3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Passages

Reading Passages, Questions & Answers - Third Grade

Below you’ll find 3rd grade reading comprehension passages along with questions and answers and vocabulary activities. These printable 3rd grade reading activities include short story excerpts,  passages from popular books as well as high-interest information topics.

Mountain Gorillas

“Girls!” Rose heard her father calling. She raced to her big sister’s room. “Gina, Dad’s calling us.” The girls ran downstairs. “What is it, Dad?” said Rose. Dad put his arm around Mom. “We’re going on a safari to the Virunga Mountains of Africa. There are three national parks there…

The Oriole and the Snipe

“Hi, I’m Sandy. What are you doing up there?” A bright orange oriole dangled upside down from a branch. “Hi, I’m Oliver. I’m building my nest.” Sandy flew up to a nearby branch. “Interesting. I’m a Wilson’s snipe. I live down by the marshes. The bushes give me plenty of…

Busy Ben and Idle Isaac

Ben opened his book and studied the instructions to build a toy boat. His best friend Isaac raced around the yard. “Isaac! How will you ever learn to do anything if you don’t study and work?” “Phew,” said Isaac. “I don’t like to work. I just want to play and…

The Secret Box

On rainy days, Juanita liked to climb the attic stairs and play with her stuffed animals under the slanted roof. Here she could hear the drumming sound of the rain. The attic was dim on stormy days, but Juanita thought it was cozy to have only one light bulb to see…

The Case of the Missing Magazines

Melia and her father had just finished building a tree house in the backyard. Melia, an artist, wanted to decorate the walls, and instead of buying things, she decided to make her own art. Melia enjoyed making collages using a combination of photos she had taken and pieces of fabric.…

A Box of Colors

What common art supply can be found in almost any school in America? If you said crayons, you would be right. Children love making art with the waxy sticks of colors. Let’s take a look at how crayons were invented. Edwin Binney and Harold Smith were business partners. One of…