade material.

I agree with you.

Thank you so much for your hard work. I really appreciate what you do for us teachers with this site. I have been a 3rd grade teacher for more than 10 years and its not like it use to be, there is a great demand for rigor in 3rd grade. I have used your work when I have had gifted classes and the students loved the texts. Your work helps me challenge my 3rd graders and prepare them for 4th & 5th. Thank you!

That’s awesome.

Be on the look out for a bunch of new content for grades 3-6. I’m currently developing these activities…

Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment!

alishukoohy

I came across this invaluable site just today. I am certain that this will help me a lot as a teacher. I appreciate all your efforts dude. Thanks a zillion

Its a very nice site for children

Lovely site

We have been looking for FSA practice and are so happy to have come upon your site. Thank you so much for such great passages with Common Core Questioning!!

Onomataepia sounds like it is not a real word

I know, right? But look at this: https://www.google.com/search?q=define%3A%20onomatopoeia&rct=j

It is a real word.

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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. There are several free reading comps to choose from!

Fiction Stories

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Nonfiction articles, short passages, read aloud practice, reading comprehension files by grade:.

Reading comprehension passages specially written for students at a 1st grade level.

Reading comprehension stories, poems, and articles written at a 2nd grade reading level.

Reading comprehension passages written at a 4th grade reading level.

More advanced stories, poems, and articles written at a 5th grade reading level.

Literature circle role sheets, book bingo printables, book report forms, and other reading worksheets.

These nonfiction reading comprehension articles feature all types of animal species. Read level: 3rd through 5th.

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3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets From Scholastic Teachables

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.

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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

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Leveled stories

Grade 3 Leveled Reading Worksheets

Reading worksheets - leveled stories.

These grade 3 reading comprehension worksheets are from our leveled reading workbook collection which ranges in difficulty from A to Z and is correlated to grade levels. The full workbooks are available for download from our bookstore for only $3.49 / book.


	N
	N
	O
	O
	P
	P

These children's stories are leveled based on a number of factors related to text complexity such as vocabulary, word size, sentence length, amount of repetitiveness and subject matter complexity.

Early reading levels use short, simple words and sentences in big fonts in a repetitive manner. Each successive level introduces greater reading challenge . The level N - P books are approximately at a grade 3 level.

Each workbook contains 10 fiction and non-fiction texts, followed by exercises aimed at reinforcing reading comprehension skills. Answer sheets are provided for all exercises.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

brought to you by Read Charlotte

Third Grade

Third Grade Reading Skills | Reading Comprehension

Connection to reading.

Comprehension is gaining meaning from what you read. This is a complex, higher-level thinking skill, but children from a very early age can begin thinking about what they have just read and tell you what a story is about. When children read, they must turn their “minds on” and actively think about what they are reading means.

The goal for 3rd graders is that they can understand the book they read and the books that are read to them. They can answer questions about the story and find evidence by flipping through the book’s pages to point out and prove their answer.

The show their understanding by retelling about the characters, setting and important events from the story. If the book is nonfiction, they can describe the important 5 W’s (Who/What/When/Where/Why) from the book.

EOG – End of Grade Reading Assessment

At the end of the 3rd grade, your child will take their first official standardized test ( standardized meaning every test taker answers the same questions and is scored in the same way across the state). The Reading Comprehension test consists of about 50 multiple choice questions to test if your child can read proficiently on grade level. If they fail, they can be held back and not promoted to 4th grade. The results will be shared with parents.

To see sample test questions, click here .

¿Qué es lectura activa? (The ABCs of Active Reading)

The abcs of active reading, understanding vocabulary: why it’s critical to your child’s reading, making connections when reading, the powerful strategy to help your child understand what they read, turning minds on while reading: why asking your child questions transforms comprehension, the magic of hearing a story read aloud: why older children benefit from this, how using a graphic organizer helps a child better understand a story.

HOME ACTIVITIES

Read at home everyday.

Reading at home independently or aloud for enjoyment is the single best daily routine to help strengthen your child’s understanding of stories. Asking simple questions about the characters and talking about best parts of a book gets your child thinking about the story and making connections to their own life.

Ask Open-ended Questions

Its easy to fall into the trap of always asking simple, straight forward questions that elicit one-word answers about your child’s reading. Of course you want to make sure they’re understanding what they read, so you ask questions such as “Who is the main character?”

Try asking a question that stretches your child’s thinking and allows them to explain their feelings. “Did you agree with what the character did? What would you have done?”

This taps right into higher level critical thinking skills, deepening their comprehension while giving you a window into their thoughts.

A K-W-L chart is a popular method for teachers to hook their students and get them thinking right away about a story they’re about to read.

This is best used for nonfiction reading, or books about facts. You don’t have to write this all down, these questions can be used when talking with your child as they read. It’s quick and easy, but will get your child diving into the topic they’re learning.

Keep it Light

Conversations about books should be fun. Quizzing a child for correct answers after reading their favorite book can suck the joy out of the reading experience. Instead, try to ask questions from a place of curiously and wanting to know what your child thinks. This makes them feel that their opinions and thoughts matter.

Use the Five Finger Strategy

After reading a story use your hand to help you remember the most important elements of the story. This technique can be used for people ages 4 to 94.

Characters – Who was in the story?
Setting – Where did the story take place?
Events – What happened in the story?
End – How did the story end?
Your Take – What was your favorite part?

CLICK HERE FOR THE FIVE FINGER RETELL PRINTABLE

Try the 5 W’s to Learn Summarizing

Second Graders learn the skill of “summarizing,” or retelling the main points of what they have read. Ask your child these questions to further help them remember what they have just read.

Who – Who are the characters or people?
What – What happened?
Where – Where did it take place?
When – When did it happen?
Why – Why did the story end the way it did?

When reading with your child, a great technique is to pause after a few pages and check in to see if your child is truly grasping what they are reading. Asking open-ended questions allows them to explain their thinking. If what they tell you does not m atch the story, you can help redirect them back on track:

You: “Helen Keller’s teacher wrote the word “W-A-T-E-R” into the palm of her hand as water was flowing onto her when she was 7 years old. Why did she do this?”

Your child: “I don’t know….maybe it was to tickle her.”

You: “Helen could not see or hear. What do you think Helen was learning when her teacher did this?”

3 Seconds of Wait Time

Allow your child enough undisturbed “think time” to process what is happening. If you ask them a question about the story, let them look at the pages and take a few moments to think, at least 3 seconds. We typically only wait one second before jumping in with the answer. Providing answers too quickly takes away a child’s “thinking time”, robbing them of the opportunity to fo rm conclusions on their own.

Show Evidence

As your young reader matures, they can demonstrate their understanding in more sophisticated ways. When asking them questions from the story, ask them prove their answers by showing you the pages and words that describe the event.

