3rd Grade Reading Comprehension - Short Passages
This page contains a set of printable worksheets with short reading comprehension passages written at approximately a 3rd grade level. Each passage includes reading comprehension questions.
Cheeky Chipmunks FREE
Discover what's unusual about a chipmunk's cheeks, along with other interesting chipmunk facts.
3rd Grade
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Your students will learn about squirrels when they carefully read this short passage. They'll test their comprehension with the questions that follow.
3rd Grade
What makes an insect an insect? Review and answer questions about the essential components that all insects share using this three-paragraph reading comp.
3rd Grade
Read this short passage about the wood frog, an amazing amphibian that freezes as a means of hibernation. Then answer the questions that follow.
3rd Grade
Mammals keep themselves cool in a variety ways. Learn about some of them with this short, informative article.
3rd Grade
The spoonbill is a wading bird with a unique bill. Find out more with this short passage and worksheet.
3rd Grade
Print off this worksheet to have your students learn about how tails help different animals.
3rd Grade
This short article introduces a variety of animals that use their spit for different purposes. The engaging text is paired with 3 reading comprehension questions.
3rd Grade
This short article is about different kinds of animal tongues and how they are used.
3rd Grade
Read this short article about several animals' eyes and vision abilities. Learn who has the largest eyes, who can see from high in the sky, and more fun facts about animal eyes.
3rd Grade
Hoover Dam was built during the Great Depression, in the Colorado River, on the border between Arizona and Nevada.
3rd Grade
Learn about the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx near the Nile River in Egypt.
2nd through 4th Grades
Quick-read paragraph with factual information about the White House.
2nd through 4th Grades
What is unique about the trees in this strange place? Students learn the secrets of the painted desert.
2nd through 4th Grades
Read about the Parthenon, a world-famous building in Athens, Greece. Then answer several reading comprehension questions.
3rd Grade
A short passage that teaches students about Mount Rushmore.
2nd through 4th Grades
Read about El Yunque National Forest and what makes it unique in this engaging short passage.
3rd Grade
Read up on West Virginia's first and only national park. This hidden gem is home to one of the oldest rivers on the planet!
3rd Grade
This short passage is all about the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. It has facts about the mall's size, the things you can do there, and more!
3rd Grade
Print off this worksheet to have students read about a unique feature in Tennessee. They'll learn about the caverns, including what they look like and how they've been used throughout history.
3rd Grade
American Founding Father Samuel Adams signed the Declaration of Independence and served in the Second Continental Congress.
3rd Grade
John Jay co-authored the Federalist Papers with James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. He also served as the the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
3rd Grade
Although not the oldest set of laws ever written, Hammurabi's Code was much longer than others of the time. Learn about the famous source of the saying "an eye for an eye!" in these three paragraphs.
3rd Grade
Do you know the differences of the first Olympic Games and today's Olympics? Read this short passage to find out more!
3rd Grade
You might've heard Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest written story, but do you know what it's about? Did you know there are older kinds of writing? Learn more in this short article.
3rd Grade
Have your students read this short passage on apple trees and answer the reading comprehension questions that go with it.
3rd Grade
This short article about dandelions gives an informative overview of the plant's life cycle. After reading the passage, students will answer three reading comprehension questions.
3rd Grade
Brief, non-fiction passage explaining how pencil graphite was discovered, and what the numbers on pencils mean.
3rd Grade
Longer Passages
Looking for longer passages? This page has full-length fiction stories, non-fiction articles, readers' theater scripts, and poems at a third grade level.
