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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Monitoring Comprehension Strategies Text Annotations Poster
Help students monitor their comprehension with this Monitoring Comprehension Reading Strategy using text annotations.
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Fix-Up Strategies in Reading Flipbook
Explore different fix up strategies with your students using this Fix Up Strategies in Reading Flipbook template.
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Bloom’s Taxonomy - Second Grade Reading Comprehension Questions
Grow comprehension skills with our Reading Comprehension - Second Grade Bloom’s Taxonomy Reading Task Cards.
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Objective and Subjective Language Worksheet
Use this objective and subjective language worksheet to help students distinguish between facts and opinions.
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Self Monitoring Reading Comprehension Strategies Flipbook
Get students practicing their self monitoring while reading skills with this activities flipbook.
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Fact or Opinion Activity – Match Them Up!
Download this fact or opinion activity, a hands-on matching game that strengthens critical thinking skills while making learning collaborative and engaging.
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Fact or Opinion Questions Task Cards
Download these multiple-choice fact or opinion questions designed to build critical thinking skills and improve comprehension.
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Comprehension Fix-Up Strategies Teaching Slides
Teach your students different comprehension fix up strategies with this set of informative teaching slides.
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Self Monitoring Reading Checklist Bookmark
Explore self monitoring comprehension with this printable self monitoring reading checklist bookmark for your budding readers.
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Digital Fact or Opinion Game
Engage your class with this digital fact or opinion game where students move around the classroom to classify statements as facts or opinions.
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Click or Clunk Strategy Poster and Desk Mat
Explore the click and clunk reading strategy with your students using this poster and desk mat set.
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Monitor and Clarify Worksheets
Help students monitor and clarify while reading using these Monitor and Clarify Worksheets.
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Free Making Predictions When Reading Journal
Encourage deeper thinking with this Making Predictions When Reading Journal template.
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Making Predictions – Kindergarten Worksheet Set
Explore the comprehension strategy of prediction using these prediction worksheets created specifically for the early years classroom.
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Predict What Will Happen Next – Picture Task Cards
Use our Predict What Will Happen Next – Picture Task Cards to practice making predictions with your young learners.
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Making Predictions Assessment – Interactive Game
Assess predicting skills with this Making Predictions Assessment digital quiz.
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Making Predictions Multiple Choice Worksheet Set
Improve students' reading comprehension with our Making Predictions Multiple Choice Worksheet PDF, which features engaging short stories.
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Making Predictions Sentence Starters Flashcards
Use these Making Predictions Sentence Starters Flashcards to guide students in making accurate predictions using prompts.
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Making Predictions in Reading Worksheet Pack
Practice reading and making predictions with this making predictions in reading worksheet pack.
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Making Predictions Picture Cards Activity
Engage young learners in predicting with these Making Predictions Picture Cards, no reading required.
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Prediction Questions for Reading Flashcards
Encourage active reading with Predictions Questions for Reading Flashcards, a versatile resource including question prompts for students to use during reading.
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Making Predictions Anchor Chart Pack
Support student learning with these Making Predictions Anchor Charts explaining when and how to make predictions.
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Making Predictions Short Stories Digital Task Cards
Enhance reading comprehension with these Making Predictions Short Stories Digital Activity Cards, where students read short stories, predict what happens next, and justify their thinking using text evidence.
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Making Predictions Graphic Organizer Pack
Enhance reading comprehension by using these Making Predictions Graphic Organizer templates in your classroom.
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Making Predictions PowerPoint
Use this Making Predictions PowerPoint to engage students in the learning of predicting during reading.
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Caption Text Feature Matching Game
Teach your students about the caption text feature with this engaging and collaborative matching game.
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Author’s Purpose Sorting Activity
Use this author’s purpose sorting activity to teach your students the difference between persuasive, informative and narrative writing.
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Basic Elements of a Story Spinner Template
Learn the basic elements of a story using this fun and engaging story spinner template for your students.
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What’s the Heading? Task Cards
Explore the heading text feature with this set of task cards perfect for reading centers.
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Visual Literacy Techniques Poster Pack
Teach your students how to uncover hidden meanings in images with this vibrant set of Visual Literacy Technique Posters!
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Story Problem and Solution Matching Activity
Match problems with their solutions to enhance your students' knowledge using this problem and solution matching activity.
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Bowerbird Comprehension Worksheets
Learn all about the wonderful world of Bowerbirds all while practicing comprehension skills.
- Reading Comprehension Worksheets
- Reading Comprehension Templates
- Reading Comprehension Posters
- Reading Comprehension Games
- Reading Comprehension Flashcards
- 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