Reading Passages Teaching Resources
Explore reading passages ready to be used in your primary classroom to assess your students' comprehension skills and build their confidence as readers!
Created by teachers for teachers, each reading passage in this extensive collection has been designed to enhance student comprehension skills and build understanding. This collection of Australian English curriculum-aligned comprehension passages was created by the teachers on the Teach Starter team, and each has undergone a review by an expert on our team to ensure it’s ready for your classroom.
Not sure where to begin? Here’s a quick primer from our teacher team to help you get the most out of this teacher tool!
What Are Reading Passages?
Reading passages are a set of written texts that are typically used for reading comprehension exercises and assessments. They can come in various forms, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. They are used to provide a text for students to read and analyse and are often accompanied by questions or tasks to assess comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and other language skills.
How to Use Reading Passages in the Classroom
This collection of short reading passages can be used for a variety of needs, including:
- Practising reading fluency
- Provide students with practise in reading comprehension and critical thinking skills
- Measuring students’ reading level
- Exposing students to different genres, authors and writing styles
Best of all? Teach Starter's reading passages have been developed so they can be used for individual or group activities.
- Plus Plan

Polar Bear Adaptations Worksheet Pack - Comprehension Passage
Discover polar bear structural adaptations with a set of printable reading comprehension worksheets.
- Plus Plan

The Force of Friction Comprehension Worksheets
Download this friction worksheet to teach your Year 4 students about the force of friction and its impact on our daily lives.
- Plus Plan

Year 4 Reading Comprehension - The Day of the Dead Reading Passage
Read and learn about the Mexican holiday, Dia De Los Muertos, with a reading passage and Year 4 reading prose comprehension test.
- Plus Plan

Year 6 Magazine - What's Buzzing? (Issue 2)
Issue 2 of our beautifully designed, 24-page reading magazine specifically designed for Year 6 students.
- Plus Plan

Compare and Contrast Worksheets - Neil Armstrong vs. Amelia Earhart
Compare and contrast Neil Armstrong and Amelia Earhart with differentiated reading comprehension worksheets.
- Plus Plan

Australia's Voting System – Comprehension Worksheets
Explore the history and systems of voting in Australia with this differentiated reading comprehension activity.
- Plus Plan

Finding the Central Idea Worksheet
Read a short article, answer 10 comprehension questions, and use the gathered knowledge to write a central idea sentence about the text.
- Plus Plan

Earth, Sun and Moon – Comprehension Worksheet
Read about and compare physical characteristics of the Eath, sun and moon with this reading comprehension sheet.
- Plus Plan

All About the Sun – Comprehension Worksheet
Integrate science and reading while learning about the Sun with this comprehension worksheet.
- Plus Plan

Community Helpers: Police Officer – Comprehension Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for an article from the Foundation magazine (Issue 1).
- Plus Plan

Life Without Tacos – Comprehension Task
A comprehension passage and accompanying worksheet about cultural diffusion.
- Free Plan

Letter to the Editor (Sugary Snacks Ban) – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a letter to the editor from the Year 5 magazine (Issue 3).
- Plus Plan

Human Histories: Amazing Artists – Comprehension Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a magazine article about some amazing artists.
- Plus Plan

Blast Off with Space Rex 2000 – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a fake advertisement from the Year 5 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan

J. K. Rowling Biography and Worksheet
Download this J.K. Rowling biography and worksheet, designed to help students learn about the life, education and writing career of the world-famous author.
- Plus Plan

The Cautious Carnival – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a fake advertisement from the Year 3 magazine (Issue 3).
- Plus Plan

Human Histories: Amazing Achievements - Read and Respond Worksheet
A comprehension activity related to a biographical text.
- Plus Plan

Comprehension Task Cards - Distinguishing Between Fact and Opinion
A set of comprehension task cards to help students distinguish between fact and opinion when reading.
- Plus Plan

Tropical Cyclone Cloze Worksheet
A cloze worksheet about tropical cyclones.
- Plus Plan

Year 5 Reading Worksheets - The Business of Bees
Read and learn about bees, pollination and honey production with a reading comprehension passage and worksheet pack.
- Plus Plan

Fascinating Facts About Sound Worksheet Pack
Use this sound energy worksheet pack to boost comprehension and teach your student some interesting facts about sound.
- Plus Plan

The Effects of Urban Lighting Worksheet Pack
Read and learn about the impact of light pollution with our Effects of Urban Lighting Worksheet Pack.
- Plus Plan

Year 2 Magazine - "What's Buzzing?" (Issue 2) Task Cards
A set of five literacy rotation task cards to be used in conjunction with Issue 2 of Teach Starter’s Year 2 magazine.
- Plus Plan

Year 2 Magazine - "What's Buzzing?" (Issue 1) Task Cards
A set of five literacy rotation task cards to be used in conjunction with Issue 1 of Teach Starter's Year 2 magazine.
- Plus Plan

Immigration Vocabulary List & Activity Pack
Download our immigration vocabulary list and printable vocabulary activities to teach your students about human migration and immigration.
- Plus Plan

Bowerbird Comprehension Worksheets
Learn all about the wonderful world of Bowerbirds all while practising comprehension skills.
- Plus Plan

Kangaroo Adaptations – Science and Literacy Worksheets
Discover unique kangaroo adaptations with a printable Reading comprehension worksheet pack.
- Plus Plan

Sloth Adaptations – Comprehension Skills Worksheet
Read and comprehend nonfiction text about the adaptations of a sloth with a printable pack of reading skills worksheets.
- Plus Plan

Year 3 Magazine - What's Buzzing? (Issue 1)
A beautifully designed, 24-page reading magazine specifically designed for Year 3 students.
- Plus Plan

Year 1 Magazine – What's Buzzing? (Issue 3)
Issue 3 of our beautifully designed, 22-page reading magazine specifically designed for Year 1 students.
- Plus Plan

Year 1 Magazine – What’s Buzzing? (Issue 2)
A beautifully designed, 22-page reading magazine specifically designed for Year 1 students.
- Plus Plan

Foundation Magazine - What's Buzzing? (Issue 2)
Issue 2 of our beautifully designed, 16-page reading magazine specifically designed for Foundation students.