Use Sticky Notes to Show Your Thinking

A great way for your child to remember and internalize what they read is by using sticky notes. Have your child write these symbols on a sticky note and place them next to a line in a book to show their thinking.

LOL = funny part

? = confusing part

= favorite part

* = important part

= a part that helps me predict what will happen next

Tame the Testing Beast

Your child will be required to take their first standardized reading test at the end of the school year. The test will contain 50 multiple choice questions.

It is helpful for parents to look through these questions and get a sense for how your child will be tested. Try practicing test questions with your child, but keep it short. Once a week read a sample passage with your child and have fun answering 2-3 questions together. Make it into a game for them to win prizes, like picking a movie for weekend. The purpose of these sessions is to (1) boost your child’s confidence, (2) help parents give their child tips for answering questions, and (3) to diffuse the anxiety from testing through short practice sessions.

Different Ways to Read

Books are the best way to expose children to new vocabulary, stories and higher level thinking skills. But reading on their own is not the single way to access stories. Read alouds and audio books offer the same benefits and let children enjoy a great book. The NC Kids Digital Library offers hundreds of picture read alouds that let your child hear stories and build their reading skills.

Reading books online, interactively, feels just like playing a fun computer game and helps your child build their reading comprehension skills.

NC Kids Digital Library (Free, requires library card number)

NC Kids Digital Library offers e-books, audiobooks, streaming videos, and read alongs. This collection was specifically designed for youth ages pre-K through 4 th grade and includes picture books, youth fiction, youth nonfiction, and more.

Libby, by Overdrive App for iPhones and iPads, Google Play, or Windows Mobile

This app can be used on your phone or tablet to access the NC Kids Digital Library read along books for free.

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Home Reading Helper is a resource for parents to elevate children’s reading at home provided by Read Charlotte .

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3rd Grade Reading Worksheets

Kindergarten
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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

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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.

Reading Activities for 3rd Grade

Strengthen your child's reading skills with interactive educational resources for reading for 3rd graders online. These learning resources include fun games and worksheets with eye-catching visuals and characters. Get started to help your 3rd grader master this concept by engaging their critical thinking.

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Reading Comprehension

What's the cause? - Part 1 Game

Use your language skills to determine 'what's the cause' (Part 1).

What's the effect? - Part 1 Game

Determine the answer to 'What's the effect' (Part 1) by playing this game.

Find Cause and Effect with Pictures Worksheet

Enhance comprehension with our picture-based cause and effect worksheet. Explore the relationship between events through visual cues for improved understanding.

Identify the Cause and Effect Worksheet

Dive into cause and effect analysis with our engaging worksheet. Gain insights into interconnected events and improve comprehension. Explore our resources now!

All Reading Resources

An Adventure Awaits - Practice Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Children will sharpen their reading comprehension skills in this engaging worksheet. Get started with our reading worksheet now!

Charlies Special Day! Worksheet

It is Charlie's special day and we have a ton of doubts. Can you be our problem solver and answer all these questions with your comprehension powers?

What's the cause? - Part 2 Game

Use your language skills to determine 'what's the cause' (Part 2).

What's the effect? - Part 2 Game

Utilise your english language skils to determine the effect (Part 2).

Choose What You Like! Worksheet

In this reading worksheet, children will practice selecting the correct answers through an MCQ exercise based on their understanding of a short story.

Collect Your Thoughts Worksheet

This reading worksheet aims to strengthen the overall comprehension skills of your child. Boost your reading skills now!

What's the cause? - Part 3 Game

Use your language skills to determine 'what's the cause' (Part 3).

What's the effect? - Part 3 Game

Play this game to determine 'what's the effect' (Part 3).

Lets read The Snowshoeing Day! Worksheet

Snowshoeing is fun! It's time to read a super exciting story about a little boy's first snowshoeing experience and test your comprehension skills.

Max and His Surprise!: Story Comprehension Worksheet

Are you ready to see the surprise that Max planned? But who is it for? Where is it? Can you answer all these questions and more?

Decode the image! - Part 1 Game

Use your language skills to decode the image (Part 1).

Decode the image! - Part 2 Game

Use your language skills to decode the image (Part 2).

Pin Your Choice! Worksheet

Discover a delightful read to boost your child's reading comprehension skills and make learning fun!

Poem Parade Worksheet

Get your child to read this fun poem about a fox worried about his winter hat. The worksheet will help them build their comprehension skills.

Decode the image! - Part 3 Game

Use your language skills to decode the image (Part 3).

What do you mean? - Part 1 Game

Play this game to find the answer to 'what do you mean' (Part 1).

Put Your Thoughts Down! Worksheet

Read a hilarious poem about a girl who's a true master at tying absolutely everything, going beyond just shoelaces! Get started on this reading worksheet today.

Read and Answer - The Snowshoeing Day Worksheet

Who's ready to read an exciting winter story and complete a fun reading exercise? Download this worksheet today!

What do you mean? - Part 2 Game

Play this game to find the answer to 'what do you mean' (Part 2).

What do you mean? - Part 3 Game

Play this game to find the answer to 'what do you mean' (Part 3).

Take Your Pick! Worksheet

In this fun-filled reading activity, children will read a fun story about a young boy's visit to the library, and answer questions based on it

Think and Write Worksheet

In this fun-filled worksheet, children will answer comprehension questions based on an exciting story.

What's the main idea? - Part 1 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 1) to practice your english language skills.

What's the main idea? - Part 2 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 2) to practice your english language skills.

Time to Read! Worksheet

Here's a fun read for your child to practice their reading comprehension skills.

Read And Answer Looking At A Play

Discover the joy of reading with our engaging ELA worksheets. Read out a fun play and answer questions.

What's the main idea? - Part 3 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 3) to practice your english language skills.

What's the main idea? - Part 4 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 4) to practice your english language skills.

Read And Answer Arguments And Evidences

Inspire learning with our ELA worksheets. Boost comprehension by identifying the reasoning and spotting the evidence in texts.

Story Time Read And Answer Questions

Boost reading comprehension with our engaging ELA worksheets; a must-have printable for fun practice!

Pick out the theme! - Part 1 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 1) to develop your english skills!

Pick out the theme! - Part 2 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 2) to develop your english skills!

Read And Answer Benny And Bella

Excel in reading comprehension with our delightful ELA worksheets, practicing through engaging printable tasks.

Discover Your Kindness Type

Augment socio-emotional skills with our ELA worksheets. Here's a printable focused on finding your kindness type.

Pick out the theme! - Part 3 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 3) to develop your english skills!

Pick out the theme! - Part 4 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 4) to develop your english skills!

Let's choose the heading! - Part 1 Game

Choose the appropriate heading (Part 1) in order to enhance your skills.

Let's choose the heading! - Part 2 Game

Choose the appropriat heading (Part 2) in order to enhance your skills.

