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Reading Comprehension WorksheetsTerms of Use

"Your reading comprehension materials are the best I've found on the web. They are so thorough and comprehensive! My students and I have learned a lot from them. Thanks so much!" -- Susan B., Carter, KY. 03/21/12


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On this page you will find our complete list of high quality reading comprehension worksheets created specially by our team for students in grade levels K-12. Our worksheets elicit the use of critical thinking skills at every level. While some questions ask the reader to peruse the passage for particular details, most questions involve the use of deductive reasoning, conclusion making, logical inference, sequential analysis, tonal awareness, and an understanding of scope. These materials are highly effective in supplementing the education of verbal reasoning and critical thinking skills on behalf of the reader. What is more, these materials are applicable for students of all ages and ability levels. Many of the resources found on this page are available in online quiz form at our sister site, ReadTheory.
If there were only one aspect of language that students could study (or that educators could teach), it would invariably be reading comprehension. Beloved reading comprehension, a friend to nearly every teacher of language. But what makes it so special? Why is it so revered by both students and teachers alike? To answer these questions, it helps to know just what reading comprehension is. Reading comprehension is defined as the level of understanding of a text. This understanding comes from the interaction between the words that are written and how they trigger knowledge outside the text. Humans are thought to have a set reserve, an established threshold for attention and absorption of information, commonly referred to as processing capacity. This being the case, it is generally believed that proficient reading depends on the ability to recognize words quickly and effortlessly. If word recognition is difficult, students use too much of their processing capacity to read individual words, which interferes with their ability to comprehend what is read. Many educators in the United States believe that students need to learn to analyze text (comprehend it) even before they can read it on their own, and comprehension instruction generally begins in pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten. But other US educators consider this reading approach to be completely backward for very young children, arguing that the children must learn how to decode the words in a story through phonics before they can analyze the story itself. The reason why reading comprehension is such an effective learning tool is that, like art, it teaches students to manipulate particulars in attempt to represent the universal. When a student reads a text, he or she is forced to absorb a great deal of particular facts concerning an infinitude of seemingly random subjects (volcanoes, molecules, skateboarding, etc.) and assimilate them into the bigger picture, establishing just how they fit in, or relate, to the broader world. Mathematics, the diametrical opposite of art, challenges students in an inverse way; it teaches them to manipulate universals in order to represent the particular. No matter what the number "3" may come to stand for - volcanoes or molecules or skateboards - the student will be able to manipulate these things given his or her understanding of math. Based on this understanding, one might actually say that reading comprehension shares a unique association with art and math, each providing a way of understanding the world from a fundamental, yet polar, perspective.

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Our reading comprehension worksheets teach students to think critically, draw inferences, understand scope and global concepts, find or recall details, and infer the meaning of useful vocabulary words.

© COPYRIGHT NOTICE: The below publications contain copyrighted work to be used by teachers in school or at home. Binding, bookmaking, and or collation, reproduction and or duplication on other websites, creation of online quizzes or tests, saving to disks or hard drives, publication on intranets such as Moodle and Blackboard, and or use of our worksheets for commercial gain is strictly prohibited.



Phew! Thinking critically is tiring! Well, we hope you found the things you needed. Just remember to uphold our Terms of Use when using them. Oh yeah, and don't forget that these materials are samples taken from our sister site, ReadTheory -- an interactive website dedicated to improving reading comprehension for all ages and ability levels. We think it's pretty awesome. Click on the link to check it out!
You really really like reading comprehension. We get it... That's why we created Read Theory, a website that offers over 1000 reading comprehension quizzes and automatically adapts to student reading ability. Pretty amazing, right? On Read Theory, students can take quizzes, enter contests, create avatars, earn points and achievements, and more. Teachers can create virtual classes and track their students' performance using graphs, charts, and percentages. See...amazing. But don't take it from us. See for yourself. Click the banner below!

Critical Thinking Reading Comprehension Worksheets
In this series, readers are tested on their ability to perform interpretations, make deductions, and infer the meaning of vocabulary words based on an informational passage.

© COPYRIGHT NOTICE: The below publications contain copyrighted work to be used by teachers in school or at home. Binding, bookmaking, and or collation, reproduction and or duplication on other websites, creation of online quizzes or tests, saving to disks or hard drives, publication on intranets such as Moodle and Blackboard, and or use of our worksheets for commercial gain is strictly prohibited.

Short Story Reading Comprehension Worksheets
In this series, readers are tested on their ability to perform interpretations, make deductions, and infer the meaning of vocabulary words based on a short story. Worksheets in this series are not tagged with a US grade level, as we rely on teachers to use their own judgment to find a level of difficulty appropriate for their own particular applications.

