Reading Comprehension Teaching Resources
Explore printable worksheets, digital activities and more to teach reading comprehension strategies and skills in your elementary classroom. Created by teachers, for teachers, the teaching resources in this collection are curriculum-aligned and have undergone a careful review by a member of our expert teaching team.
You'll find editable versions to easily differentiate your instruction for individual students, plus a variety of options to make lesson planning easier this school year so your students will be able to identify the main idea of a text, draw inferences, remember key details and more.
New to teaching this portion of the English curriculum or just looking for fresh and engaging ways to teach reading comprehension strategies? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is Reading Comprehension?
We'll start at the beginning! Reading comprehension is a skill that's hard to overestimate in terms of its importance for elementary students to develop.
Defined as the ability to understand and interpret written language, reading comprehension involves the process of decoding text, extracting meaning from it, and then integrating that meaning with prior knowledge and understanding.
Not only does comprehension comprise the ability to recognize and understand individual words, but it also involves the ability to recognize patterns and relationships within sentences and paragraphs.
On top of that is the ability to make inferences and draw conclusions based on the information presented.
Yes, there's a lot packed in there!
How to Teach Reading Comprehension
To develop reading comprehension, students need a variety of language skills such as vocabulary knowledge, grammar and syntax, as well as cognitive processes such as attention, memory and critical thinking.
So how do you teach reading comprehension? Like many of those foundational skills we teach in elementary grades, this isn't something kids learn in a single lesson, unit or even one school year.
Teaching reading comprehension is going to stretch from kindergarten and first grade all the way through the rest of a child's academic career (at least on the pre-college levels).
That said, here are some activities to make use of as you approach teaching reading comprehension as an elementary teacher:
- Pre-Reading Activities — Brainstorming, KWL charts, prediction exercises and other "pre-reading" activities will help your students activate their prior knowledge, build background knowledge and set a purpose for reading. These are all key to developing their comprehension.
- During-Reading Strategies — Teaching your students to ask questions, summarize, visualize and make connections will give students the know-how they need to monitor their comprehension as they read.
- Post-Reading Activities — Reading comprehension doesn't stop when kids get to the last page of a text. It's only just beginning. That's why it's important to make sure your lesson plans include activities that help students deepen their understanding of the text and develop critical thinking skills. Examples of post-reading activities that can help build these skills include discussions, debates and written responses.
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Glossaries Worksheets
Download these glossary worksheets to provide your students with practice working with this valuable nonfiction text feature.
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The Christmas Pickle Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Learn about the Christmas Pickle Tradition and practice reading comprehension skills with a printable reading passage worksheet pack.
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Book Tasting Placemat and Brochure Templates
Host a Classroom Book Tasting to inspire young readers with a printable book tasting placemat and brochure template.
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Veterans Day - 4th Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Explore this 4th Grade Reading Comprehension pack and learn about the Veterans Day holiday.
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Women In WWI – Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Read to learn about women in World War I with a printable reading passage and comprehension worksheet.
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5 Finger Retelling Drawing Flipbook
Help your students understand the different aspects of a retell with this drawing to retell flipbook.
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Story Retell Flipbook
Explore retelling a story with your students with this I Can Retell a Story flipbook template.
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Story Retell Brochure Template
Explore retelling a story with this brochure template covering the major elements of a retell.
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Retelling a Story Workbook
Help your students retain the elements of a retell with this printable retelling stories student workbook.
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SCOOP Story Retell Bookmarks
Teach your students how to retell using the SCOOP acronym with these handy bookmarks.
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Retelling Stories Mini Book
Introduce how to retell a story using this easy to follow printable mini book.
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The U.S. Constitution Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Introduce your students to the U.S. Constitution with an informational reading passage and reading comprehension test.
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I Know About Fire Safety Book
Read and learn about fire prevention and safety with a differentiated Fire Prevention book for kids.
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Printable U.S. Constitution Day Worksheet Pack
Learn about Constitution Day in the United States with a pack of printable U.S. Constitution worksheets for 2nd and 3rd grade.
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5 Finger Retell Worksheets
Guide your students through using the 5 finger retell strategy with this set of worksheets.
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Robot-Themed Retelling Writing Template
Explore the elements of a retell with this cute robot-themed retell writing template.
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The Importance of Soil – Comprehension Worksheets
Teach your students about the importance of soil to plants, animals and humans with this differentiated reading comprehension passage with accompanying questions.
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Hansel and Gretel Retelling Activity Cards
Teach your students about retelling with this set of sequencing cards for Hansel and Gretel.
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SCOOP Retell Writing Template
Help students give quality retells by using this SCOOP retell writing template.
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5 Finger Retelling Interactive Activity
Practise using the 5 finger retelling strategy with this interactive activity.
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SCOOP Retelling Poster
Display this SCOOP retelling poster to help students remember how to give an effective retell.
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5 Finger Retelling Flipbook
Explore the 5 finger retell strategy with this guided flipbook.
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Gingerbread Man Retelling Activity Cards
Teach your students about retelling with this set of sequencing cards for The Gingerbread Man.
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Little Red Riding Hood Retelling Activity Cards
Teach your students about retelling with this set of sequencing cards for Little Red Riding Hood.
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Jack and the Beanstalk Retelling Activity Cards
Teach your students about retelling with this set of sequencing cards for Jack and the Beanstalk.
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Retelling Caterpillar Writing Template
Help students break down their retells with this cute caterpillar writing template.
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Empathy vs. Sympathy – 5th Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Challenge your students to learn the differences between empathy and sympathy with this reading comprehension worksheet.
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Grandparents' Day Activity - Simile Spinner Craft
Show Grandma and Grandpa how awesome they are with a Grandparents’ Day Simile Spinner!
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Grade 6 Magazine - What's Buzzing? (Issue 1)
A beautifully designed, 26-page reading magazine specifically designed for Grade 6 students.
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For and Against Worksheets
Explore 'for' and 'against' arguments for five different topics with this set of 'for' and 'against' sorting activities.
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Grade 5 Magazine - What's Buzzing? (Issue 1)
A beautifully designed, 24-page reading magazine specifically designed for Grade 5 students.
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Read and Draw - Halloween Worksheets
Practice reading comprehension skills with an exciting read-and-draw comprehension worksheet for 4th grade.
- Reading Comprehension Worksheets
- Reading Comprehension Templates
- Reading Comprehension Posters
- Reading Comprehension Games
- Reading Comprehension for Pre-K
- Reading Comprehension for Kindergarten
- Reading Comprehension for 1st Grade
- Reading Comprehension for 2nd Grade
- Reading Comprehension for 3rd Grade
- Reading Comprehension for 4th Grade
- Reading Comprehension for 5th Grade
- Reading Comprehension for 6th Grade
- Reading Comprehension for 7th Grade