Lets Link the Cause and Effect Worksheet

Understand the impact of events with our engaging cause and effect worksheet. Start learning today!

Pick Out the Cause Worksheet

Strengthen comprehension skills with our engaging worksheet. Explore cause and effect relationships for enhanced critical thinking and analytical abilities.

Let's choose the heading! - Part 3 Game

Choose the appropriate heading (Part 3) in order to enhance your skills.

Let's choose the heading! - Part 4 Game

Choose the appropriate heading (Part 4) in order to enhance your skills.

Cause And Effect What Might Be The Reason

Refine your child's understanding of cause and effect with this engaging ELA worksheet, perfect for practice.

Can You Predict? Worksheet

In this interactive worksheet, predict outcomes based on the given information. Foster your critical thinking and prediction abilities today!

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3rd Grade Worksheets & Activities

Welcome to our 3rd grade worksheets! Third grade represents the last segment of the first quarter of a child’s K-12 experience. They have come a long way! By this time, learners will know many words by sight and know even more words when they are spoken.

Fourth grade learners can read simple words and are best supported through high-interest stories and informational texts. These learners benefit from direct instruction that is broken into small pieces. They are learning a lot, but it’s best to take it part by part. As writers, these learners will require opportunities that mix support and independence. They will often share details verbally to expand upon the ideas they present in writing .

Simile Worksheets

Welcome to our collection of printable simile worksheets, designed to spark creativity and enhance language skills for students of all ages! Whether you’re a teacher seeking engaging classroom activities or a parent looking for fun, educational resources at home, our worksheets offer a valuable tool for exploring the rich world…

Types of Poetry Examples and Activities

There are many different types of poetry, such as: haiku, limerick, acrostic, cinquain, concrete, free verse, odes, and more. These varieties can be used for different occasions and modes of expression; each is unique. Below, you’ll find links to our printable resources for different types of poetry examples and activities.…

Metaphor Worksheets

Welcome to our library of printable metaphor worksheets for elementary and middle school students! Metaphors are powerful tools that enrich our understanding and communication by drawing imaginative comparisons between seemingly unrelated things. For young students, mastering metaphors can significantly enhance their reading comprehension, creative writing, and overall language skills. Our…

Space Exploration Worksheets

Get ready to learn about outer space with our library of printable space exploration worksheets and activities! Below, you’ll find a variety of resources focusing on space exploration, including: drawing activities, reading comprehension passages, main idea worksheets, word searches, and more.

Inference Worksheets

There’s no doubt that inferencing skills are some of the most challenging to teach (and learn) in any classroom. Students need close reading skills, as well as the confidence, to make a strong inference about what they’re reading. If you’re looking for resources on teaching this skill to your students,…

Book Report Outlines Printable PDFs Image

Book Report Templates

Book reports often ask students to summarize, reflect, and share their ideas. We’ve created a series of book report templates that you can use or adapt based on a variety of learning needs. While this task may reflect individual preferences and insights, it can be collaborative. Students can share in…

Context Clues Anchor Chart

It’s all about the clues! Utilizing context clues involves using patience and strategies in order to determine the meaning of an unknown word. For early literacy students, this is essential. Use our printable context clues anchor chart on paper or as a digital resource. Remember, anchor charts can be used…

Inference Anchor Chart

Inferencing skills depend on the learner’s use of text clues and information in combination with what they already know. For many students, building prior knowledge and close reading are important aspects of developing sound inferencing skills. Students have to build confidence in both skills in order to determine educated assertions…

Reduce Sentence Wordiness with the SEAL Writing Strategy

Welcome to ReadingVine’s page all about how to reduce sentence wordiness with SEAL Strategy Activities! The SEAL Strategy is a great classroom tool for teaching students about revising sentences to improve their writing skills by reducing overall sentence wordiness. The four steps of this learning strategy include: simplifying sentences, eliminating…

Author’s Viewpoint Task Cards

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3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Activities: Ideas, Strategies, And Resources

January 10, 2024 // by Kellie Tanner

Third grade is a big year for reading comprehension. Your child will gather a deeper understanding of the meaning of what they are reading as they expand their vocabulary skills and build knowledge. They will also be exposed to more challenging books , articles, poetry, and online research. They will also learn to be more independent learners and thinkers as they receive less assistance from adults. Before the end of third grade, your child should be reading with greater accuracy and fluency. The following activities should assist you as you help your third grader improve his literacy skills.

1. Sticky Notes Project

3rd grade kids will love this sticky note project that teaches them about character traits. Providing students with a visual representation allows them to more easily compare the traits of different characters. This fun activity will help students think more deeply about characters which will allow them to more deeply understand the meaning of the story they are reading.

Learn More: Education

2. Book Squares Activity

Sequencing events in a story can often be difficult for 3rd grade students, and this book square activity will help! This activity is a great way to help your child take essential story details and place them in chronological order. Another great thing about the book square is that it can later be used as a bookmark!

3. Beach Ball Comprehension

This beach ball activity will quickly become one of the favorite games of your 3rd graders. All you need is a permanent marker and a few beach balls . Write questions on the balls for your students to answer about their favorite book. Include comprehension questions about setting, characters, predictions, connections, problems, and solutions.

Learn More: Conversations in Literacy

4. Teach Students to Visualize

This 3rd grade reading comprehension activity allows students to focus on text visualization which is a crucial strategy in increasing reading comprehension skills. This lesson utilizes an anchor chart , listening skills, and a descriptive book. Learn more about the details of this activity here.

Learn More: Raise The Bar Reading

5. Creepy Carrots Inference Activity

This engaging activity is great for entertaining readers. Your 3rd graders will have a lot of fun as they learn about inference skills. This one-day lesson plan includes a lesson script, questions, and writing task instructions.

Learn More: thelemonadestandteacher

6. Animal Style Reading Comprehension Strategies

These engaging and fun reading comprehension strategies teach 3rd graders how to ask questions, make predictions, and draw conclusions. They are able to use animals to learn essential reading skills through entertaining poems. Learn more about these strategies here.

Learn More: ateachableteacher.com

7. Main Idea and Details Sentence Sort

This engaging activity can help students understand how details support the main idea of a story. Students will be given sentences from a paragraph that are out of order, cut apart from one another, and all mixed up. Your 3rd grader must use critical thinking skills to put the paragraph together correctly.

Learn More: thriftyinthirdgrade.com

8. Sentence Frames for Reading Responses

An essential skill for 3rd grade students to master is effectively responding to the text they are reading. Often, students struggle with writing accurate and meaningful responses to the texts they are reading. Providing the students with sentence frames teaches them how to write more accurate and meaningful responses.

Learn More: upperelementarysnapshots.com

9. Reading Comprehension Book Marks

This is one of the best reading comprehension tools you will find. These free bookmarks are terrific for helping 3rd graders improve reading retention as well as aid students in the practice of note-taking. These bookmarks are terrific for fiction stories and non-fiction books.