© COPYRIGHT NOTICE: The below publications contain copyrighted work to be used by teachers in school or at home. Binding, bookmaking, and or collation, reproduction and or duplication on other websites, creation of online quizzes or tests, saving to disks or hard drives, publication on intranets such as Moodle and Blackboard, and or use of our worksheets for commercial gain is strictly prohibited.
  • Beginning Level
  • Answers for this series are included at the end of each worksheet.
  • "My Friend" - Low Beginning. 3 answer choices. 7 questions. 74 words.
  • "My House" - Low Beginning. 3 answer choices. 7 questions. 92 words.
  • "Time to..." - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 11 questions. 89 words.
  • "My Family" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 6 questions. 90 words.
  • "Rainy Day" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 78 words.
  • "A Call to the Pool" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 116 words.
  • "The Singing Bird" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 96 words.
  • "Seeing Stars" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 8 questions. 92 words.
  • "I Fly" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 4 questions. 113 words.
  • "The Drive" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 120 words.
  • "Zach's Animals" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 104 words.
  • "Griffin's Talents" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 9 questions. 112 words.
  • "A Happy Visitor" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 170 words.
  • "An Adventure" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 177 words.
  • "Running" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 148 words.
  • "Paul Cooks" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 112 words.
  • "Bella Hides" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 8 questions. 135 words.
  • "First Prize" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 8 questions. 155 words.
  • "What Number?" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 154 words.
  • "The Interview" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 9 questions. 205 words.
  • "Julian's Work" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 194 words.
  • "Talia's Special Day" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 204 words.
  • "One Hundred Dollars" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 273 words.
  • "New Shoes for Maddy" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 11 questions. 223 words.
  • "The 20" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 256 words.
  • "Big City Noise" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 238 words.
  • Intermediate Level
  • Answers for this series are included at the end of each worksheet.
  • "By the Water" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 9 questions. 225 words.
  • "A Cold Day" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 14 questions. 286 words.
  • "Vet Emergency!" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 247 words.
  • "Late" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 14 questions. 284 words.
  • "The Brenners" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 297 words.
  • "Bullied" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 197 words.
  • "The New School" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 14 questions. 286 words.
  • "The Park" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 11 questions. 297 words.
  • "Worth Working For" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 280 words.
  • "The Rent Man" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 215 words.
  • "Time with Grandpa" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 9 questions. 237 words.
  • "The Bus Driver" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 15 questions. 294 words.
  • "A Day Like No Other" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 305 words.
  • "A Mystery" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 247 words.
  • "Just One Touch" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 15 questions. 326 words.
  • "Wanga" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 340 words.
  • "Ana Finds an Apartment" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 408 words.
  • "Guermo's Surprise" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 9 questions. 372 words.
  • "Canopy of Nature" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 8 questions. 332 words.
  • "Blizzard in Birmingham" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 319 words.
  • "A Christmas in March" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 385 words.
  • "Bail" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 301 words.
  • "Clean Water Act" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 632 words.
  • "BB" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 511 words.
  • Advanced Level
  • Answers for this series are included at the end of each worksheet.
  • "The Mini Problem" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 291 words.
  • "Flower Power" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 368 words.
  • "Seeing Clearly" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 284 words.
  • "Accused" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 285 words.
  • "City Girl" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 429 words.
  • "Fried" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 235 words.
  • "Tattoo" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 11 questions. 350 words.
  • "The Transfers" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 381 words.
  • "Wild" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 493 words.
  • "Scorpion" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 333 words
  • "Remains of a Marriage" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 11 questions. 345 words.
  • "Museum Hours" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 179 words.
  • "Seeing Through" - High Advanced. 5 answer choices. 10 questions. 326 words.
  • "Ursula Pugh" - High Advanced. 5 answer choices. 8 questions. 324 words.
  • "Dreams" - High Advanced. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 357 words.
  • "Tracks" - High Advanced. 5 answer choices. 11 questions. 531 words.
  • "Love Train" - High Advanced. 5 answer choices. 12 questions. 646 words.
  • "The Storm" - High Advanced. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 407 words.

Aren't fictional short stories fun!? Well, we hope you found the things you needed. Just remember to uphold our Terms of Use when using them. Oh yeah, and don't forget that these materials are samples taken from our sister site, ReadTheory -- an interactive website dedicated to improving reading comprehension for all ages and ability levels. Click on the link to check it out!


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Informational Passages Reading Comprehension Worksheets

In these reading comprehension worksheets, students are asked questions about information they have read about a specific topic. Each passage reads similar to a newspaper of journal article, and provides interesting information about some aspect of history, nature, mechanics, science, art, and more. Questions involve critical thinking with a focus on logic and inference.

Technical Reading Comprehension Worksheets

In these reading comprehension worksheets, students are asked questions about the meaning, significance, intention, structure, inference, and vocabulary used in each passage. Each passage reads like an encyclopedic or technical journal article. Answers for worksheets in this section can be found at the end of each individual worksheet.

  • "Water" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 300 words.
  • "Paper" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 300 words.
  • "The Flu" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
  • "Nuts" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
  • "The Sun" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
  • "The White House" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
  • "Soap" - Intermediate level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
  • "Clocks" - Intermediate level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
  • "The Robin" - Intermediate level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
  • "Hybrid Vehicles" - Intermediate level. 4 questions with answers included. Under 500 words.
  • "Photography" - Intermediate level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 500 words.
  • "Biomimetics" - Intermediate level. 4 questions with answers included. Under 700 words.
  • "The Great Debates" - Intermediate level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
  • "Salt" - Advanced level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 700 words.
  • "Colony Collapse" - Advanced level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 600 words.
  • "Columbian Exchange" - Advanced level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 700 words.
  • "Ethanol" - Advanced level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 600 words.
  • "Generations" - Advanced level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 600 words.
  • "The Hubble Telescope" - Advanced level. 7 questions with answers included. Under 1000 words.
  • "Intellegence Augmentation" - Advanced level. 5 questions with answers included. Under 1000 words.
Role Play Reading Comprehension Worksheets

In these reading comprehension worksheets, students can increase their understanding of colloquial and idiomatic expressions and get a feel for conversational English. They also allow several students to participate at the same time - which makes them really fun! Great for use in school or at home.

Dual Version Reading Comprehension Worksheets

In each of these reading comprehension worksheets, the same story is told, but with two versions: one that is basic, and one that is more advanced. This allows students to make direct comparisons between the advanced version to the more basic one, and makes for a powerful learning experience.