Welcome back to englishlanguagestudies.com! First grade is where the magic of reading truly begins. Students transition from learning their letters to decoding actual words and understanding short stories. To help build your early reader’s confidence, we have created this free grade 1 reading comprehension worksheet.
This printable activity features five very short, highly decodable passages. The stories use common sight words and simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. Each story is followed by three basic questions to test recall and ensure the student understands what they just read.
3 Easy Tips to Improve Grade 1 Reading Comprehension
Before your little one starts, try using these three strategies:
- Sound it Out: If they get stuck on a word, encourage them to point to each letter and make its sound, then blend them together.
- Look at the Pictures (Mental or Real): Ask your child to close their eyes and picture what the story is about. Visualizing helps lock the information into their memory.
- Read it Twice: The first time a 1st grader reads a text, they are focusing almost entirely on decoding the words. Have them read the story a second time to focus on the meaning.
Grab a pencil, get comfortable, and let’s start reading!
Grade 1 Reading Comprehension
Story 1: The Big Dog
Bob has a dog. His dog is big and brown. The dog likes to run fast. Bob and the dog play in the sun. They have fun!
Choose the correct answer:
- Who has a dog?
A) Sam
B) Bob
C) Tim - What color is the dog?
A) Brown
B) Black
C) White - Where do they play?
A) In the house
B) In the mud
C) In the sun
Story 2: The Red Apple
Pam sees an apple. The apple is red. It is up in a tree. Pam gets the apple. She eats the sweet apple.
Is the sentence True or False?
- The apple is green.
[ True / False ] - The apple is up in a tree.
[ True / False ] - Pam eats the apple.
[ True / False ]
Story 3: A Day at the Park
Sam goes to the park. He plays on the slide. The slide is very fast. Sam goes down the slide with a big smile.
Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the story:
- Sam goes to the __________.
- He plays on the __________.
- Sam goes down with a big __________.
Story 4: The Little Frog
Look at the frog. The frog is green and little. It can jump very high. The frog sits on a wet log near the pond.
Choose the correct answer:
- What animal is in the story?
A) A cat
B) A frog
C) A bird - What can the frog do?
A) Jump high
B) Fly
C) Run fast - Where does the frog sit?
A) On a rock
B) On a car
C) On a wet log
Story 5: My Blue Hat
I have a hat. My hat is blue. It has a yellow star on it. I wear my hat outside when it is cold.
Is the sentence True or False?
- The hat is red.
[ True / False ] - The hat has a yellow star on it.
[ True / False ] - I wear my hat when it is hot.
[ True / False ]
🌟 Parents/Teachers: Click Here for the Answers! 🌟
Story 1: The Big Dog
1. B) Bob
2. A) Brown
3. C) In the sun
Story 2: The Red Apple
4. False (The apple is red)
5. True
6. True
Story 3: A Day at the Park
7. park
8. slide
9. smile
Story 4: The Little Frog
10. B) A frog
11. A) Jump high
12. C) On a wet log
Story 5: My Blue Hat
13. False (The hat is blue)
14. True
15. False (I wear my hat when it is cold)
Great job! You are a super reader! 🎈📖
Amazing job completing the worksheet! For a first grader, reading independently is a massive achievement. If your child sounded out words they didn’t know or looked back at the stories to find the answers, give them plenty of praise! Building a positive relationship with reading early on is incredibly important.
Celebrate their success with a sticker or a fun activity (maybe a trip to the park like Sam in Story 3!).
Parents and Educators, we want to hear from you! What sight words is your 1st grader currently working on? Drop a comment below and let us know what early reading resources you’d love to see next on englishlanguagestudies.com!
Check out more reading comprehension worksheets: English Reading Comprehension