Learn More: 123homeschool4me.com

10. Cootie Catcher for Reading Comprehension

This 3rd grade level activity is an engaging and fun lesson that will definitely entertain your readers. The cootie catcher activity contains three versions and can be used with any fictional book. Find out more about this activity here.

Learn More: classroomgamenook.blogspot.com

11. Listening Comprehension

Listening comprehension benefits our kiddos in so many ways. This allows students to focus on how well they can really listen. It also helps teachers to assess and understand where their kiddos are at. While audiobooks are a great choice, this Youtube reading passage has been specially formulated to help your kiddos develop 3rd grade reading concepts and skills.

Learn More: YouTube

12. Main Ideas and Details

Save time while preparing for your next lesson and tune into this video. This video not only gives a great overview of the main ideas and details but also provides plenty of structure to build some classroom visuals with your class.

13. Hamster Hide and Seek Poem

Reading poems is quite a fun and engaging fluency project. This video is great because it walks you and your kiddos through a repeated reading lesson. It’s great to also be sent home with struggling readers and parents can easily work through the video with them!

14. Third Grade Test Prep

It’s never easy teaching test prep to third graders. Especially when you have a class of 20, on all different levels. Finding advanced stories, while also working with your lower levels can be difficult. This video provides a great video that will help to enhance your digital classroom by incorporating critical thinking skills and comprehension prep.

15. Guess Who? Guess What? Guess The Word!

This is a super fun twist on the classic Guess Who game. Help your third grader practice their reading skills in a fun and engaging way. This can work with centers and games for free time. Students will absolutely love when this board game comes out.

Learn More: My Class Bloom

16. Context Clues and Cookies

Providing students with plenty of visuals is vital to a successful reading space. This activity helps boost literacy skills among your third graders. Make this poster together as a class and then pair it with some favorite comprehension activities to practice context clues.

Learn More: The Teacher Next Door

17. Predict It

Is it time for teaching predictions? But you can’t seem to find the perfect book for your classroom? Sparky! Is an amazing book for teaching predictions in the third-grade classroom. Students will love reading along and predicting what is going to happen next.

Learn More: Starts with a Story

18. Fluency Reminders

If you have a fluency center, then this is a great addition to that. If not, you can totally still use this reminder sheet. Whether you create your very own classroom poster or send it home with kiddos to remind parents about focusing on fluency. Whichever works for your classroom, it’s a great resource to add to the books.

Learn More: Literacy with Aylin Claahsen

19. Lucky Days

If you’re looking for the perfect Saint Patrick’s Day activity , here it is! Include this in your March madness activities. Focusing on Main Idea and key details, these printable worksheets will be engaging to all of your students.

Learn More: Hands On Learning LLC

20. Practice Transitions

Get your third-grade class moving with their transitional words! Use a book that is directly aimed toward the 3rd grade reading level like How to Catch a Leprechaun to get them hooked. Then, give them this worksheet to help them get to grips with these simple transitional words and sequencing events all in one.

Learn More: 15 Worksheets

21. Compare and Contrast

Comparing and contrasting is one of the most important concepts your kiddos will learn about in third grade. It’s important to provide students with books that they will both be engaged in and easily be able to compare! These two books along with this simple worksheet are great for exactly that.

Learn More: Abram Academics

22. Teaching Vocabulary

Teaching vocabulary and sight words can get more and more difficult as your students get older. Not only are the words more challenging, but students need a bit more stimulation to be totally engaged. These vocabulary vipers are amazing to teach both vocabulary and sight words! They also make a super cute classroom decoration for a word wall.

Learn More: Life of a Former Third Grade Teacher

23. Flip Books

Who doesn’t love a good flip book? I swear by them because my students love making them. This flipbook is filled with different comprehension passages. Whether you need a fiction or non-fiction reading passage, equip them in your very own flipbook ! Watch students work vigorously to finish and decorate their beautiful books.

24. Vocabulary Assessments

There’s no doubt that assessments are a pretty big controversy right now, but sometimes they’re just necessary. Especially when it comes to vocabulary. Vocabulary can be really difficult for students, but also essential for them to have proper reading fluency skills.

Learn More: TPT

25. Informational Reading

Sand Cat is the perfect brief, non-fiction passage for any third grade classroom! It comes with comprehension questions as well. If you’re looking for a quick comprehension package, then here it is. Low prep and engaging for your kiddos.

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

26. Improve Fluency

Improve your students reading fluency with these reading bookmarks! They can either be used solely as bookmarks or they can be used to follow along while reading. Students will love the different colored films to help highlight what is being read.

Learn More: Natalie in Third

27. Build the Word

Building on your student’s phonics skills is another important aspect of teaching reading comprehension. When students are able to quickly put together words, their fluency skills are automatically heightened. This is a great activity to work with your students on suffixes.

Learn More: The Literacy Lady

28. Story Maps

As students become more and more skilled with their comprehension strategies, it’s time to put them to work. Use a story map to combine all of the skills learned throughout a comprehension unit to assess students’ skills and levels.

29. Reading Detective

Although this may not be a freebie, it’s totally worth it. Your students will absolutely love to become detectives and make inferences from different texts. This is highly engaging for all students.

30. Social Studies Reading

This reading passage is great for integrating cross-curriculum lessons into your classroom. Students will love to mark up their papers.

Learn More: Ashleigh Education Journey

31. Book Reports

Book reports are super beneficial for third graders. Not only do they help readers to understand what they’ve read, but to also put it into words and pictures. This hits all of the different reading comprehension skills and students will also love to share their book reports with others.

Learn More: Terrific Teaching Tactics

32. Novel Studies

Novel studies have so many benefits it’s hard to list them all in such a short paragraph. Not only do they build on different comprehension skills, but they also build a special community in the classroom. Providing students with novel studies packets and stories will keep them talking, working together, and best of all, reading together.

Learn More: Miss Kyla’s Star Students

33. Vocabulary Puzzles

Vocabulary puzzles are super fun and engaging. They can really be created using any words. Type your words on a paper and use puzzel.org to play around with creating different puzzle pieces. It’s super simple to laminate and to use again and again.

Learn More: Miss Vin 3

34. Author’s Purpose

Building anchor charts in the classroom are beneficial for both you and your students. It’s mainly important to stay on task throughout the entire lesson and allow your kiddos to add their input as you go. Don’t forget to refer back to the anchor chart throughout your entire unit.

Learn More: Keever’s Crew

35. K.W.L. Chart

Balloons Over Broadway is a great introduction to K.W.L. charts for your students. This is something that students do have some background knowledge about and they also can easily come up with questions to ask! There’s no doubt your students will use these charts for many years to come.

