3rd grade nonfiction passage about sleep and health: 137 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionsleep and health137 words
Why We Need Sleep
Sleep is not just a way to pass the night. While you sleep, your body is hard at work.
Your body grows and fixes itself during sleep. Cuts heal, and muscles recover from a busy day. Your brain sorts out what you learned, which helps you remember it.
Children from six to twelve years old need about nine to twelve hours of sleep each night. A child who does not get enough sleep may feel cranky, forget things, or find it hard to pay attention at school.
Some habits make sleep easier. Go to bed at the same time each night. Turn off screens before bed, because the bright light can keep your brain awake. Keep your room dark and quiet. A calm routine, like reading a book, tells your body that it is time to rest.
Questions
What does your body do while you sleep? in the text
How many hours of sleep do children from six to twelve need? in the text
What can happen if a child does not get enough sleep? in the text
Why should you turn off screens before bed? in the text
Why might reading a book be a good thing to do at bedtime? think about it
How does sleep help you at school? think about it
Words to know
muscles
parts of the body that help you move
brain
the part of the body that thinks and remembers
cranky
grumpy and easily upset
attention
careful listening and watching
routine
the same steps you do in the same order
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why We Need Sleep
3rd grade reading passage
Sleep is not just a way to pass the night. While you sleep, your body is hard at work.
Your body grows and fixes itself during sleep. Cuts heal, and muscles recover from a busy day. Your brain sorts out what you learned, which helps you remember it.
Children from six to twelve years old need about nine to twelve hours of sleep each night. A child who does not get enough sleep may feel cranky, forget things, or find it hard to pay attention at school.
Some habits make sleep easier. Go to bed at the same time each night. Turn off screens before bed, because the bright light can keep your brain awake. Keep your room dark and quiet. A calm routine, like reading a book, tells your body that it is time to rest.
Questions
What does your body do while you sleep?
How many hours of sleep do children from six to twelve need?
What can happen if a child does not get enough sleep?
Why should you turn off screens before bed?
Why might reading a book be a good thing to do at bedtime?
How does sleep help you at school?
Words to know
muscles: parts of the body that help you move
brain: the part of the body that thinks and remembers
cranky: grumpy and easily upset
attention: careful listening and watching
routine: the same steps you do in the same order
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/why-we-need-sleep
Share
One passage, three levels
The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.
● Easier · 128 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.3
Sleep is not just for passing the night. Your body works hard while you sleep.
Your body grows and fixes itself in your sleep. Cuts heal. Muscles rest after a busy day. Your brain sorts what you learned. That helps you remember it.
Kids from six to twelve years old need nine to twelve hours of sleep each night. A child who does not sleep enough may feel cranky. He may forget things. It may be hard to pay attention at school.
Some habits help. Go to bed at the same time each night. Turn off screens before bed. The bright light can keep your brain awake. Keep your room dark and quiet. A calm routine, like reading a book, tells your body it is time to rest.
▲ This passage · 137 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1
Sleep is not just a way to pass the night. While you sleep, your body is hard at work.
Your body grows and fixes itself during sleep. Cuts heal, and muscles recover from a busy day. Your brain sorts out what you learned, which helps you remember it.
Children from six to twelve years old need about nine to twelve hours of sleep each night. A child who does not get enough sleep may feel cranky, forget things, or find it hard to pay attention at school.
Some habits make sleep easier. Go to bed at the same time each night. Turn off screens before bed, because the bright light can keep your brain awake. Keep your room dark and quiet. A calm routine, like reading a book, tells your body that it is time to rest.
■ Harder · 145 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.8
Sleep is far more than a way to pass the night, because your body is working hard the entire time you are resting.
During sleep, your body grows and repairs itself. Cuts heal, and muscles recover from a demanding day. Meanwhile, your brain sorts through everything you learned, which helps you remember it later.
Children between six and twelve years old need roughly nine to twelve hours of sleep every night. A child who does not get enough sleep may become cranky, forget things, or struggle to pay attention at school.
