When it comes to reading, it is important that students not only be able to read the words presented to them but that they can comprehend the deeper meaning behind those words and retain that meaning. As students get older, reading comprehensive is measured on standardized tests and eventually the SAT and ACT in preparation for college entrance exams. It's important to reinforce reading comprehension skills early on so that students can build on those skills with each advancing school year.
Unique Reading Comprehension Stories and Worksheets
To help you achieve your goals for reading comprehension, below are three, original stories each followed by a few reading comprehension questions. To print the worksheets, you'll need to have the most current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is free to download.
Favorite Toy
"Favorite Toy" is a story about a boy and his toy truck. This printable story and comprehension questions is appropriate for second and third grade reading level. The main character in this story is a young boy named Hunter. To use this worksheet, have your child read carefully through the story. Then, he should answer the questions to see how much of the story he retained.
If your child cannot answer the questions, spend some time going over any vocabulary in the story that you think might be challenging for him, such as words like:
- Glared
- Skipped
- Popped
Make sure your child understands the meaning of the word and how it is used in different contexts. Then, have your child re-read the story and attempt to answer the questions again. An answer key is provided with the printable, but keep in mind that your child's words may be a bit different than the examples provided. The key is to make sure he understood what occurred in the story.
Flying Into Comprehension with Amelia Earhart
If your child enjoys history or you just want to add a little history to a reading lesson, this worksheet is a good choice. It is at a third or fourth grade reading level and contains a lot of details that a child at a third grade reading level should be able to pick up on.
To use this worksheet, have your child read the story slowly and carefully. Tell your child to pay attention to numbers, dates and details. If your child struggles with comprehension, be sure she understands these words before starting the exercise:
- Aviator
- Surprisingly
- Biplane
- Pilots
- Accomplish
- Inspiration
Have your child answer the questions at the end of the short non-fiction piece about Ms. Earhart. There is an answer key provided, but your child's answers may not be word for word.
How Cats Talk
This reading comprehension worksheet will work well for second and third grade students. It is a nonfiction story about the language cats use to communicate with one another and with humans. To use this worksheet, make sure your child understands the definitions for the words:
- Communicate
- Feral
- Expressions
- Amazing
Once you are certain your child understands the meaning of those words, have him read the paragraphs carefully and answer the five questions about the reading. An answer key is provided.
More Free Worksheets to Reinforce Comprehension Skills
A Ball for My Dog
This reading comprehension worksheet is written by Stephanie Hovland. 1st Ball for My Dog is appropriate for first grade readers. It focuses on numbers, colors and the dog's actions. There are four questions to test comprehension and then a section to see if the child can be intuitive about the story. This section asks what color the dog's next ball might be and asks the student to write a sentence in her words describing what the dog does with the ball. Finally, the child is asked to draw a picture of the dog playing with his ball.
Comprehension of Main Idea Worksheet
EdHelper offers a first grade level reading comprehension worksheets that tests if a student is comprehending the main ideas in various small snippets of writing. A paragraph is presented and then the student is asked to answer a multiple choice question and choose the main idea of the passage. There are three examples on this particular worksheet.
History of Zombies
This reading comprehension story and questions is aimed at a fifth grade reading level. You will need to sign up for a free Education.com account to gain access to the worksheet. However, you will then be able to download several free worksheets each month. This particular worksheet is a fun topic that most fifth graders will love, so it is worth the extra time to provide an email address and get signed up for a free account at this site. The worksheet offers a history of how the myth of zombies got started and reading comprehension questions.
Picture Clues Worksheet
This kindergarten worksheet offers clues and asks the reader to draw a line from the clue to the picture. This is the beginning stages of inference and will help students practice comprehension skills. The worksheet can even be used with children who are not yet reading complete sentences. Simply read the sentence out loud and ask the student to draw a line from the sentence to the picture.
Carly's Family
Carly's Family is aimed at first or second grade readers. Have the child read the passage about a young girl's family. The story includes some important facts like how old Carly's brothers are, how many pets she has and what her mom and dad do. After your child reads the passage, have him answer the five multiple choice questions. There is also a section where the child can write about his own family and how it is similar and different.
Wilma's Greeting
Wilma's Greeting is a third grade story and comprehension questions printable. The story follows Captain Cork and his crew as they head out to sea to greet an old friend, Wilma. Wilma's greeting is quite unique. Your child should read the story and answer the seven questions at the bottom of the page. The questions are to the point and require short answers.
The Virginia Colony (Jamestown - Part I)
The Virginia Colony is a printable on reading comprehension that also ties into a student's studies of early American settlers. The printable is aimed at fifth grade and up. Mr. Nussbaum has quite a few similar reading comprehension stories that also teach a lesson at the same time for grade levels Kindergarten through fifth grade. Following the passage of reading, there are ten multiple choice comprehension questions.
Building Key Skills for Life
Reading comprehension is an important skill that your child will use throughout his school career, into college and even in a career one day. By using worksheets to test and reinforce vital comprehension skills, you'll ensure he has success as he advances in school. Ask questions and point out main ideas as you read stories together and use the worksheets listed in this article as extra practice.