Learn More: Mrs. Homuth

36. Book Talk Wall

Building a book talk wall will help to enhance students’ vocabulary. Whether you go over the word daily, refer to them throughout your lessons, or just want students to look during downtime, the book talk wall is sure to have a positive influence on them.

Learn More: The Kentucky Teacher

37. Flower Vocabulary

Finding different ways to break down vocabulary words is an easy way to help students gain fluency. With better vocabulary knowledge, comes better fluency, and with better fluency comes better comprehension. It’s all connected. Find different ways to enhance your student’s vocabulary-building skills , like these flowers.

Learn More: Guide, Teach, Inspire

38. Random Wheel

Last, but certainly not least is the random wheel. This wheel can be created and modified to whichever words you’re using in your lessons. Whether you want to use it for a game show, bingo or just to practice reading aloud students will love when you pull up the random wheel on your classroom smart board or projector.

Learn More: Worldwall

3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Series - 40 Activities!

This incredible unit is free with your subscription to MrN 365. It contains our entire current collection of 3rd grade (and higher) leveled reading comprehension passages and question sets (between five and ten multiple choice questions). These are available individually throughout the site. Here you get them in one huge 72-page packet. Included are American Revolution, Galileo, Pepperoni, and many more in science and social studies (mostly).

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Home » Blog Posts » Literacy Centers » 3rd Grade Literacy Center Ideas

3rd Grade Literacy Center Ideas

Switching literacy centers in and out every week is such a headache for teachers! This post shares 3rd grade literacy center ideas that work with any curriculum and last the entire school year!

PLUS–you can grab some free printables at the end of this post!

*This post contains affiliate links to Amazon for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, which do not cost any extra for you. Please see the full disclosure here. *

What Are Literacy Centers?

I LOVE using literacy centers in my upper elementary classroom! When it comes to upper elementary, some people also call them literacy stations.

After years of being frustrated with the process of setting them up, I came across Debbie Diller’s book Literacy Work Stations: Making Centers Work.

She defines a literacy center as:

“…an area in the classroom where students work alone or interact with one another, using instructional materials to explore and expand their literacy.” -Debbie Diller

She goes on to mention that literacy centers should give students a chance to practice all of the ELA skills such as reading, writing, speaking, grammar, and working with words or letters.

Using Debbie’s definition, your centers can be in fixed locations around your classroom or they can be flexible.

I prefer flexible stations that allow students to work anywhere in the classroom. This impacts the type of center organization systems I use.

What Should Be Included in a Literacy Center?

With the above details in mind, I realized some important aspects about 3rd grade literacy centers:

Students should have the option to work collaboratively or independently.
The centers should allow literacy practice, but can be flexible enough to use with any curriculum.
These practice centers will NOT be graded.
Students need to have FUN!

In addition to these, Grade 3 literacy stations should include the ELA skills also mentioned above such as reading, writing, word work opportunities, and grammar.

That is how I came up with the literacy center ideas for third graders that are featured in this post.

Before I Introduce the 3rd Grade Literacy Center Ideas

Teachers are busy! You may not have time to read the full post.

If that’s the case, you can bookmark this post and come back to it later, which is fine. Or save it to your favorite Pinterest board.

But if so, remember that I have all these literacy activities available in my store.

Feel free to click the image shown above OR click HERE to see the full set.

That way you won’t miss out on the main reason you came here.

Now without further ado, let’s look at some fun ELA activities for our Grade 3 kiddos.

Reading Centers for 3rd Grade

The goal for reading centers in my classroom is to give students choice and keep them motivated to read.

To meet this goal, I offer lots of reading materials such as comic books, chapter books, audio books, and magazines.

Our Magazine Scavenger Hunt usually ranks at number one! I’ll be honest, I love it too! Here’s why:

I never have to change this literacy center. I only change the magazines throughout the school year.
Students get to practice reading all sorts of articles, which builds their non-fiction reading skills.
They get to practice identifying non-fiction text features.
It’s 100% student led!!

For all these reasons, magazine scavenger hunts rank #1 on my list of 3rd grade literacy center ideas.

It’s such an easy and fun way to get your kids reading more.

“I Spy” Look in a Book Reading Center

Another engaging 3rd grade reading center idea is the “I Spy” Look in a Book reading center.

Students can use ANY book of their choice !

As they read, they look for parts of speech that we’ve learned in class. Then they fill up the grammar chart while they continue reading their book.

To make it even more engaging, I give my students magnifying glasses from Dollar Tree or Amazon so that they feel like “word detectives” as they look for the different parts of speech.

Plus, this is another center that I do not have to switch out!

It is easy for students to learn and use without my help, and it works all year long in our classroom.

This activity evens works well with a sub because you do not have to leave lots of instructions for this. Students get to practice independent reading really well with this option.

How Do You Make Reading Centers Fun?

Since we’re on the topic of reading centers for your 3rd graders, let’s talk about FUN. 🤩

Let’s face it, if students are bored, they will not stay engaged during center rotations.

When choosing reading activities, I make sure to use stations that:

Allow collaboration and teamwork. Use ideas that can be completed with a partner or trio for students who would rather read with a friend.
Have a gaming aspect. Anytime you can turn a reading center into a game-style activity, it will promote more fun.
Embrace a variety of reading materials. Another really easy way to make your 3rd grade reading centers fun is to incorporate lots of different materials such as magazines, comic books, chapter books, e-books , etc.
Host a Read-A-Thon. Turn your classroom into a huge lounge with large pillows and plush blankets. Push the desks away. Serve simple refreshments and allow students to have a “read-a-thon.”
Use reading challenges instead of reading logs . I use reading challenges for each season of the year that have up to 35 reading challenges. My students LOVE filling in their challenge bookmark to earn reading prizes.

These are just a few ways to get students pumped about completing reading centers in your classroom.

House Builder Words for Sight Word Practice

When it comes to word work and sight word practice, I love literacy centers that are portable. Instead of being in a fixed location in our classroom, I want my students to grab their center materials easily and go.

That’s one of the reasons I love our House Builder Words Literacy Center.

Students are very familiar with the game “hangman”, so I don’t have to spend a lot of time introducing this center since there are similarities.

We use a combination of high frequency sight words.

This allows my kids to practice this center throughout the school year with lots of different words.

Even though I don’t grade my centers, I do collect their completed activities to check for understanding.

To keep students focused, I have them write sentences using the words from their hangman game with a partner, which is what I collect.

Popular Game Boards for Word Work Practice

Popular game boards like Scrabble are super easy and one of my favorite engaging 3rd grade literacy center ideas!

Some of my top board grames are:

Banan-o-grams

We use Scrabble, Boggle, and Banan-o-grams for spelling practice. I modify the Headbanz game to build students’ vocabulary word skills.

Instead of using the picture cards that come with the game, I type our vocabulary words on cards and students use the same game board rules and head gear to guess the vocabulary words.

When it comes to making centers fun, mixing game boards with your curriculum really amps up the engagement!