Certain habits can make sleep come more easily. Go to bed at the same time each night, and turn off screens beforehand, since bright light can keep your brain awake. Keep your bedroom dark and quiet. A calm routine, such as reading a book, signals to your body that it is time to rest.
Sleep is not just for passing the night. Your body works hard while you sleep.
Your body grows and fixes itself in your sleep. Cuts heal. Muscles rest after a busy day. Your brain sorts what you learned. That helps you remember it.
Kids from six to twelve years old need nine to twelve hours of sleep each night. A child who does not sleep enough may feel cranky. He may forget things. It may be hard to pay attention at school.
Some habits help. Go to bed at the same time each night. Turn off screens before bed. The bright light can keep your brain awake. Keep your room dark and quiet. A calm routine, like reading a book, tells your body it is time to rest.
Questions
What does your body do while you sleep?
How many hours of sleep do kids from six to twelve need?
What can happen if a child does not sleep enough?
Why turn off screens before bed?
Why is reading a book good at bedtime?
How does sleep help you at school?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why We Need Sleep
Sleep is not just a way to pass the night. While you sleep, your body is hard at work.
Your body grows and fixes itself during sleep. Cuts heal, and muscles recover from a busy day. Your brain sorts out what you learned, which helps you remember it.
Children from six to twelve years old need about nine to twelve hours of sleep each night. A child who does not get enough sleep may feel cranky, forget things, or find it hard to pay attention at school.
Some habits make sleep easier. Go to bed at the same time each night. Turn off screens before bed, because the bright light can keep your brain awake. Keep your room dark and quiet. A calm routine, like reading a book, tells your body that it is time to rest.
Questions
What does your body do while you sleep?
How many hours of sleep do children from six to twelve need?
What can happen if a child does not get enough sleep?
Why should you turn off screens before bed?
Why might reading a book be a good thing to do at bedtime?
How does sleep help you at school?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why We Need Sleep
Sleep is far more than a way to pass the night, because your body is working hard the entire time you are resting.
During sleep, your body grows and repairs itself. Cuts heal, and muscles recover from a demanding day. Meanwhile, your brain sorts through everything you learned, which helps you remember it later.
Children between six and twelve years old need roughly nine to twelve hours of sleep every night. A child who does not get enough sleep may become cranky, forget things, or struggle to pay attention at school.
Certain habits can make sleep come more easily. Go to bed at the same time each night, and turn off screens beforehand, since bright light can keep your brain awake. Keep your bedroom dark and quiet. A calm routine, such as reading a book, signals to your body that it is time to rest.
Questions
What does your body do during sleep?
How many hours of sleep do children between six and twelve need?
What problems can a child have without enough sleep?
Why should screens be turned off before bed?
Why might reading a book be a good bedtime habit?
How does sleep make school easier?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why We Need Sleep
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.3)
It grows and fixes itself.
Nine to twelve hours each night.
He or she may feel cranky, forget things, or have trouble paying attention.
The bright light can keep your brain awake.
A calm routine tells your body it is time to rest.
Your brain sorts what you learned, so you remember it and can pay attention.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1)
It grows and fixes itself.
About nine to twelve hours each night.
The child may feel cranky, forget things, or have trouble paying attention.
The bright light can keep your brain awake.
A calm routine tells your body it is time to rest.
Your brain sorts what you learned, so you remember it and can pay attention.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.8)
It grows and repairs itself.
Roughly nine to twelve hours every night.
The child may become cranky, forget things, or struggle to pay attention.
Bright light can keep your brain awake.
A calm routine signals to your body that it is time to rest.
Your brain sorts what you learned so you remember it, and you can pay attention.
Free at teach.peabody.kids
How to use it
Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.
Ideas for class
Before reading, put muscles, brain, cranky, attention and routine on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 1 minute to read aloud.
Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
Question 5 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 137 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.1. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.
What do the questions ask?
There are six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.
How long does it take to read?
About 1 minute read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.
Can I print it?
Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.
Is this passage from a published book?
No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.
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