Grade 1 reading passages with questions
6 original 1st grade passages with five questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print them or read them big.
6 passages of 74 to 108 words. Short passages in simple sentences. Nonfiction on ducks, the moon, maps, wheels and the four seasons, and a story about sharing, so there is a mix to choose from.
Passages
- Ducks at the Pondnonfiction, animals, 84 words
- The Moonnonfiction, space, 98 words
- Ben and Tess Sharefiction, friendship, 108 words
- A Map Shows Wherenonfiction, maps, 91 words
- Wheels Help Us Movenonfiction, how things work, 82 words
- The Four Seasonsnonfiction, weather and seasons, 74 words
How to use them in 1st grade
Use them for guided reading, for partner reading, or as a first independent comprehension task. Pre-teach the four vocabulary words with the child-friendly meanings, read once for the gist, then reread for the questions. Most children can write a short answer to each question by the end of the year.
What the text looks like
Sentences of about eight words, mostly one-syllable words, with a few new words that the text explains.
Every passage in the set: Kindergarten, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8. Or see the whole list, check any text with the readability checker, or time a read with the fluency timer.
Questions
What does 1st grade reading level mean here?
Each passage here is checked with the Flesch-Kincaid formula, and for this grade the result has to be no higher than 2.5. It is a formula, so use your own judgment, and your own students, to decide whether a text is right.
Can I print them?
Yes. Every passage has Print student copy, with lines to write the answers on, and Print with answers, which fills them in.
Where do the passages come from?
They were written for Peabody Teach. None is copied from a book, a test or another site.