Anytime you can add in a game-style aspect to learning, you will notice more students who are eager to start and stay on task.

For a FREE, exclusive sample of my 3rd grade literacy centers, sign up here to join The Butterfly Teacher VIP Community! Your free printables will be sent directly to your email.

Of course, popular game boards like these don’t have to be expensive. I’ve used materials from The Dollar Tree to recreate these games as a way to save money.

If you can afford to buy the actual game board, it will save you time, but the main thing is that they really keep students engaged with your literacy centers.

Not only that, but each game gives students a chance for collaboration and fun.

Shape Spelling for 3rd Grade Literacy Centers

Shape Spelling evolved from my 4th grade literacy center Emoji Spelling . Spelling with emojis was such a huge hit with my kids, that I created a “spin-off” version for my 3rd grade literacy centers.

Using shape spelling involves almost no prep, except print and pass out to students. Your students will:

Use any word or spelling list.
Write their words using shapes from the master code list
Switch with a partner to write the actual spelling words after they decipher them from the shapes

It baffles me that this never gets old with my kids! They always enjoy using shapes to practice their spelling words.

Goldfish Games for Homophones, Synonyms & Antonyms

Are you noticing a common theme with all these 3rd grade literacy center ideas? Yep, those important elements that I first mentioned above are woven into each idea.

Which is why I always use some version of the goldfish game in my literacy center rotation.

Most students understand how to play goldfish: turn all the cards upside down and keep turning them back over two-at-a-time until you find a match.

The partner with the most matches / pairs wins the game.

My students use goldfish games for homophone, synonym, and antonym practice.

But Don’t Your Students Get Tired of the Same Words?!

When it comes to “switching out centers,” the only thing about this word work station that needs to change is the word selection.

I realized that I was having to retype, print, and cut so many “goldfish” cards to keep this center going. But I found an easy way to prevent this much teacher work for myself!

Students create the new cards themselves as a bonus / extension activity! Once they complete the goldfish cards I already prepped, I give them blank templates to create their own set of cards.

This extension activity does come with guidelines to make sure students produce quality goldfish cards, but I’ve rarely had students who didn’t enjoy this part of the game.

I laminate and re-use the best cards to add into our future rotations with this literacy center.

They love seeing their OWN work displayed as a literacy center , and I love how simple it is to set up and keep going throughout the school year!

Using Technology with Literacy Centers

Our school is not one-to-one yet , but our school has two iPad carts, and teachers are required to use these in the classroom at least once a week.

Plus, I personally want more technology integration with our learning activities and centers.

I have been using the Google Apps a lot more with my literacy centers and so far, they have been very effective in helping my kids develop stronger literacy skills.

An example is this Context Clues reading activity on Google Slides. My kids get reading practice that builds up their inferencing and vocabulary in context skills.

Not only that, but it has a printable set of task cards also.

Having both versions allows me to be flexible with my centers.

Some kids will complete these on the computers, while others complete them at their seats.

Students quickly figure out how to drag-and-drop or type their answers without much help from me, which makes this technology center easy to keep established.

So I keep “Technology Time” as one of the center options, but I allow different activities and apps that students can access for literacy practice.

More 3rd Grade Literacy Center Ideas

Some of these ideas are featured in my 3rd Grade Literacy Centers Set that has 10 Hands-On centers with the following:

These literacy stations comes with these features:

Pictured & detailed instructions for students
Bonus & Extension Activities for most of the centers
Lesson Planning Ideas to help teachers save time
Center Labels & Teacher Binder Covers

How Long Should Centers Be for 3rd Graders?

Planning centers for upper elementary is impossible without considering time frames.

However, when it comes to how long Grade 3 centers should be, it depends on so many factors.

My sweet spot is around 90 minutes, which allows students to spend a minimum of 25 minutes at 3 different literacy stations.

25 x 3 = 75, which leaves you with 15 minutes for transitions, set-up, and clean-up time.

If you don’t have that much time to devote to your literacy block, don’t despair.

One year, all I had was one 45 minute block. Students completed two 15-minute literacy activities with a cushion of 10 minutes for transition and prep.

3rd-grade-literacy-center-ideas-the-butterfly-teacher

Planning Your ELA Stations–Things to Consider

As you plan out how long your centers should be for 3rd grade, keep these things in mind:

Amount of total students you have
How long your students need to transition (the more you model and prepare them for centers, the less transition time they need)
Whether you’re going to use fixed groups or choice boards to manage your centers.

Not only will the answers to these areas help you map out the time-frame for your stations, but it will make center planning in general easier.

How Do You Set Up Literacy Stations?

There are so many details to keep in mind when launching literacy centers.

I wrote a quick guide with detailed answers to common questions about running centers.

This guide also has planning pages to help you set up centers in your classroom.

This guide walks you through setting up centers and details things like:

How to choose “groups” for your centers?
A breakdown of different time frames and what to do for your literacy block during those time frames.
Details on the best ways to differentiate your centers.
Knowing whether to switch out your centers each week or not.
Options on how to help students choose a center OR setting up fixed student groups.

I know how overwhelming it can be to get centers going in the classroom when you have a million other things to consider and do as a teacher!

Hopefully these literacy center ideas for 3rd grade gave you some fresh ways to look at centers in your classroom.

I have several more posts that give details about literacy centers. If you still have questions after reading through those, be sure to subscribe to our Butterfly Teacher email community and I’ll be more than happy to help you along! 🤗

More helpful posts about literacy centers:

5 Mistakes You’re Making Making With Your Centers (and how to fix them!)
How I Use Choice Boards for my Literacy Centers
Why You Need Literacy Centers in Your Upper Elementary Classroom
FREE Literacy Centers Apps

Happy Teaching 🙂

4 Responses

I am excited to get these started in the classroom!! They look like the students will really enjoy and get the most out of the time we have reading!

Kim, That is great to hear. 🙂

I cannot access using “For a FREE, exclusive sample of my 3rd grade literacy centers, sign up here to join The Butterfly Teacher VIP Community! Your free printables will be sent directly to your email.” Is there another link?

Hi Cassandra, Thank you for reaching out; I refreshed the links / post from my end to ensure that each link works. Please feel free to try again. If you still have trouble, send me your email address here: [email protected] and I’ll send your freebies directly. Thanks again! 🙂

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State Test Data Show Continued Recovery in Math, Focus Needed on Reading

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Katy Payne she/her 360-764-0201

OLYMPIA––September 10, 2024 ––Today, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released data from the spring 2024 state assessments. Overall, the data indicates that students are continuing a strong recovery in math and the need for a continued focus on literacy.

The tests, required each spring for students in grades 3–8 and 10, are one way of assessing the depth of each student’s knowledge and skills in math and English language arts.

