3rd Grade Back to School Reading Comprehension: The First Day
Read an original back-to-school story and answer questions about the characters, problem, and solution.
- Homework
- Review
- Centers
- Morning Work
Download the Free Printable PDF
No sign-up required. Clean, low-ink US Letter format.
- Grade
- 3rd Grade
- Subject
- Reading
- Skill
- Reading Comprehension
- Topic
- short story comprehension
- Difficulty
- Standard
- Time
- 15 minutes
- Pages
- 2 (incl. answer key)
- Format
- Printable PDF (US Letter)
- Answer key
- Included
- Best for
- homework, review, centers, morning work
Worksheet details
What This Worksheet Practices
Students will answer literal and inferential questions about an original back-to-school story, citing details from the text.
- Recalling key details
- Identifying a problem and how it is solved
- Making an inference from the text
Worksheet Preview
A first-day story to read closely
First-day nerves are something every student knows, which makes this a great passage for practicing the core habit: answering from the text. The story has a clear problem (Diego is nervous and friendless) and solution (the puzzle activity), so each question has a findable answer.
How to use it
Have students point to the sentence that answers each question before writing. The challenge question asks why Mr. Park used the puzzle — a strong answer connects to how Diego ended up with new friends. Sits between 2nd grade and 4th grade reading comprehension.
👩🏫 Teacher note
A relatable first-week read. Have students point to the sentence that supports each answer, especially the inference question about Mr. Park's puzzle activity.
🏠 Parent note
Have your child look back at the story for each answer, even the 'why' question.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Answering from their own experience instead of the story
- Making an inference with no text support
Answer Key
Sample answers are provided; wording may vary but should match the story.
⬇ Download Answer Key (PDF)Related Worksheets
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Does it come with an answer key?
Yes — a complete answer key is included.
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