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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Reading Comprehension Worksheet - American Flag Facts
Boost reading comprehension skills and knowledge of American flag facts with a printable reading comprehension worksheet.
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Presidents' Day Activities - George Washington Worksheet Pack
Learn about the life and contributions of George Washington with a comprehensive pack of Presidents’ Day Worksheets.
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What Does the President Do? Activity Pack
Learn about the role of the President with a pack of printable Presidents’ Day Worksheets.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Reading Activity Pack
Apply a range of reading comprehension strategies to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Executive Branch Worksheet Pack
Learn about the leaders and responsibilities of the Executive Branch of the United States government with printable comprehension worksheets.
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When Winter Comes - Poetry Analysis Worksheet
Printable poem for upper elementary students to practice analyzing poetry.
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Early Explorers - Robert de La Salle Reading Passage
Learn about Robert de la Salle and his worldly explorations with a printable reading passage and comprehension questions.
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The Age of Discovery - Francisco Coronado Reading Passage
Learn about Francisco Vazquez de Coronado and his North American explorations with a printable reading passage and comprehension questions.
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Native American Tribes in Texas - Reading Passage Worksheets
Blend reading and social studies standards with a pack of reading passages and comprehension activities about the Native American tribes in Texas.
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Author's Purpose Anchor Chart
A poster highlighting the three main reasons an author writes a piece of text - to persuade, to inform, to entertain.
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Christopher Columbus for Kids - Comprehension Worksheets
Learn about Christopher Columbus and his worldly explorations with a printable reading passage and comprehension questions.
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Innovative Americans Mini Book
Meet some of the most innovative and world-changing Americans with a printable mini book.
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Famous Explorers : Ponce De Leon Comprehension
Read and analyze informational text to discover the life and accomplishments of early explorers like Juan Ponce De Leon.
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Jacques Cartier Comprehension Worksheets
Travel back in time to the Age of Exploration with a look into the life and accomplishments of Jacques Cartier.
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World War I Comprehension Packet
Blend reading and social studies content with a printable set of World War 1 Reading Passages and accompanying question sets.
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Helen Keller Comprehension Passage - Tasks
Uncover facts about Helen Keller with a reading passage and worksheet pack to practice comprehension, character analysis, and sequencing.
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First Responders Reading Passage - Comprehension
Celebrate and learn about the American heroes known as first responders with a reading passage and comprehension questions.
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World War II for Kids - Mini Book
Build vocabulary and understanding of the causes, events, and outcomes of WW2 with a printable mini book and comprehension questions.
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Characteristics of an Environment – Worksheet
Enhance your students’ comprehension and science skills by learning about the physical characteristics of different environments and how they support populations within an ecosystem.
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Clara Barton Passage and Comprehension Worksheets
Uncover facts about Clara Barton with a reading passage and worksheet pack to practice comprehension, character analysis, and sequencing.
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Opinion Writing Anchor Chart - Letter Writing
Demonstrate writing a persuasive letter with an opinion writing anchor chart.
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The Women's Rights Movement Worksheets - Comprehension
Read, write, and discover facts about the women’s rights movement with a reading passage and comprehension worksheet pack.
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Google Slides Interactive - Idioms Activity
Build vocabulary and have fun with an interactive Idioms activity.
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The Intolerable Acts Worksheets
Practice close reading strategies, vocabulary, and writing skills with an Intolerable Acts worksheet and writing prompt.
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Henry Ford - RACES Writing Strategy Worksheets
Provide students with Social Studies and Writing instruction using the RACES strategy for constructed response paragraphs.
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Milton Hershey RACES Writing Strategy Worksheets
Bring National Chocolate Day into your classroom with a biography and RACES writing worksheet about Milton Hershey.
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Benjamin Franklin - Constructed Response Worksheet
Learn facts about Benjamin Franklin with an informational reading and writing activity focusing on the constructed response format.
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Theodore Roosevelt Constructed Response Worksheet
Teach your students about Theodore Roosevelt with this printable biographical constructed response worksheet.
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Susan B. Anthony Constructed Response Worksheet
Integrate reading, writing, and American history with a constructed response worksheet about Susan B. Anthony and the women’s rights movement.
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Google Slides Interactive - Story Elements Activity
Introduce your kindergarten and first-grade students to the elements of a story using this interactive Google Slides activity.
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Declaration of Independence- Constructed Response Passage Worksheet
Blend reading, writing, and historical concepts with the Declaration of Independence worksheet.
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Point of View Task Cards - Beginner Set
Use these colorful, fun task cards to help your beginning reader identify first, and third-person point of view (POV)
- 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