Achievement levels on the state assessment represent a range of performance. Three of the four achievement levels indicate grade-level knowledge and skills, with increasing accuracy and complexity. While Level 1 indicates achievement that is not on grade level, Level 2 indicates foundational grade-level knowledge and skills, and Levels 3 and 4 indicate a student is on track for college-level learning without needing remedial classes.

“We often see the results of these tests being miscommunicated to mean something that they don’t,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal. “The state tests are not Pass/Fail and students who do not meet the college readiness proficiency standard are not necessarily below grade level in their knowledge. On the tests, students demonstrate their grade-level knowledge and skills along a continuum of complexity.”

For example, in assessing reading and comprehension in the third grade, a lower score indicates that the student was able to identify central ideas in texts of low or moderate complexity and distinguish between literal and non-literal meanings of words and phrases. On the same assessment, a higher score indicates that the student could identify explicit evidence or supporting details to support basic inferences in text of moderate-to-high or unusually high complexity.

A bar graph titled ‘Students Demonstrating Grade-Level Knowledge and Skills’ shows the percentage of students in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science across four performance levels: Advanced (yellow), Consistent (light green), Foundational (green), and Did Not Demonstrate (dark green). In ELA: Advanced - 22.9%, Consistent - 27.4%, Foundational - 20.5%, Did Not Demonstrate - 29.2%. In Mathematics: Advanced - 20.7%, Consistent - 19%, Foundational - 23%, Did Not Demonstrate - 37.3%.

Washington students continue to perform similar to or better than students enrolled in public schools across the U.S. on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the nation’s only assessment where statistically sound comparisons between states can be drawn. While NAEP data have shown a steady decline in reading performance across the nation since 2017, the data continue to show that Washington’s students make gains in both math and English language arts as they progress through the K–12 education system.

On the NAEP assessment, by the 8th grade, only 7 states and the Department of Defense (DoD) schools are statistically significantly outperforming Washington students in math and only 2 states and the DoD schools are statistically significantly outperforming Washington students in reading. The data place Washington’s 8th graders in the top 15 states in the country for their math and reading abilities.

As one way of assessing student learning recovery, OSPI monitors student progress and learning acceleration, as displayed in the chart below. The bars indicate student progress from the 2023 to the 2024 assessments.

A bar graph titled ‘Student Progress: 2023 to 2024’ shows the percentage of students meeting or exceeding college-readiness proficiency standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics. For English Language Arts: 42.3% met college-readiness proficiency standard in both years, 9.2% accelerated to meet college-readiness proficiency standard, 14.1% accelerated beyond grade-level progress; has not yet met college-readiness proficiency standard, 6.1% made grade-level progress; did not accelerate and 28.2% growth was not on grade level. For Mathematics: 35.6% met college-readiness proficiency standard in both years, 6.5% accelerated to meet college-readiness proficiency standard, 15.3% accelerated beyond grade-level progress; have not yet met college-readiness proficiency standard, 9.4% made grade-level progress; did not accelerate and 33.3% growth was not on grade level.

Under federal law, each state is required to administer statewide assessments in grades 3–8 and once in high school. At a system level, the data are used to identify opportunity gaps and influence investments and policy priorities to support student learning. As required by federal law, assessment data inform the level of support the state provides to each school through the Washington School Improvement Framework .

Families, policymakers, and community members should be cautious about viewing state assessment scores as the primary indicator of student learning and growth. Engagement, attendance, grades, and classroom-based assignments and tests provide more detailed, timely, and useful information about individual students' progress to their families and educators.

It should be noted that the required standardized tests aim to measure students’ knowledge and skills in one year compared to students at that grade level from the previous year. It shows overall trends and can indicate a student’s performance at one particular time, but is not designed to measure a single student’s ability and readiness over time.

Trends in the Data Over Time

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in fall 2021, assessment scores in Washington dropped by several percentage points, mirroring the declines across the nation. (Note: Fall 2021 tests were not typical in their timing and length but give an indication of student learning and progress.) While test scores are not yet back to what they were pre-pandemic, the recovery in scores since 2022 are evidence of the diligent efforts by Washington’s students, educators, and families.

The chart below shows the total percentage of students who demonstrated grade-level knowledge and skills (left) as well as the total percentage of students who demonstrated knowledge and skills consistent with the college readiness proficiency standard (right) in both math and English language arts.

The math and English language arts charts below show, by grade level, the percentage of students who demonstrated grade-level knowledge and skills (left) as well as the percentage of students who demonstrated knowledge and skills consistent with the college readiness proficiency standard (right).

$Math on track$

The data show continued recovery and acceleration in math at nearly all grade levels, highlighting the intentional, focused efforts of Washington’s educators to support math recovery. (It should be noted that math scores saw the largest decrease during the pandemic.)

English Language Arts

In English language arts, the data indicate the need for a renewed focus on literacy. As our world becomes more digitally connected, young people are spending less time reading as they age—in particular, less time reading complex texts. A 2023 study by Scholastic found that, from 2010 to 2022, the number of youth aged 6–17 who identified as “frequent readers” (5–7 days per week) decreased by 9 percentage points to just 28% in 2022. Young people are spending more time texting, on social media, gaming, and watching online videos, and less time reading books.

“These trends in reading are occurring across the nation, but in Washington, we can be different,” said Reykdal. “Literacy is the foundational building block to future learning across all content areas, and we are doubling down on our focus on early literacy in particular.”

Superintendent Reykdal’s 2025 budget proposal to the Governor and Legislature will include funds for an artificial intelligence (AI) reading tool where students can practice reading out loud and receive immediate, individualized analysis and feedback from the tool to support their learning. The tool will provide real-time data to each child’s teacher, supporting educators to quickly identify students who may need additional support.

Superintendent Reykdal will also be requesting funding for continued support of the Imagination Library of Washington , a global nonprofit organization created by Dolly Parton where children birth through age 5 can receive a high-quality, age-appropriate book delivered to their home each month. The program aims to support early literacy as well as provide opportunities for parents and families to read to their children.

Viewing Assessment Results

Assessment results for math, English language arts, and science are available for the state as well as by school and school district on the Washington State Report Card . Users can also download data files from the Report Card if they are interested in more detail. Parents and families should contact their child's school or school district for more information about their student's assessment results.

