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Reading Comprehension for 1st Graders

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Original short stories and nonfiction passages at three reading levels, each with questions and an answer key, plus read-aloud pages and question pages for any book.

Download the reading comprehension worksheets

Level 1 passages

Short passages of about 50 to 75 words with short-vowel words and common sight words, for early first grade.

Level 2 passages

Passages of about 80 to 115 words for the middle of the year, with a word-meaning question on each page.

Level 3 passages

Longer passages of 120 to 160 words for late first grade. The text is on page 1 and the questions on page 2.

Read-aloud comprehension

Richer texts for an adult to read aloud while children listen and answer.

Questions for any book

Use these pages with any story you read together.

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these reading comprehension worksheets

In first grade, children move from reading single sentences to reading whole short texts on their own. Comprehension is what makes that reading worth it: knowing who and what a text is about, remembering the details, putting events in order and explaining what happened in their own words.

These reading comprehension passages for 1st graders are all original and come in three levels. Level 1 passages are short (about 50 to 75 words) and use simple short-vowel words and common sight words. Level 2 passages add longer words and a little more detail. Level 3 passages are about 120 to 160 words, with a page of text and a separate page of questions. Each level mixes made-up stories and true nonfiction about animals, the moon, firefighters and how bread is made.

Every passage has a mix of question types: circle the answer, pick a picture, number the events in order, find a word that means something, and write a short answer. Two read-aloud pages give children harder texts to listen to, and two pages of questions work with any book. Every page with right answers has an answer key.

Standards

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.10With prompting and support, read prose and poetry of appropriate complexity for grade 1.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.1Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.2Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.4Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.10With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4.ARead grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.4.AUse sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.2Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

How to use them

  1. Start with a Level 1 passage even if your child reads well. The first goal is a calm, confident read.
  2. Have your child read the passage out loud once, then again silently before answering. Rereading is the single best habit for comprehension.
  3. Show your child how to look back in the text to find an answer, and point to the sentence that proves it.
  4. Move to the next level when your child answers most questions correctly and reads the passage smoothly.
  5. Use the read-aloud pages for listening comprehension: an adult reads, the child answers.
  6. Use the Ask and Answer Questions and Beginning, Middle, End pages after any book you read together.

Teaching tips

  • The level tag at the top of each passage shows its level and word count, so you can match passages to your reader.
  • If writing the answer slows your child down, let them say the answer first, then write just the key words.
  • For the find a word questions, have your child underline the word in the passage before writing it.
  • Nonfiction passages ask what the text is mostly about. Help your child tell the main topic from a single detail.
  • Talk about the story after the page is done: what would you have done? Did you like the ending?

Questions teachers and parents ask

What reading level are these passages?

They come in three levels. Level 1 is for the start of first grade (short texts with simple words), Level 2 is for the middle of the year, and Level 3 is for the end of first grade. Each page shows its level and word count.

Are the stories original?

Yes. Every passage and story was written for this site, so you can print and copy them freely for your class or family.

Do the passages have answer keys?

Yes. Each passage has an answer key on the page after the questions. Writing questions show an example answer.

How can I help my child understand what they read?

Have them reread, look back in the text for answers, and retell the story in their own words. Asking who, what, where, when and why after reading helps a lot.

Are there nonfiction passages too?

Yes. Each level mixes stories with true nonfiction about animals, the moon, firefighters, bread and more.