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IMAGES

3rd grade reading Worksheets, word lists and activities.
Mrs. Hammerberg's Reading Class: 3rd Grade Homework Due 10/22
3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Printable
3Rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets Pdf For Printable
Reading Worksheets
Reading comprehension: letter to the editor

VIDEO

Normalizing Reading and Learning Assignments for Children #ReadingIsKey #EncourageEducation #reading
MA English 3rd Sem KSOU Assignment
Which activities do you find most helpful in English class?
Study Vlog
The Catching Tree Third Grade
Anchor Assignments: Promoting Literacy Independence During Small Group Instruction (Virtual Tour)

COMMENTS

Third grade reading worksheets
Use these worksheets to practice improve reading skills and reading comprehension. Included are fiction and non-fiction stories and fables at a grade 3 level, all followed by exercises. In addition to the stories, our phonics and reading comprehension worksheets provide exercises focused on specific reading skills.
3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Find 36 weeks of reading comprehension activities with cross-curricular focus on various subjects. Each worksheet includes a passage and questions for third grade students to practice their reading skills.
19 Unique 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Activities
Use these reading comprehension activities to help students make the transition to "reading to learn," and bring them to the next level. 1. Create anchor charts together. Help 3rd graders move toward independence by creating anchor charts that they can refer to as they read. Some anchor charts to create:
3rd Grade Reading Worksheets & Free Printables
Worksheet. Use this civics and government worksheet to help second and third graders learn about elections! Reading for Comprehension: Drawing Conclusions. Worksheet. Children read six short passages and draw a conclusion about each one based on context clues. Nonfiction Text Features: Wild, Wild Weather. Worksheet.
3rd Grade Reading Worksheets
Find reading comprehension and inference worksheets for 3rd grade students at various reading levels. Download and print worksheets on topics such as Tetris, the Coliseum, the Pony Express, and wintertime.
3rd Grade Reading Comprehension
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. There are several free reading comps to choose from!
3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions
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. When she was a baby, she would stay wide away all afternoon, playing with toys in her crib. Her mother told her that Ella could only sleep when it was ...
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. Additional Alphabet Worksheets (Subscription Required)
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets & Printables
Worksheet. This exercise will strengthen your students' reading comprehension. Reading for Comprehension: Following Directions. Interactive Worksheet. Help your third grader practice following directions on how to build a tornado in a bottle, and build his reading comprehension skills in the process.
Free 3rd Grade Reading Activities
Read 3rd grade sight words. Read 3rd grade text with purpose and understanding. eSpark is truly unique in the world of online learning. Our holistic, student-centered approach blends the proven benefits of play-based learning with systematic, explicit, and direct instruction. It's proof that learning can be fun, personalized, and effective ...
Grade 3 Leveled Reading Worksheets
Reading Worksheets - Leveled Stories. These grade 3 reading comprehension worksheets are from our leveled reading workbook collection which ranges in difficulty from A to Z and is correlated to grade levels. The full workbooks are available for download from our bookstore for only $3.49 / book. Free Worksheet. Reading Level.
Free 3rd-Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets
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 ...
Free Third Grade Reading Comprehension Activities
EOG - End of Grade Reading Assessment. At the end of the 3rd grade, your child will take their first official standardized test (standardized meaning every test taker answers the same questions and is scored in the same way across the state). The Reading Comprehension test consists of about 50 multiple choice questions to test if your child ...
Printable Reading Comprehension Worksheets for 3rd Graders
Give your child the passion and confidence to learn anything on their own fearlessly. Parents, Sign Up for Free. Teachers, Use for Free. Explore engaging reading comprehension worksheets for 3rd graders. Covering text features, point of view, and more. Download for free!
Printable 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).
3rd grade reading Worksheets, word lists and activities ...
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. Give your child a boost using our free, printable 3rd grade reading worksheets.
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 ...
Reading
Reading Activities for 3rd Grade. Strengthen your child's reading skills with interactive educational resources for reading for 3rd graders online. These learning resources include fun games and worksheets with eye-catching visuals and characters. Get started to help your 3rd grader master this concept by engaging their critical thinking.
3rd Grade Reading Activities for Kids
Activity. This year, have your child can help you with your Passover food list. It's great handwriting practice, and she'll learn a lot in the process. 1 2. . Reading activities guide your child through learning about letters, sight words, and more the fun way. Use these reading activities with your young reader.
3rd Grade Worksheets & Activities
Welcome to our 3rd grade worksheets! Third grade represents the last segment of the first quarter of a child's K-12 experience. They have come a long way! By this time, learners will know many words by sight and know even more words when they are spoken. Fourth grade learners can read simple words and are best supported through high-interest stories and informational texts. These learners ...
3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Activities: Ideas, Strategies, And
This 3rd grade reading comprehension activity allows students to focus on text visualization which is a crucial strategy in increasing reading comprehension skills. This lesson utilizes an anchor chart, listening skills, and a descriptive book. Learn more about the details of this activity here. Learn More: Raise The Bar Reading.
3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Series
3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Series - 40 Activities! This incredible unit is free with your subscription to MrN 365. It contains our entire current collection of 3rd grade (and higher) leveled reading comprehension passages and question sets (between five and ten multiple choice questions). These are available individually throughout the site.
3rd Grade Literacy Center Ideas
Embrace a variety of reading materials. Another really easy way to make your 3rd grade reading centers fun is to incorporate lots of different materials such as magazines, comic books, chapter books, e-books, etc. Host a Read-A-Thon. Turn your classroom into a huge lounge with large pillows and plush blankets.
State Test Data Show Continued Recovery in Math, Focus Needed on Reading
OLYMPIA--September 10, 2024--Today, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released data from the spring 2024 state assessments. Overall, the data indicates that students are continuing a strong recovery in math and the need for a continued focus on literacy. The tests, required each spring for students in grades 3-8 and 10, are one way of assessing the depth of ...

19 Third Grade Reading Comprehension Activities Your Students Will Love

1. Create anchor charts together

2. Teach graphic organizers

3. Build a Comprehension Cootie Catcher

4. Practice determining importance

5. Play a round of Roll and Retell

6. Activate background knowledge

7. Build knowledge with current events

8. Text feature scavenger hunt

9. Focus on predictions and inferences

10. Make a connections paper chain

11. Use story maps

12. Summarize with signal words

13. Play question ball

14. Nonfiction relay race

15. Book Character Day

16. Retell with rocks

17. Create a game show

18. Track thinking with sticky notes

19. Be a word detective

Looking for more ways to work on 3rd grade reading comprehension? Check out our list of 60 3rd Grade Books To Add to Your Classroom Library .

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Free 3rd-Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Worksheet 1: Main Idea (Non-Fiction)

Worksheet 2: Sequence Of Events (Fiction)

Worksheet 3: Cause And Effect (Non-Fiction)

Worksheet 4: Character Analysis (Fiction)

Worksheet 5: Comparing and Contrasting (Non-Fiction)

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Third Grade Reading Skills | Reading Comprehension

EOG – End of Grade Reading Assessment

¿Qué es lectura activa? (The ABCs of Active Reading)

HOME ACTIVITIES

Ask Open-ended Questions

Keep it Light

Use the Five Finger Strategy

Try the 5 W’s to Learn Summarizing

3 Seconds of Wait Time

Show Evidence

Use Sticky Notes to Show Your Thinking

Tame the Testing Beast

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3rd Grade Reading Worksheets

29 3rd Grade Reading Worksheets